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Rugby Union World Rankings give fans and league administrators an idea of where you sit against other leagues worldwide. So, for seeded matches—like the Rugby World Cup—you can enter a tournament a point (or two) behind before you even start. This also helps gambling enthusiasts understand which teams have the best odds on online betting sites.
What Are Rugby World Rankings?
World Rugby maintains the Rugby World Rankings and compares teams head to head historically through wins and losses, draws, and where other teams finish in tournaments. The Rugby World Rankings are used for seeding in international tournaments.
World Rugby Rankings
| Rank | Change | Team | Points |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | +0.32 | South Africa | 92.78 |
| 2 | +0.20 | Ireland | 90.78 |
| 3 | -1.13 | New Zealand | 90.09 |
| 4 | +1.13 | France | 88.08 |
| 5 | -0.20 | Argentina | 85.40 |
| 6 | - | Scotland | 82.70 |
| 7 | -0.32 | England | 82.31 |
| 8 | +1.04 | Australia | 82.17 |
| 9 | +0.01 | Fiji | 80.07 |
These numbers are changing as lower-ranked and up-and-coming teams beat the teams who were previously favourites.
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2025 Guide to Rugby World Rankings
Rugby is one of the most popular sports in South Africa, with many locals being loyal fans of the Springboks. And many of those fans indulge in rugby betting online, under the guidance of OnlineGamblingSA.
How Are Rugby World Rankings Calculated?
These are calculated by a points system that considers wins and losses, margin of victory/defeat, and home or away. The more games played in a season, the more stable this ranking becomes as the points are tallied in real-time based on each team’s history against each opponent.
Recent Changes in the Rugby Union World Rankings
The Rugby Union world rankings are affected by every big international and test match. For example, if France and Ireland are doing well in the Six Nations Cup, they could move above them on the rankings list.
If England and Australia had lost big in their last games, they would have dropped in the rankings. These rankings are fluid and reflect the latest results of the top national teams in competitive play.
Importance of World Rugby Rankings
Ranking plays a pivotal role in rugby, from setting up Rugby World Cup seedings and match-ups to inspiring teams to improve their rank and maintaining competitiveness for international rugby.
Challenges and Criticisms of Rugby Rankings
The rankings have been criticized for giving too many points for beating lower-ranked teams and not enough opportunities for Tier 2 teams to move up the rankings.
Who is currently ranked number one in the rugby world?
The Springboks, from South Africa, is currently 1.
How often are the Rugby World Rankings updated?
Rugby world rankings are updated after every international test match.
What factors influence a team's ranking?
Teams gain and lose points for wins and losses, for beating strong or weak teams, for the margin of victory/defeat, and for home or away games.
Can lower-tier teams break into the top 10?
Not necessarily. Teams at the bottom can get into the top ten, but only if they’ve consistently beaten teams above them.
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