For all major rugby union events (Guinness Premiership, Six Nations, World Cup, etc.) we offer a market based on how individual teams will perform. Points are awarded to the teams who finish the event in the top positions. For example, in the Six Nations Championship, we might award 60 points for the team who topped the final table, 40 points for the team which finishes second, 20 points for third, 10 points for 4th and 0 points for the others. This gives you the opportunity to predict not only how well a team will perform, but how badly they may do as well.

Let's look at an illustration. During a Six Nations Championship, we might reckon that England are favourites to win, this would be reflected in our prediction of 36-39 points (based on the points system outlined above). If you believed England are going to be pretty much unbeatable, you would place your spread bet high at 39, say for £5 per point. Had England ended up winning the Six Nations you would have won 21 times your stake: (60 - 39) x your stake = 21 x £5 = £105. Even if they had slipped up and finished second, you still would have made 1 times your stake: (40 - 39) x your stake = 1 x £5 = £5.

For this market we simply predict how many points each side will end up with at the conclusion of a season.

So for example at the beginning of the Guinness Premiership season we might predict that Leicester will finish with 69-71 points come the end of the season. If you believed they were primed for their best ever campaign, you would place your bet high at 71 for the stake of your choice, in this case perhaps £5 per point.

Had Leicester ended with 82 points, you would have made 11 times your stake: (82 - 71) x your stake = 11 x £5 = £55. However, had Leicester struggled during the season and only managed to finish with 61 points, the bet would have cost you 10 times your stake: (71 - 61) x your stake = 10 x £5 = -£50.

In this market we predict how many points one team will beat the other by. This gives you the opportunity to support or oppose either team in any given match.

So, we might predict that England will beat France by 7-10 points. If you fancied England to beat France by a margin of more than 10 points you would bet high at 10 for the stake of your choice, in this case say £5 per point.

If it turned out to be a tight match, with England scraping home 11-6, the supremacy (winning margin) would be just 5 points. As a result you would have lost 5 times your stake: (5 - 10) x your stake = -5 x £5 = -£25. However, if England had romped home to win by 20 points you would have won 10 times your stake: (20 - 10) x your stake = 10 x £5 = £50.

For this market we simply predict the total number of points that will be scored in a rugby match.

Here's an example. For a match between Leicester and Saracens, we might reckon on a relatively free scoring game with plenty of points and, as a result, our total points prediction might be 56-59.

If you expected an open game, you would bet high at 59, for the stake of your choice, in this case say £5 per point. Had you been proved correct and the game had finished 42-28, a total of 70 points, you would have made 11 times your stake: (70 - 59) x your stake = 11 x £5 = £55. Had the game proved to be a relatively dour affair with a final result of 26-14 (and therefore a total of 40 points) then you would have lost 19 times your stake: (40 - 59) x your stake = -19 x £5 = -£145.

In this market we predict the aggregate number of the try scorers' shirt numbers in a match. For example, if numbers 13, 12 and 14 all score a try, the total shirt numbers would be 39.

Take a clash between England and France. We reckon this might well turn out to be a relatively attacking game with plenty of tries. As a result we might quote Total Shirt Numbers at 63-67.

If you expected a really open game with points being scored freely you might bet high at 67 for the stake of your choice, in this case, say £5 per point. If England had beaten France 48 - 19 with seven tries being scored, the shirt numbers might have added up to 83. As a result you would have made 16 times your stake: (83 - 67) x your stake = 16 x £5 = £80. But, if you had gone low at 63 for the same stake, your spread bet would have lost you 20 times your stake: (63 - 83) x your stake = -20 x £5 = -£100.

This is a bet on when the first try of a game will be scored, measured in minutes. If you were to bet low on the time of the first match try then ideally you would like a first minute score. However if there were no tries in the match then the make-up would be 80 (as in 80 minutes). We offer a market for the first match try (scored by either team) and separately for both individual teams.

For example, for a Six Nations match between Scotland and Italy, we predicted the first match try (by either side) would be scored after 18-21 minutes. If you were convinced the match would be deadlocked with no try for far longer than this you might bet high at 21 for say £5 per minute.

If the Scots only managed to break through the Italian defence to cross the line in the 27th minute then you would have won 6 times your stake: (27 - 21) x your stake = 6 x £5 = £30. However, if you had gone low at 18 minutes for the same stake, you would have lost 9 times your stake: (18 - 27) x your stake = -9 x £5 = -£45.

This is a bet on when the first try of a game will be scored, measured in minutes. If you were to bet low on the time of the first match try then ideally you would like a first minute score. However if there were no tries in the match then the make-up would be 80 (as in 80 minutes). We offer a market for the first match try (scored by either team) and separately for both individual teams.

For example, for a Six Nations match between Scotland and Italy, we predicted the first match try (by either side) would be scored after 18-21 minutes. If you were convinced the match would be deadlocked with no try for far longer than this you might bet high at 21 for say £5 per minute.

If the Scots only managed to break through the Italian defence to cross the line in the 27th minute then you would have won 6 times your stake: (27 - 21) x your stake = 6 x £5 = £30. However, if you had gone low at 18 minutes for the same stake, you would have lost 9 times your stake: (18 - 27) x your stake = -9 x £5 = -£45.