SBC News Voice of the Sports Betting Industry
Bookmakers are fearing the might of the All Blacks as kick off for the 2015 Rugby World Cup (RWC) dawns this Friday (1st Match –England Vs Fiji at Twickenham ).
The New Zealand team which aims to retain its 2011 RWC title, has only lost 3 matches in 47 tests since 2012. Nearly all rugby insiders are in agreement that the 2015 All Blacks squad is the strongest ever assembled for a RWC tournament.
The reputation of the All Blacks has extended to betting markets, where simply put the team dominates all proceedings.
Detailing market insight to SBCNews, bookmaker Unibet has recorded nearly 70% of outright RWC winner bets on New Zealand to retain the Webb Ellis Cup.
Tournament host nation England are the third most popular team but with 7% of the bets it would be hard to claim “any real patriotic punting”.
The bookmaker further reports that it has seen 50% of market wagers placed on Kiwi winger Nehe Skuder Milner to be the tournaments try scorer, ahead of teammate Julian Savea!
Ed Nicholson, Unibet’s spokesman, said: “Understandably we have taken most of the outright money on the All Blacks, who if they win here will be crowned as the greatest team of all time. They have been backed in from 2.45 to 2.2 with the tournament approaching.
“With 44 wins out of 47, since the 2011 victory, and having attracted nearly 70% of all the bets; we’ve renamed the All Blacks the All-Backs at Unibet!”
“Unibet’s customers are looking at Australia as the team most likely to upset the odds rather than England. In the top Tryscorer market, Nehe Skuder-Milner has been backed in from 21.00 to 12.00, with over 50% of the money on the young Kiwi. Daniel Carter has also been popular to be top points scorer – which he should do so long as he remains injury free throughout the tournament.”
Ahead of Friday’s RWC kick-off one industry insider noted that bookmakers are trembling “like a school netball team facing the mighty Kiwi Haka”…all bookmakers will be praying for anybody to stop the All Blacks
