The 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup started last weekend with all three of the betting favorites coming through their matches without any difficulties. All of England, New Zealand, and France won with plenty to spare, and with England and France meeting this weekend, the competition is set to really come to life.
The English women are the betting favorites, so can the French upset them? Let's take a look with our Rugby betting picks.
England Women are the -200 favorites to win the competition, France are third in the betting at +1200. Alongside New Zealand at +200, one of these three sides are expected to win the competition. So when England takes on France this Saturday, it's set to give us a real indication of how this tournament is likely to pan out.
If the French can somehow upset the English, who are currently on a record breaking run of 26 wins, then it will send shockwaves through the sport, and give the rest of the competing nations plenty of cause for optimism.
England start their world cup campaign with a win
The English got their campaign off to a winning start against Fiji last weekend, winning 84-19. But they did admit the Fijians rattled them with their physicality.
Favourites England opened their World Cup with a dominant second-half showing to claim a record win against debutants Fiji.#RWC2021 #BBCRugby
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) October 8, 2022
So have Fiji exposed a weakness in the English game? Maybe. But even with a scratchy first half, England still managed to run in 14 tries.The half-time score of 24-14 to England is further proof that England didnât have it their own way. But the Red Roses got into full swing in the second half, scoring 60 points to Fijiâs five.
French start Pool C with a comfortable win
As for the French, they started their campaign with a comfortable 40 points to five win over South Africa at the iconic Eden Park. The South Africans are +1000000 to win the competition, so nothing other than a win for the French was expected in their opening match.
So with both sides now having settled into the competition, they will both be looking to step up a gear for the key Pool C clash. Before we look at the game and name our picks, letâs take a look at the betting to win the Womenâs Rugby World Cup, and also bring you some more details about the competition in general.
Who is favorites to win the 2021 Womenâs Rugby World Cup?
As weâve alluded to above, England are the -200 favorites to win the 2021 Womenâs World Cup with the best rugby betting online sites. They are followed by hosts New Zealand at +200, and then France at +1200.
After that, you can pretty much name your price on the remaining ten nations. If any of them manage to upset the odds and win the competition it will go down as one of the biggest shocks in rugby history.
| 2021 Women's Rugby World Cup Winner Betting |  |
|---|---|
| England | -200 |
| New Zealand | +200 |
| France | +1200 |
| Canada | +2000 |
| New Zealand | +4000 |
| Australia | +5000 |
| Fiji | +12500 |
| Italy | +20000 |
| Scotland | +25000 |
| Japan | +25000 |
| South Africa | +50000 |
| Wales | +50000 |
All of our 2021 Womenâs Rugby World Cup winner betting odds are supplied by BetOnline. You can find more details and betting offers from this bookmaker in our BetOnline sportsbook review.
About the 2021 Womenâs Rugby World Cup
The competition is obviously taking place in 2022, this is due to delays brought about by the global pandemic. The competition has been delayed for one year, but has retained its official title of the 2021 Womenâs Rugby World Cup.
The host nation is New Zealand, with the cities of Auckland and Whangarei hosting all the matches. In total 12 teams qualified for the competition.
They were split into three pools of four. The top two teams from each pool, along with the two best third place finishers qualifying for the quarter-finals. From here, the competition is a straight knock-out.
The 12 competing nations are:-
- New Zealand, Australia, Wales, and Scotland (Pool A).
- Canada, USA, Italy, and Japan (Pool B).
- England, France, South Africa, and Fiji (Pool C).
France v England Betting Picks
- What; France v England - 2021 Womenâs Rugby World Cup
- Where; Northland Event Centre, Whangarei, New Zealand
- When; Saturday, October 15th, 2022
- Time; 3 am ET
In the rugby betting odds, England are -1400 to win on the Moneyline, with France at +650. Given the difference in odds on the two teams to win the world cup, this was to be expected.
Moving onto the handicap market, England are giving France a 16.5 points start. I was half expecting that to be a bigger margin. England (-16.5) are -110, and France (+16.5) are -130.
With the odds, again, Iâm surprised with what Iâm seeing. I thought England would be shorter in the latest betting. But it is France. This could be down to the fact the Fijians roughed England up a touch last weekend. Or it could be down to the previous results between the two teams.
Are you ready to witness history?@EnglandRugby attempt to keep their record 26 match win streak alive against @FranceRugby this weekend đ„#FRAvENG | #RWC2021 pic.twitter.com/MpBZA2t7kf
— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 11, 2022
The last three meetings have ended 24-12, 17-15, and 10-6. Not exactly one sided hammerings, and is probably why France are being backed on the handicap. Two of those results were in 2021, with the 24-12 coming earlier this year.
With this being a world cup, and England looking to stamp their authority on it, I think they will want to lay down a marker against the French. And this is why I think the Red Roses will beat the handicap, and why I make England (-16.5) my betting pick to win.
