RFC EXPLAINS
Rugby bonus points can make the standings look confusing at first. A team can lose a match and still earn points. A winning team can earn more table points than another winning team. And in some competitions, a losing team can even leave a match with two points.
The reason is simple: many rugby competitions award bonus points in addition to the standings points awarded for wins and draws.
Here is how the commonly used system works — and why you should always check the regulations for the competition you are following.
How do rugby bonus points work?
Under a commonly used rugby standings system, teams receive 4 points for a win, 2 points for a draw and 0 points for a loss.
Teams can then earn additional bonus points:
Important: Bonus-point systems are determined by individual competitions. Not every league or tournament uses exactly the same rules.
Rugby standings points explained
In competitions using the common four-try bonus system, the basic standings calculation looks like this:
4 for winning + 1 try bonus
1 try bonus + 1 losing bonus
What is a try bonus point?
A try bonus point rewards a team for reaching an attacking threshold set by the competition.
Under the system used in competitions including the Six Nations and World Rugby Nations Cup, a team earns one bonus point when it scores four or more tries.
The team does not necessarily have to win the match to receive that bonus.
Green: 4 win points + 1 try bonus = 5 table points
Blue: 1 try bonus + 1 losing bonus = 2 table points
Blue lost the match, but because it scored at least four tries and lost by only four points, it collected both available bonus points.
What is a losing bonus point?
A losing bonus point rewards a team for keeping a match close even when it does not win.
Under the commonly used system, a team receives one standings point when it loses by seven points or fewer.
That single point can become extremely important over the course of a season, particularly when teams finish close together in the table.
Can a rugby team get two bonus points in a loss?
Yes.
In competitions using both four-try and losing bonus points, a team can earn both bonuses in the same defeat.
This is why a team that loses a close, high-scoring match can still make meaningful progress in the standings.
Why does rugby have bonus points?
Bonus points give teams something additional to play for beyond simply winning or losing.
Imagine a team is trailing by 10 points late in a match. Winning may be unlikely, but another score could reduce the margin to seven or fewer and earn a losing bonus point.
Or imagine a team is comfortably ahead but has scored only three tries. A fourth try could add another point to its season total.
Bonus points mean the final minutes of an apparently decided rugby match can still have consequences for the standings.
Bonus points can change the standings
Wins and losses do not always tell the entire story of a rugby table. Consider this simple example after 10 matches:
| Team | Wins | Losses | Bonus | Table Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Team A | 7 | 3 | 2 | 30 |
| Team B | 6 | 4 | 7 | 31 |
Team A has won more matches, but Team B sits ahead because it has collected more bonus points.
That is why understanding the points column is essential when reading a rugby league table.
Why is the losing bonus usually seven points?
Seven is an important number in rugby because it is the value of a converted try.
Under World Rugby's Laws, a try is worth five points and a successful conversion is worth two.
That makes seven points — one converted try — a natural benchmark for identifying a close defeat.
Are bonus points the same in every rugby competition?
No.
There is no single bonus-point format that every rugby competition must use.
World Rugby's Laws determine how points are scored during a match — including tries, conversions, penalty goals and drop goals.
Competition organizers determine how match results translate into standings points.
Many competitions use the familiar 4–2–0 system with a bonus for four tries and another for losing by seven or fewer, but organizers can adopt different competition regulations.
Never assume the bonus-point system. Check the regulations for the league or tournament you are following.
The Six Nations adds another wrinkle
The Men's Six Nations uses the familiar system of four points for a win, two for a draw, a bonus point for scoring four or more tries and a bonus point for losing by seven or fewer.
It also awards three additional Championship points to a team that completes a Grand Slam by winning all five matches.
That extra provision helps ensure that an undefeated Grand Slam champion cannot be overtaken simply because another team accumulated more bonus points.
It is a useful reminder that competition-specific rules matter.
Match points vs. standings points
One of the easiest mistakes for a new rugby fan to make is confusing the points on the scoreboard with the points in the standings.
Who wins the game?
- Try: 5 points
- Conversion: 2 points
- Penalty goal: 3 points
- Drop goal: 3 points
Where do teams sit in the table?
- Win points
- Draw points
- Try bonus points
- Losing bonus points
If a team wins a match 28–20, the 28 and 20 are match points.
If that winning team scored four tries, it might then receive five standings points — four for winning and one try bonus — under a competition using the common system.
Those are two completely different types of points.
One rugby match, completely explained
RIVERS
5 tries
Wins match
Scores 4+ tries
VALLEY
4 tries
Loses by 4
Scores 4+ tries
Rugby bonus points: frequently asked questions
Can you get a bonus point if you win?
Yes. Under the commonly used system, a winning team that scores four or more tries receives a try bonus point. Combined with four points for the win, that gives the team five standings points.
Can you get a bonus point if you lose?
Yes. Depending on the competition, a losing team may earn a try bonus point, a losing bonus point, or both.
Can a losing rugby team earn two points?
Yes. In competitions using the common system, a team that scores four or more tries and loses by seven points or fewer can earn two bonus points despite losing the match.
Does scoring four tries automatically mean five table points?
No. A team normally needs to win the match and earn the try bonus to collect five standings points. A team can score four or more tries and still lose.
Do you get a bonus point for losing by exactly seven?
Yes, in competitions whose regulations award a losing bonus point for a defeat by seven points or fewer.
Do all rugby competitions use bonus points?
No. Bonus-point systems are set by competition regulations, so the format can vary between leagues and tournaments.
Are bonus points part of the Laws of Rugby?
World Rugby's Laws define scoring during a match. Standings and bonus-point systems are established through competition regulations rather than being one universal standings system required by the Laws.
Bonus points make more of the match matter
A rugby team can win and collect four or five standings points. A team can lose and collect zero, one or even two.
That means every try — and sometimes every point in the final margin — can have consequences beyond the result itself.
It is also why a match that appears decided on the scoreboard may still have something important at stake in the final minutes.
The one thing to remember:
Always check the bonus-point regulations for the competition you are
following.
New to rugby?
Continue with RFC's guides to rugby standings and the structure of the game in the United States.
Sources & further reading
- World Rugby — Law 8: Scoring
- Six Nations Rugby — How the bonus-points system works
- World Rugby — Nations Cup competition format
Competition regulations can change. RFC recommends checking the official regulations for the league or tournament you are following.