Our TopBets, rugby experts will provide you with the latest rugby predictions on rugby from across the globe. The emphasis will be on the major leagues like the United Rugby Championship (URC), Super Rugby and of course our very own local Currie Cup. You can be assured all the big rugby this weekend will be previewed on this page.
Rugby Predictions SATURDAY 18 July 2026
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Latest Betway Rugby odds
No Rugby odds available.1X2 Tips For Rugby Fixtures Today
New Zealand(WIN) 1.25 odds vs Ireland
Tip 1: New Zealand to win
Reason for the tip: New Zealand and Ireland meet in a blockbuster Nations Championship clash at Eden Park. Both teams are unbeaten and are seeking their third win on the trot. It will be no easy task for the visitors as the All Blacks last tasted defeat at their fortress in 1994. The All Blacks have made an encouraging start under new coach Dave Rennie, edging France 34-32 before producing a convincing 47-17 victory over Italy. Ireland were equally impressive, overcoming Australia 33-31 in Sydney before pulling away to beat Japan 36-20 and extend their winning streak to seven matches.
The hosts will once again rely on the attacking brilliance of Will Jordan, Jordie Barrett and Ruben Love, while Ardie Savea leads a powerful forward pack featuring an intriguing selection of Tupou Vaa’i at blindside flanker. Ireland possess the experience to challenge New Zealand, with Dan Sheehan, Tadhg Furlong and James Ryan expected to provide a solid platform. The key axes will be the halfbacks Jamison Gibson-Park and Sam Prendergast, if the latter can handle the pressure, then the match could be a tight affair. I am backing the All Blacks to come away with the win as they have the more powerful forward pack and an extremely strong bench.
Italy U20(WIN) 5.00 odds vs Ireland U20
Tip 2: Italy U20 to win
Reason for the tip: Italy and Ireland will battle for ninth place at the World Rugby U20 Championship in what promises to be an entertaining contest between two evenly matched sides. The tournament has not been a success for either nation but this is a chance to end on a high. Italy have shown plenty of attacking intent throughout the competition, with captain Riccardo Casarin leading a talented backline that includes full-back Pietro Celi and fly-half Roberto Fasti. The former was in devastating form against Georgia with his pace and precision running. The Azzurrini will also look to the physical presence of Jaheim Noel Wilson and Enoch Opoku Gyamfi to provide go-forward ball.
Ireland have blown hot and cold and have made a number of changes for this match. Captain Josh Neill leads a hardworking forward unit featuring Joe Finn, Donnacha McGuire and Diarmaid O’Connell, while Charlie O’Shea and scrum-half Christopher Barrett will need to link up the dangerous backline. The winner of this match will be decided by the forward pack that can better lay the platform for the backs therefore I am backing the Italians to come away with the win.
Argentina(WIN) 2.30 odds vs England
Tip 3: Argentina to win
Reason for the tip: Argentina and England clash in the third round of the Nations Championship in Santiago del Estero on Saturday. Both teams started with heavy defeats in the opening round before bouncing back with excellent wins last week. The hosts will be inspired by Argentina’s football team reaching the FIFA World Cup final while the three Lions will want revenge. Fly-half Tomas Albornoz needs to be better in attack while captain Julian Montoya, Marcos Kremer and Joaquin Oviedo are expected to lead the physical battle up front.
England have retained faith in the side that dismantled Fiji, with Fin Smith continuing at fly-half and Ben Earl spearheading a powerful pack alongside captain Jamie George and Ollie Chessum. Dangerous backs Marcus Smith, Tommy Freeman and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso provide plenty of attacking firepower. The Pumas have lost five straight games to England but the all round balance of this team coupled with a passionate home crowd makes me predict a Pumas win.
Rugby Handicap Betting
Handicap Betting Tips for Today
South Africa vs Wales: Away team(+43.5)1.78 odds
Reason for tip:South Africa will be looking for a clean sweep of the Southern Hemisphere leg of the Nations Championship when they host Wales at Hollywoodbets Kings Park in Durban on Saturday. The Springboks head into the clash on a 10-match winning streak after impressive victories over England and Scotland while Wales are still looking for their first win of the tournament.
The world champions have again balanced experience with youth, handing fly-half Vusi Moyo a Test debut alongside newcomers Jaco Williams, Ruben van Heerden and Carlu Sadie. Captain Malcolm Marx leads a formidable pack featuring Jasper Wiese and Pieter-Steph du Toit, while the backline boasts the pace and creativity of Aphelele Fassi, Jesse Kriel and Kurt-Lee Arendse. Wales arrive determined to show further signs of progress despite last week’s defeat to Argentina. Captain Dewi Lake returns to lead the visitors, with Jac Morgan expected to be influential at the breakdown, while Louis Rees-Zammit and Josh Adams provide genuine attacking threats out wide. This should be an easy win for the Springboks but I am backing Wales to cover the +43.5 handicap.
