Six Nations Betting

The Six Nations is the annual Test championship of the northern hemisphere, fought out by England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. It runs across five weekends in February and March, with each nation playing five matches — home and away alternating year to year. A win is worth four log points, with bonus points on top, and the team that finishes top of the table is champion. For South African bettors there is no home team to back, but the quality, the history and the depth of markets make it a fixture of the betting calendar.

Unlike a knockout tournament, the Six Nations is a five-round league: every team plays every other once, and the champion is the side top of the table at the end. That condensed schedule — five matches in seven weeks — keeps the outright market moving every weekend, as a single upset reshuffles the title race. Full detail on the rounds, the table and the bonus-point system is on the fixtures and table page.

There are two ways to play it. The outright market is the long game — backing a nation to win the championship, plus related bets like the Grand Slam and the wooden spoon. Match betting runs through every round: the winner, the handicap, total points and first try scorer. Start with the Six Nations betting guide, then the outright championship odds.

The outright winner market is the headline Six Nations bet — one nation to top the table. Ireland and France have set the pace in recent years, with England, Scotland and Wales behind and Italy the rank outsider. Prices open before the first round and move sharply on every result, so timing the bet matters. See current movers and how the market works on the Six Nations odds page.

Every round carries a full card of markets. The match result is the core bet; the handicap levels the gap when a heavyweight meets Italy; total points bets on the combined score; and first try scorer and winning-margin markets add interest. Bonus points add a further layer to both match and outright betting. The Six Nations betting page works through each with examples.

This is the Six Nations' signature betting angle. The Grand Slam — winning all five matches — is a market of its own, as is the Triple Crown (a home nation beating England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales), the wooden spoon for the side that finishes last, and standalone trophies inside fixtures like the Calcutta Cup for England v Scotland. Read how each pays on the Grand Slam and specials page.

Alongside team bets, the Six Nations has a strong set of player markets — the standout being the top try scorer of the championship, a long-odds outright that runs all five rounds. Wings, outside backs and the occasional rampaging centre dominate it, and a player from a team chasing a Grand Slam has the most chances to score. Read how to play it on the top try scorer page.

The Six Nations usually follows form at the top while throwing up one upset that wrecks accumulators — Italy ambushing a fancied side, or a tight Calcutta Cup going against the odds. The smart approach blends the outright favourites with value in the match markets. Our straight, no-hype take — and why no result is ever a 'sure thing' — is on the Six Nations predictions page.

No Springbok side plays in it, but the Six Nations is must-watch rugby for South Africans — the best of the north, against teams the Boks meet at World Cups and on November tours. Five rounds of Test rugby, a market on every match, a marathon outright and signature bets found nowhere else. You bet on it all at fixed odds, in rand, and a winning bet settles to your balance the moment the result is official. Bet on the Six Nations at CasinOnline.