November 8, 2023 - New data released by PXP Financial, the experts in global acquiring and payment services, has revealed which countries saw consumers place the most bets on the recent Rugby World Cup finals – with surprising results.

The data compares the volume of payments processed on Saturday 28 October, the day of the final, compared with the previous seven Saturdays.

While, as expected, consumers in South Africa were keen to back their winning team, with a more than 14% increase in payments on the day of the final, some of the biggest increases in volumes occurred in nations which did not send teams to this year’s World Cup.

This year marks the first Rugby World Cup without a Canadian side in the running, and the second without a USA team, which has caused many to question what the future of rugby in North America will look like. PXP Financial’s data shows that consumers in Canada are as enamoured with the sport as ever, though, with an almost 15% increase in payments volume – higher than in South Africa.

While Brazil is known for football fandom and as the most successful team ever in the history of the FIFA World Cup, it did not qualify for the 2023 Rugby World Cup. Despite this, rugby is steadily growing in popularity. This is backed by the data from PXP Financial, which shows an increase in payments of almost 20%. Elsewhere in Latin America, Colombia, which has never qualified for a Rugby World Cup, saw an increase of more than 6% - almost double the international average. This contrast with Brazil shows how interest in rugby differs greatly across the region, and pinpoints Brazil as a hotspot for growth.

Across Europe, there were also clear differences between countries. Italy, which lost out to France ahead of the quarter-finals, saw the highest increase in payments volumes compared to any other country at an almost 24% increase.

After Italy came Belgium, which has yet to send a team to the Rugby World Cup, at nearly 20%. By contrast, German and Spanish consumers were responsible for 9% and 7% increases respectively. Spain was disqualified from this year’s World Cup in April for fielding an ineligible player in two qualifying matches and lost a subsequent appeal, which could explain the more modest increase in volume compared to most other European countries.

In Greece, recent years have seen different bodies grapple over who is in charge of Greek rugby. This turmoil is echoed in PXP Financial’s data, which shows a mere 0.2% increase in payment volume.

Kamran Hedjri, CEO and Founder of PXP Financial, commented: “These surprising results show how rugby fandom is surging across the globe and creating opportunities for operators in new markets.
It is fascinating to see how different nations’ appetites for rugby compare and contrast, with nations that did not send teams to the tournament still placing significant volumes of bets. With data from World Rugby showing significant increase in participation this year, we’re here to help operators understand how best to maximise their share of this growth.” 

“This international surge in interest around the 2023 Rugby World Cup underlines the importance of preparing for major sporting events no matter where your business operates and being equipped to offer smooth cross-border payments. Offering handpicked payment methods that align with local preferences is also key to taking the advantage.”

About PXP Financial 

The end-to-end payment platform: PXP Financial provides a single unified payments platform to accept payments online, on mobile and at the point of sale. Powered by inhouse acquiring, a variety of alternative payment methods & financial services, PXP processes over EUR 22.7 billion annually through its unified gateway. Whatever your business needs today or tomorrow, PXP Financials’ innovative payment platform will support your business growth with all the payment services you will ever need from one source, wherever your business takes you. To find out more about PXP Financial family of companies, visit: www.pxpfinancial.com. 

Media contact
Emma Hynes, SkyParlour for PXP Financial
emmahynes@skyparlour.com
+44 (0)330 043 1315