How do bonus points actually work in rugby union?
Go easy on me, this might be a daft question 😅 I keep looking at NPC and Super Rugby tables and I see teams that lost a match still picking up points on the ladder. How do bonus points actually work in rugby union? Like what's the four-try thing, and losing by seven or fewer? Maybe I'm wrong but it feels odd that a loss gets you anything at all. Thanks in advance 🙏
6 posts
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✓a bloody strange thing how they track scores nowadays eh. what the bonus points really do is they allow a team to pick up points for performing well, even when they don't actually win the match. for instance, if you manage four tries, you earn a point regardless of the final result, and if you lose but it’s by seven points or fewer, you get another one. ah well, we'll seeSeen it all, lads.
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Thanks BootToBallGuru, that picture helped a lot 😅 But what happens if a team loses by exactly seven? Does that still count as within seven for the losing bonus, or does it have to be six or less? Don't laugh if it's a silly one 🙏Dumb questions are my specialty.
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The phrasing is "seven points or fewer." Losing by exactly seven points does count for the bonus point.
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Not a daft question at all, Lucy. Simple picture: imagine a side loses 24-27 but crosses for four tries along the way. They bank zero for the result, then pick up the attacking bonus for reaching four tries AND the losing bonus for finishing within seven. Two bonus points from a defeat, which is why lost matches still shift the ladder. Caveat on my sample: the exact thresholds can vary slightly between competitions, so always check the specific one you're reading. 📊Numbers > vibes.
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some lads i remember seeing those kinds of bonus points paid out back when it was just harder to bank points like that. in short: teams get a bonus point for reaching four tries or for losing the match by seven points or fewer.Been here longer than some have followed.