Australia vs Italy: Home team(-14.5)1.91 odds
Reason for tip:Australia and Italy meet at HBF Park in Perth on Saturday with both sides desperate to register their first win of the Nations Championship. The Wallabies will be desperate to give Coach Joe Schmidt a fitting farewell in what has been a less than satisfactory reign as coach. They lost narrowly to Ireland in the first round but were soundly beaten by France last time out. Australia will be encouraged by the form of captain Harry Wilson, while the powerful Rob Valetini and Carlo Tizzano are expected to lead the battle up front. Young fly-half Declan Meredith retains the No. 10 jersey after an encouraging debut, with Tom Wright, Max Jorgensen and Joseph-Aukuso Suaalii providing attacking spark in the backline.
Italy have responded to their recent setbacks with several changes, but still possess plenty of quality. Captain Michele Lamaro will lead an experienced pack, while Paolo Garbisi, Juan Ignacio Brex, Monty Ioane and Louis Lynagh have the ability to trouble the Wallabies with ball in hand. They will however be without their superstar centre Tommaso Menoncello which will blunt their attack. Both teams have enough attacking talent to produce an entertaining contest, but Australia’s home advantage and stronger forward pack could prove decisive in what is expected to be a closely fought encounter. I am backing them to win and cover the -14.5 handicap.
Japan vs France: Home team(+29.5)1.91 odds
Reason for tip: Japan and France meet at Tokyo National Stadium on Saturday in a crucial Nations Championship encounter, with both teams looking to finish the Southern Hemisphere leg on a high. France bounced back from a narrow defeat to New Zealand by producing an impressive 42-26 victory over Australia, while Japan followed their opening win over Italy with a 36-20 loss to Ireland. Japan will rely on captain Warner Dearns to lead the forward pack against a massive French front eight while scrum-half Naoto Saito and fly-half Ryunosuke Ito must control territory and create opportunities for dangerous centre Dylan Riley.
France possess quality throughout their squad, with Romain Ntamack pulling the strings at fly-half alongside captain Maxime Lucu. Emmanuel Meafou’s physical presence in the second row and the pace of Matthieu Jalibert and Theo Attissogbe give Les Bleus multiple attacking threats. The humidity and expected rain should ensure the match is closer than expected. France will come away with the victory but I am tipping Japan to cover the +29.5 handicap.
Rugby fixtures this weekend
Accumulator of the Day
- New Zealand vs Ireland-Home win
- Japan vs France-Away win
- Australia vs Italy-Home win
- Fiji vs Scotland-Away win
- South Africa vs Wales-Home win
- Argentina vs England-Home win
- South Africa U20 vs France U20-Home win
Rugby Results Yesterday
- Pumas vs Sharks-Home win❌
- Stormers XV vs Griquas-Away win❌
- Argentina U20 vs Australia U20-Home win❌
- Scotland U20 vs Wales U20-Home win✅
- USA U20 VS Uruguay U20-Home win✅
Rugby tomorrow
Understanding Rugby Betting
It is crucial that players understand the different types of rugby betting. If a player places a wager on a handicap bet with fully understanding it, he could think they won the bet but instead they lost the bet as they did not understand how it works. Our rugby predictions will give you the option of the three way bet or the handicap betting as our previews will focus on this.
Different types of Rugby bets
Match Winner
The most self-explanatory of bets to take on a rugby match. This is the most common and oldest type of rugby bet in which you select Team A or Team B to win. The odds on this type of bet may be low especially if your team is the favourite.
Draw No Bet
The draw is quite rare in Rugby Union, but it does happen from time to time. If you’re worried about the draw messing up your bet then take a Draw No Bet market. Your bet will be refunded if the match result ends in a draw.
Handicap Betting
The most popular bets on rugby are handicap bets. This is often where some of the best value is to be found. The handicap is an advantage that bookmakers give one team to make the game more balanced. The team given the positive handicap can win, draw or lose the game by less than the handicap to cover the bet and win. The team with the negative handicap must win the match by more than the points set out in the handicap to win their bet.
Total points over/under
The over/under betting market involves predicting whether the total number of points scored in a match will be above or lower than a certain predetermined number. For instance, if you bet on the over/under 50 points market and you bet on under, the combined score of the two teams shouldn’t exceed 50.
First Try Scorer
Rugby fans know the excitement that comes when a player breaks through the defence to score the first try. Betting on the first-try scorer is about predicting which player from either team will cross the try line first. This bet type carries higher odds as it’s challenging to predict, making potential payouts more lucrative.
Anytime Try Scorer
Less specific than the first-try scorer bet, the anytime try scorer wager involves picking a player you believe will score a try at any point during the match. The odds are typically lower than for the first-try scorer but offer a better chance of a payout.
FAQs
1 How long is a game of rugby?
A game of rugby is 80 minutes
2. How many players are there on a rugby team?
There are 15 players a side except in Rugby 7s where there are 5 players a side.
3. Where to watch rugby live?
Most of the rugby matches in South Africa can be watched live on Supersport. Betting sites like Betway and WSB offer live streaming on selected matches.
4. How to stream live rugby in South Africa for free?
Rugby Pass offers free streaming of selected matches.
