The popular sports in New Zealand largely reflect the country’s time spent as a British colony with rugby union, rugby league, cricket, football (soccer), netball, and horse racing all high on the list of sports played and watched by New Zealanders, while it’s close relationship with Australia sees Kiwis share common interest in Aussie Rules Football (AFL) for instance
Interest in rugby, cricket and football are particularly high among the 4.7 milion populants with the All Blacks, Black Caps and All Whites all having symbolised the competitive spirit Kiwis are famed for at some point in recent history.
Rugby betting
Rugby Union is the number one sport in the country with many New Zealanders identifying the All Blacks as a major part of their national identity. Some would even consider rugby union to be ‘more than a sport’ such is the passion.
Betting on the All Blacks is extremely popular, even if the predicted dominance of the Kiwis is unlikely to offer the best odds for punters looking to yield a sizeable return.
As well as the international stage, club rugby union is also a favourite among lovers of the sport but is not so commonly bet on. Bookmakers will still offer markets for all Super Rugby matches though, a tournament that involves fifteen of the best club sides from the Southern hemisphere.
It’s also popular to bet on other forms of rugby such as Rugby League, Rugby Sevens and Touch Rugby. The betting sites with rugby markets offer a number of different bets beyond the straightforward win/lose bet on an outright winner. These include bets on: total points, first try scored, winning margin, first to 10 points and much more.
With Australia and New Zealand sharing many sporting tastes, Australian Rules Football (AFL) it’s very common for Kiwi punters to have a flutter on a sport home to some of the biggest annual sporting events in Australasia.
Football betting
Football, or soccer, as it’s sometimes referred to as, seems to have cornered every corner of the globe and New Zealand is no different with the game one of the most well-liked sports to watch.
The success of the national side in getting to the FIFA World Cup in 2010 and getting within one game of qualifying for the 2018 edition in Russia, has certainly helped raise the profile of the sport in a predominantly rugby and cricket loving country.
European leagues and competitions such as Spain’s La Liga, Italy’s Serie A and of course, England’s Premier League, fetch much interest, as does the Australian A-League which has a Kiwi presence in the shape of Wellington Phoenix.
All of the major international online betting companies who welcome New Zealanders offer a vast range of sportsbook options when it comes to football betting, including a bewildering assortment of live 'in-play' bets coupled with live streaming of major games.
Cricket betting
Like many other Commonwealth countries, cricket is the most popular summer sport in New Zealand.
Today, Twenty20 cricket and One Day internationals rival traditional Test match cricket for popularity. New Zealand is one of 12 countries who currently play Test match cricket. The other forms of the game have enjoyed a steady growth in popularity in the country - mainly due to it being more accessible, fast-paced and, ultimately, exciting.
The Indian Premier League (IPL) is the world's most prestigious professional Twenty20 cricket league, with a host of New Zealand cricket stars plying their trade in the IPL including Colin Munro, Colin de Grandhomme and Brendon McCullum.
As a game that is full of small details, cricket lends itself to modern-forms of betting extremely well. Whether it be the batsman with the most runs, the bowler with the most wickets, or betting on innings totals - cricket games have a plethora of betting markets on the major betting sites.