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 26 SEPTEMBER 2026
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Lions vs Leinster: Home team(-4.5)1.90
Tip 1: Lions to win by 5 points or more
Reason for the tip: The Lions begin their 2026/27 United Rugby Championship campaign at Ellis Park against defending champions Leinster, with Francke Horn captaining a side that reached the playoffs for the first time last season. The Johannesburg outfit has plenty of attacking quality in its backline, with Boeta Chamberlain, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel and Chris Smith all capable of creating opportunities. Leinster have won five of the six previous meetings between the teams, although their record in South Africa has been less convincing. The visitors also field several young players, including debutant fullback Todd Lawlor and fly-half Caspar Gabriel.
Leinster will arrive with confidence after retaining the URC title last season, but the Lions should provide a much stronger challenge on home soil than they did in the playoff defeat. The Lions’ forward pack, led by Horn, Batho Hlekani and Siba Mahashe, will need to match Leinster’s physicality, particularly against a front row featuring Andrew Porter. Leinster have struggled for consistency on previous South African trips, while the Lions won this corresponding fixture 44-12 in 2024.The home side will be too strong for the weakened Irish outfit therefore I am predicting a Lions win by 5 points or more.
Sharks vs Ospreys: Home team(-9.5)1.90
Tip 2: Sharks to win and cover the -9.5 handicap
Reason for the tip:The Sharks open their 2026/27 United Rugby Championship campaign at Hollywoodbets Kings Park against the Ospreys, with Nick Hatton captaining a side containing a mixture of experience and exciting new talent. Vusi Moyo will control the game at fly-half alongside Jaden Hendrikse, while Jurenzo Julius and Murray Koster form a dangerous midfield combination. The Sharks also have Springbok experience through Vincent Koch and a strong loose trio featuring Manu Tshituka and Phepsi Buthelezi. Home advantage could be important, particularly given that the Sharks won seven of their nine URC matches at Kings Park last season.
The Ospreys arrive in Durban with Owen Watkin and Sam Parry sharing the captaincy, while Morgan Morris and Ross Moriarty provide considerable experience in the loose forwards. Tom Rogers and Luke Morgan offer attacking threats out wide, and Lawson Creighton will look to direct the visitors from fly-half. The Ospreys defeated the Sharks 21-17 in Wales in April, but the Durban side won the previous meeting at Kings Park 29-10 and the Welsh team have lost their last five matches in South Africa. With the Sharks’ home record and strong squad, they should have enough to start with victory and I am backing them to cover the -9.5 handicap.
Zebre vs Bulls: Away team(-9.5)1.90
Tip 3: Bulls to win by 10 points or more
Reason for the tip: Zebre Parma begin their 2026/27 United Rugby Championship campaign at home against the Bulls, with Alessandro Fusco captaining a side that includes experienced fly-half Tommaso Allan at fullback. Giovanni Licata, Samuele Locatelli and Giacomo Ferrari will provide energy in the loose forwards, while Simone Gesi and Giulio Bertaccini offer attacking threats in the backline. Zebre will be looking to make a stronger start after finishing 16th last season, although they face a Bulls side that has beaten them in all five previous URC meetings. Home advantage could nevertheless give the Italian side confidence in this opening-round fixture.
The Bulls arrive in Parma after reaching last season’s URC final, and their starting XV contains plenty of experience despite several Springboks being unavailable on international duty. Marcell Coetzee captains the side, with Hanro Liebenberg and Jeandre Rudolph completing a powerful loose trio, while Willie le Roux provides experience at fullback. Curwin Bosch returns at fly-half and will form a new halfback combination with Paul de Wet. Sebastian de Klerk also makes his return from a long-term injury. The Bulls have won their opening URC match in each of the last four seasons and will seek another strong start. I am backing them to not only win but also cover the -8.5 handicap.
