Extra time is a reasonably rare occurrence in either format of rugby. A large number of the sport’s tournaments, such as the annual Six Nations, will instead see both teams awarded equal points, should the match end in a draw after 80 minutes. The same is true in the various league competitions around the world, as in football and some other sports.
Furthermore, draws only happen very occasionally, due to the different points that teams are awarded for the various types of scoring within the sport, and the fact that matches are far higher scoring than they are in football. For instance, despite games theoretically going to extra time in the knockout rounds of the World Cup, if the two sides are on equal points after 80 minutes, this has only ever happened three times in the history of the tournament, which began in 1987.
However, although it doesn’t happen often, extra time has gifted rugby fans with some of the greatest moments in the sport’s history. For most England fans, thoughts will typically turn to Jonny Wilkinson, who famously kicked a drop goal in extra time back in 2003 to win the World Cup for England, a moment that cemented him as one of the sport’s greats.
So, how does extra time affect betting on rugby, and more specifically bets on what the final score will be? We will provide the answers in this article, as well as taking a look at any markets which include extra time.
Super League’s Golden Point Extra Time
In the Super League, England’s premier Rugby League tournament, a form of extra time was introduced to standard league matches back in 2019, after it had already been in place for knockout games. Whilst extra time at the World Cup lasts for 20 minutes, extra time in the Super League only lasts for 10, and is “golden point”, meaning that the first team to score any sort of points will win the match.
This change has added an element of excitement to games that would traditionally have just ended in a draw, similar to the concept of the “Super Over” in cricket. Although infrequent, there are a number of matches each season which will go to extra time in Super League. During, the 2022 campaign for example, six fixtures went into Golden Point extra time during the regular season.
As a result of this, most betting firms will offer an additional match betting option which excludes the draw and includes extra time, as shown in the example above.
If I Bet on the Result of a Match, Will This Include Extra Time?
As we’ve mentioned above, most Super League games will have the option to bet on the match result with extra time included however, generally speaking, most pre-match bets won’t include extra time. You will normally find in the terms and conditions that rugby bets will apply to 80 minutes plus stoppage time unless it its clearly stated otherwise. This is to allow punters to place bets on the possibility of a draw as the result of the game, even if there is the chance of extra time.
This means that, on the rare occasion that extra time comes into play, it could be very lucrative for the bookies, who can then class the majority of outright bets on either team winning as losers. The same goes for other betting markets, such as Total Points, Total Tries or Exact Number of Tries, with all of these being settled after 80 minutes play, preventing extra time from potentially interfering!
The simple fact of the matter is that very few rugby markets, be that in league or union, include extra time. Whether you are betting on the 3-way match result, a handicap market, the half-time/full-time market, a player to score a try – or pretty much anything else – the bet will be settled based on the status of the game after 80 minutes. As with football (and other similar sports), this means normal time, including any injury time (though this is not relevant to rugby) and play after the siren/hooter, but not extra time.
What Markets do Include Extra Time?
The only bets that do include extra time are ones that explicitly, or implicitly, mention it. In football there are some options that come under the former, as extra time is more common. However, in rugby, as extra time is unlikely, many bookies don’t offer these markets on games outside of Super League. Others to look out for, though, are things like “England to win in extra time”, or “Draw after extra time”, the latter meaning the game is still level after the normal period of additional play.
There is one market that will always include extra time though. In a cup game, all bookies will offer a bet on which team will progress to the next round, or in the case of the final, win the trophy. As you will hopefully infer from this, extra time is included, as the wager is just settled on whoever goes through/wins, however that occurs.
Can I Place A Bet on Extra Time After 80 Minutes Have Been Played?
Should the game be tied at 80 minutes, some bookies may then offer markets on the result of the extra time. Prices on the pre-match market may in general be related to 80 minutes but after a game has been tied and there is extra-time to be played, additional in-play markets could be made available by the odds compilers.
It is therefore possible to bet on extra time in rugby, but only after the game’s ordinary play has finished. Furthermore, on the extremely rare occasion that a union match remains drawn after extra time, and goes to a penalty shootout, in which five players on each team will take penalty kicks at goal, then bets on the winners of extra time will not be paid out, as this will again be classed as a draw.
However, penalty shootouts are incredibly rare in the sport. In fact, they have only ever occurred twice in professional matches, meaning that it would be an extremely bold move to gamble on extra time ending as a draw. It is not impossible, though, as a game in the Heineken Champions Cup between Munster and Toulouse in 2022 went to penalties, after ending 24-24 after extra time had been played.
Do Any Websites Offer Concessions Including Extra Time?
As said, most markets offered will be based on 80 minutes of play unless stating otherwise, with the chance of a draw at that point factored into the equation. As the chance of a draw is relatively rare, some bookmakers are known to include extra time with some 80-minute markets as a bonus chance for your bet to win. So how does this promotion work?
Well, basically, you can place a bet on any full time or second-half market on stated rugby clashes (potentially union or league), in which extra time is possible, and your bet will remain active if the game goes to extra time. This is therefore settled once the game’s final result is known, rather than after 80 minutes have been played, removing the possibility of a draw in ordinary time affecting your bet.
This will normally include any form of match that can go to extra time, meaning regular and knockout Super League fixtures, as well as major tournaments such as the World Cup. However, this usually won’t include any in-play wagers, meaning that punters cannot bet on extra time once it suddenly seems a likely outcome, with this offer only applying to bets made pre-match. Any games tied after extra time and therefore taken to a penalty shootout will see the To Win market settled after the result of the penalties, rather than at the end of extra time, meaning that this generous offer, where available, will always give you a chance of a win.