Rugby API

Sports data is the foundation for many digital solutions: from betting and analytics to media platforms and fan applications. Sports APIs allow for automatic retrieval of match results, player statistics, odds, and historical data without manual data collection.

API-sport — is a service that provides unified access to a variety of sports disciplines, including rugby, football, hockey, basketball, tennis, and esports. The platform is useful for:

  • Developers creating sports websites and applications.

  • Betting platforms that need fast and accurate odds.

  • Sports media that require up-to-date results and statistics.

  • Analysts and researchers working with Big Data and predictive models.

What is API‑sport?

An API is a programming interface that allows applications to exchange data. API-sport specializes in sports information and offers:

  • Live data — match results in real time.

  • Player and team statistics — goals, assists, cards, lineups.

  • Archives of matches and seasons — the ability to analyze historical data.

The feature API-sport — a wide coverage of sports, high update speed, and convenient data formats (JSON, XML, WebSocket). Unlike specialized Rugby APIs, API-sport is not limited to one discipline and is suitable for comprehensive integration into applications and analytical systems.

Rugby API

Rugby API specializes in one discipline and typically includes:

  • Match results and league tables

  • Odds for betting

  • Team lineups and player statistics

  • Transfers and team news

This makes Rugby API convenient for niche applications and services focused exclusively on rugby, but limits opportunities for multi-sport projects.

Supported sports

Rugby API is primarily focused on rugby. Some extended versions include data on other sports, but the coverage is very limited compared to API-sport, which supports:

  • Football

  • Basketball

  • Hockey

  • Tennis

  • Volleyball

  • Esports and Fantasy Sports

Technologies and formats

Most Rugby APIs use standard technologies:

  • REST API for requests

  • JSON or XML for data transmission

Some rare services support WebSocket for live updates, but more often you have to poll the server, which is slower and less reliable.

How to access the API?

Connection to API-sport starts with official registration and obtaining a key, after which you can choose a suitable tariff plan. Let’s take a closer look at this process.

Registration on the platform

The first step is registration on the official API-sport platform. This is necessary for the system to identify you as a user and issue a personal access key. Registration usually includes:

  • Creating an account with an email and password.

  • Confirming the account via e-mail.

  • Entering basic information about the project or company that will use the API.

After registration, the user is provided with a control panel where they can track API activity, see request statistics, and manage tariffs.

Obtaining a personal API key

An API key is a unique code that provides secure access to the service. It is used with every request to the API so that the service understands who is making the request and what data they are allowed to receive.

  • The key can be obtained immediately after registration.

  • It cannot be shared with third parties — this will ensure the security of your project.

  • In the control panel, you can create additional keys for different projects or teams.

Choosing a tariff plan

API-sport offers several tariff plans that differ in the volume of available data and the number of requests:

  • The free tariff is intended for testing the service. It allows a limited number of requests per day and provides basic statistics and match results. It is great for experiments and small projects.

  • Paid subscriptions provide full access to live data, match archives, advanced statistics for teams and players, odds, and transfers. They are suitable for commercial projects, applications, analytical platforms, and betting services.

10. RapidAPI, SportRadar, and other platforms provide access to BetsAPI and Livescore API through their channels. This is convenient for developers who need ready-made integrations and reliable SLAs.

In addition to direct connection through the official service, data API-sport can be obtained through aggregators:

  • RapidAPI — a platform where you can use APIs through a single interface and manage multiple APIs simultaneously.

  • SportRadar — a service that provides sports data through its own API, including live scores and statistics.

It is important to consider that using third-party providers has its limitations. Firstly, live data may be delayed, which is especially critical for betting and analytical applications where the timeliness of information is important. Secondly, not all features and data are fully available — some statistics or odds may be limited. Additionally, often a separate subscription to the aggregator service is required to gain full access to the necessary information.

12. Free plans usually include limited access to historical data and basic statistics. Paid subscriptions unlock:

Free plan:

  • Limited number of requests per day.

  • Access only to basic results and match statistics.

  • Ideal for testing and small personal projects.

Paid plans:

  • Full access to live data, including real-time match updates.

  • Ability to obtain archived data from past seasons and tournaments.

  • Extended statistics for players, teams, odds, and transfers.

  • Suitable for commercial projects, analytical platforms, and betting platforms where high accuracy and speed of data are needed.

17. Number of requests per minute/hour

Each plan API-sport has its limitations that are important to consider during integration:

  • Number of requests per minute or day — the free plan has a limit on the number of requests, while paid plans have significantly more.

  • Speed of live data updates — with the free plan, data may be updated with a delay, while paid subscriptions provide instant updates.

  • Access to archives — with the free plan, archived data may be limited or unavailable, while paid subscriptions provide full access to the entire database.

API Integration

Connection examples

Python:

import requests

url = «https://api.api-sport.ru/rugby/matches»
headers = {«X-API-Key»: «YOUR_API_KEY»}
response = requests.get(url, headers=headers)
data = response.json()
print(data)

JavaScript:

fetch(«https://api.api-sport.ru/rugby/matches», {
headers: { «X-API-Key»: «YOUR_API_KEY» }
})
.then(res => res.json())
.then(data => console.log(data));

Integration into CMS and mobile applications

  • WordPress — via REST API plugins or custom widgets

  • Android/iOS — connection via Retrofit, Alamofire, or native HTTP clients

Using live data via WebSocket

WebSocket allows for instant updates without constant requests to the server (polling). This is especially important for betting and sports analytics, where speed of response is crucial.

Where is it used?

  • Betting and odds scanners — automatic data updates for bets

  • Sports analytics and predictions — historical data and player statistics

  • Media and fan applications — real-time results and broadcasts

  • Fantasy Sports and esports — dynamic updates of rosters and results

  • BI systems and Big Data projects — integration into analytical platforms and forecasting models

Advantages and disadvantages

Advantages:

  • Wide coverage of sports, including rugby

  • High data update speed

  • Accuracy and completeness of statistics

Cons:

  • Paid plans for full access

  • Basic integration skills required

  • Limitations of the free plan

Rugby API lags behind in versatility, speed, and the number of supported disciplines, but may be cheaper for niche projects focused solely on rugby.

In summary

API-sport significantly outperforms Rugby API in several key metrics. First, in versatility: API-sport covers dozens of sports, including football, hockey, basketball, tennis, esports, and of course, rugby, while Rugby API is limited exclusively to this discipline. Second, in data update speed — live results, roster changes, and player statistics come instantly, which is especially important for betting and sports analytics. Third, in the volume and variety of data: API-sport provides not only current match results but also archival data, detailed statistics of teams and players, odds, transfers, and other metrics that allow building forecasting models and conducting analytical research.

Thanks to these capabilities API-sport it is ideal for application developers, betting platforms, sports media, analysts, and researchers who need access to a wide range of data in a convenient format. At the same time, Rugby API remains a niche tool focused solely on rugby and does not provide such flexibility and scalability for multi-sport projects.

FAQ

Is there free access to API-sport?
Yes, the basic plan allows testing the service with a limited number of requests.

What sports are supported?
Football, hockey, basketball, tennis, rugby, esports, and others.

Is the API suitable for betting?
Yes, live results, odds, and player statistics are available.

How to connect the API to the application?
Via REST requests, WebSocket, or integration through CMS and mobile SDKs.

Can the API be used for predictions?
Yes, archival data and statistics allow building forecasting models.

How to access live data faster?
Use WebSocket instead of polling for instant updates.

Related posts:

Automatic odds updates via API Tennis API API and Big Data: predicting match outcomes How to choose a sports statistics service for betting?