Rugby Handicap Betting
Handicap Betting Tips for Today
Munster vs Glasgow Warriors: Away team(-1.5)1.90
Reason for tip: Hosts Munster entertain Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park in the first round of the 2026/27 United Rugby Championship, with Diarmuid Barron leading an experienced squad. At the fly-half position, there is JJ Hanrahan, who leads the attack for the hosts, while Gavin Coombes, Alex Kendellen and Jack O’Donoghue make up a formidable back row. Munster will be counting on Alex Nankivell and Mike Haley in the backs. On the other hand, Glasgow Warriors will be looking forward to a game involving Stafford McDowall, George Horne and Matt Fagerson among others to play the high tempo game.
Glasgow Warriors won the league phase of the URC season last year before exiting in the semi-finals of the tournament, while Munster ended up in the quarter-finals of the competition. However, Glasgow Warriors are expected to come to the game with a lot of confidence after winning 17-10 in Thomond Park in the 2024 URC semi-final. The backline of Glasgow Warriors features Josh McKay, Kyle Rowe and Ollie Smith, who can make teams pay dearly for any defensive mistake in games. I am backing the visitors to come away with a hard fought victory.
Exeter Chiefs vs Gloucester: Home team(-9.5)1.85 odds
Reason for tip: Exeter Chiefs open their 2026/27 PREM season by hosting their arch-rivals, Gloucestershire, at Sandy Park. The home side were runners-up in last season’s PREM campaign, and will surely want to start off with a bang after coming very close to lifting the trophy in the last one. Exeter Chiefs’ starting XV sees Henry Slade and Immanuel Feyi-Waboso in action, while Harvey Skinner and Stephen Varney combine in the halves. Captained by Dafydd Jenkins, the pack consists of Ethan Roots, Greg Fisilau and Harry Wilson.
Meanwhile, the visiting Gloucestershire team features Dewi Lake as captain and a potent backline comprising Ben Redshaw, Will Joseph, Phil Cokanasiga and Seb Atkinson. Charlie Atkinson is named as the fly-half for Gloucestershire, with Caolan Englefield controlling from the scrum-half position. The pack includes the likes of Jean Kleyn, Arthur Clark and Jac Morgan, making the visitors physically dominant around collisions and breakdowns. Gloucestershire ended up eighth last season’s PREM competition and would be keen to better their performance in this campaign. I am backing the home team to win and cover the -9.5 handicap.
Sale Sharks vs Bristol Bears: Home team(-9.5)1.85 odds
Reason for tip: Sale Sharks begin their 2026/27 Gallagher PREM campaign at home against Bristol Bears at CorpAcq Stadium. Sale have named a strong starting XV, with George Ford providing experience at fly-half and Tom Curry and Courtney Lawes adding considerable quality to the back row. Ernst van Rhyn captains the side from the second row, while Joe Marchant and Rekeiti Ma’asi-White form an interesting centre partnership. Bristol counter with Louis Rees-Zammit, AJ MacGinty and Harry Randall in their backline, while Ellis Genge and Fitz Harding provide leadership up front.
Bristol will be looking to make a positive start after a disappointing previous campaign, while Sale have made significant changes to their squad during the off-season, including the additions of Courtney Lawes and Joe Marchant. Sale head coach Alex Sanderson has said his side are targeting a fast start and believes the squad has the depth to compete for silverware. Bristol possess plenty of attacking ability, particularly through Rees-Zammit and Ibitoye, while Sale’s experience in Ford, Curry and Lawes could be important in a physical opening-round contest. I am backing the Sharks for the win as they are difficult to beat on their home patch.
Rugby fixtures this weekend
Accumulator of the Day
- Exeter Chiefs vs Gloucester-Home win
- Lions vs Leinster-Home win
- Zebre vs Bulls-Away win
- Sharks vs Ospreys-Home win
- Munster vs Glasgow-Away win
- Northland vs Counties Manukau-Home win
- Canterbury vs Southland-Home win
Rugby Results Yesterday
- Connacht vs Stormers-Home win❌
- Benetton vs Dragons-Home win✅
- Ulster vs Edinburgh-Home win❌
- Harlequins vs Bath-Away win✅
Rugby tomorrow
- Leicester Tigers vs Saracens
- Toulouse vs Montpellier
- Wellington vs Waikato
- Hawkes Bay vs Taranaki
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.
