The Top 14 is the top level of domestic club rugby union in France. The league traces its roots all the way back to 1892 and whilst there have been numerous changes in its near-125 year history, the excitement is something that remains constant.
Betting on rugby is great fun and whether French rugby is your number one speciality or not, we’ve got what you need to help you make a profit from betting on the Top 14. If you usually stick to the Pro 12 or the English Premiership, an awareness of the Top 14 will give you even more great rugby to bet on. We’ve got information on the basics of the league and its history, whilst seasoned Top 14 punters can use our brilliant live odds comparison.
Our odds comparison brings you the best odds from all the best and biggest bookies in the business. Whether you want to bet on one of the individual games during the season or want to back your favourite team for outright winner glory, our odds comparison will save you time and boost your winnings. No more spending half an hour checking all the different bookies to see who has the best odds, just instant access, updated live, to the biggest and best betting odds around.
The LNR, essentially the French National Rugby League is the organisation that administrates the Top 14, as well as the second tier Rugby Pro D2. The Top 14 features France’s 14 best rugby union club sides and the season runs from August through to the following June. That means almost an entire year of rugby betting action and if you have a bet on the Top 14 outright winner early on in the campaign, you’ll get huge value for your money.
All sides will play each other twice, meaning 26 games per side, with fixtures coming at home and away. As with most long established sporting leagues, the precise format and structure of the league and its games has changed many times over the years.
The top clubs qualify for the pan-continental European Rugby Champions Cup, the “Champions League” of European rugby union. There is, at the other end of the spectrum, the prospect of relegation to the Rugby Pro D2, with the bottom two sides automatically relegated from the Top 14.
Historically Stade Toulousain, Stade Français and AS Béziers have been the most successful clubs when it comes to betting on the outright winner of the top 14. As of 2016 those three giants of French rugby have 44 titles between them. Even dating back to the earliest years of the competition, the overall winner has been decided via a play-off game, as opposed to the overall league standings following the “normal” 26 games.
This keeps things very interesting from a betting perspective and you can bet on sides to win the Top 14, win the normal season, make the play-offs, finish bottom or be relegated, as well as certain other outrights.
Aside from those long-term markets, there are also a huge range of betting options for each and every Top 14 game. Our live odds comparison covers both the games and the outrights, so whilst picking your bets might not be easy, getting the best betting odds is!