There are loads of ways to watch international rugby’s newest tournament this summer – including several ways to watch for FREE.
Rugby’s newest international competition kicks off this weekend, and there are plenty of ways to watch the Nations Championship wherever you are in the world – including several options to tune in for FREE.
The new tournament brings together teams from the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship, along with Fiji and Japan. Nations Championship 2026 games will be played in July and November, building up to a finals weekend at Allianz Stadium, Twickenham at the end of the year.
The opening weekend features some truly blockbuster fixtures, kicking off with France heading to Christchurch to meet the All Blacks on Saturday morning (UK time).
Later that day, World Cup 2027 hosts Australia welcome Ireland to Sydney, and England travel to Johannesburg to face the Springboks on their own turf.
And with Saturday’s packed fixture list also including Japan v Italy, Fiji v Wales and Argentina v Scotland, we can look forward to 14 hours of more-or-less non-stop rugby – that’s even more than we get in the Six Nations.
The good news is that you can watch every single second of the action, and – even better – Nations Championship live streams are available for FREE if you live in the UK, Ireland or France.
Below we’ve rounded up details of how to watch the Nations Championship 2026 wherever you are in the world – including details of how you can use a VPN to access your usual streaming services if you’re travelling overseas this weekend.
Quick Guide
– Nations Championship dates: 4 July – November 29, 2026
– Nations Championship broadcasters: ITV (UK), Virgin Media (Ireland), TF1 (France), , SuperSport (South Africa), Stan Sport (Australia), Sky Sport NZ (New Zealand), Wowow (Japan)
– Nations Championship FREE Streams: ITVX, Virgin Media Play, TF1+, 9Now (Australia home games only)
– Watch Nations Championship from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
What Nations Championship 2026 games are on TV this weekend?
Round 1
Saturday 4 July 2026
- New Zealand v France
One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
Kick-off: 8.10am BST / 9.10am CET / 9.10am SAST / 5.10pm AEST / 7.10pm NZST / 3.10am EDT / 12.10am PDT - Japan v Italy
Tokyo Chichibuomiya Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 9.40am BST / 10.40am CET / 10.40am SAST / 6.40pm AEST / 8.40pm NZST / 4.40am EDT / 1.40am PDT - Australia v Ireland
Allianz Stadium, Sydney
Kick-off: 11.10am BST / 12.10pm CET / 12.10pm SAST / 8.10pm AEST / 10.10pm NZST / 6.10am EDT / 3.10am PDT - Fiji v Wales
Cardiff City Stadium, Cardiff, Wales
Kick-off: 2.10pm BST / 3.10pm CET / 3.10pm SAST / 11.10pm AEST / 1.10am NZST (Sunday) / 9.10am EDT / 6.10am PDT - South Africa v England
Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Kick-off: 4.40pm BST / 5.40pm CET / 5.40pm SAST / 1.40am AEST (Sunday) / 3.40am NZST (Sunday) / 11.40am EDT / 8.40am PDT - Argentina v Scotland
Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Cordoba
Kick-off: 8.00pm BST / 9.00pm CET / 9.00pm SAST / 5.00am AEST (Sunday) / 7.00am NZST (Sunday) / 3.00pm EDT / 12.00pm PDT
Watch for FREE: Nations Championship free streams
Viewers in the UK, Ireland and France can enjoy the Nations Championship action for free.
- In the UK, you can watch all 42 Nations Championship games on ITV’s TV channels and the ITVX streaming service.
- In Ireland, Nations Championship live streams for every game will be available on Virgin Media Play. Selected matches will also be available on terrestrial channel Virgin Media One.
- In France, free broadcaster TF1 has the exclusive rights to show Nations Championship matches. Every fixture will be on streaming service TF1+, with most matches also aired on broadcast channels TF1 or TMC.
Rugby fans in Australia can watch every Wallabies game for free on Channel 9 and the 9Now streaming service.
How to watch the Nations Championship from anywhere
Being abroad doesn’t have to stop you watching the Nations Championship. A VPN bypasses geo-blocking by changing your IP address, letting you stream Nations Championship 2026 matches as if you were at home. Tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide rate NordVPN as world number one, thanks to its low price and unrivalled ability to unblock streaming services.
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How to watch Nations Championship 2026 in the UK
In the UK, ITV has exclusive rights to every Nations Championship 2026 game.
All of the matches will be available on the ITVX streaming service, as well as the broadcaster’s terrestrial channels.
This weekend:
- New Zealand v France, Australia v Ireland and Fiji v Wales will be on ITV1
- Japan v Italy, South Africa v England and Argentina v Scotland will be on ITV4
ITVX is free to use, but you’ll need to complete a short registration to access the service. You also require a valid TV Licence to stream live TV in the UK.
How to watch Nations Championship 2026 in Ireland
Free-to-air Virgin Media Television is showing every Nations Championship fixture on its Virgin Media Play streaming platform in Ireland.
This Saturday, New Zealand v France, Australia v Ireland Fiji v Wales, South Africa v England and Argentina v Scotland are also available to terrestrial viewers via the Virgin Media One channel.
Virgin Media Play is free to use, but you do need to sign up to the service before you can access its content.
Watch Nations Championship 2026: live stream from South Africa
Springboks fans will be hoping their side can add this new competition to their bulging trophy cabinet, and they can watch all the action on SuperSport.
SuperSport will be familiar to rugby fans in South Africa, with a host of other tournaments airing on the network. You can get SuperSport on your TV via DStv, or you can stream online.
There are various SuperSport packages available, so have a look at what works best for you.
US broadcaster for the 2026 Nations Championship
In countries where no broadcaster has snapped up Nations Championship rights – including the United States – you can watch Nations Championship games on World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV.
It’s free to use, though you do need to register before you can watch any of the action.
Watch Nations Championship 2026 in Australia
Down under? Nations Championship live streams for all 42 games are available through Stan Sport, which is also home to loads of other rugby action and Premier League and Champions League soccer.
It costs $20 a month to add Stan Sport to your general Stan plan ($12 a month).
Every Wallabies home game – including Saturday’s clash with Ireland – is also available for free on 9Now and Channel 9.
Live stream the Nations Championship from New Zealand
Sky Sport NZ has the New Zealand rights to the Nations Championship, along with plenty more world-class sporting action – including All Blacks games and Premier League soccer.
You can subscribe to Sky Sport Now from $54.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.
Watch the Nations Championship in France
Free broadcaster TF1 has picked up the rights to the entire Nations Championship in France.
Every game will be available on the TF1+ streaming platform, with selected matches available across the broadcaster’s TV channels. This weekend:
- New Zealand v France, South Africa v England and Argentina v Scotland will be on TF1.
- Australia v Ireland and Fiji v Wales will be on TMC.
Watch the Nations Championship in Italy
In Italy, 2026 Nations Championship games will air on Sky Sport Italia.
Sky Sport is a paid-for service available on satellite television and its own streaming platform.
Nations Championship live streams in Japan
The Nations Championship broadcaster in Japan is subscription service Wowow.
Upcoming Nations Championship fixtures
Plan your viewing through July with this guide to the rest of this month’s Nations Championship fixtures.
Round 2
Saturday 11 July 2026
- New Zealand v Italy
Hnry Stadium, Wellington
Kick-off: 6.10am BST / 7.10am CET / 7.10am SAST / 3.10pm AEST / 5.10pm NZST / 1.10am EDT / 10.10pm PDT (Friday) - Australia v France
Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane
Kick-off: 8.30am BST / 9.30pm CET / 9.30pm SAST / 5.30pm AEST / 7.30pm NZST / 3.30am EDT / 12.30am PDT - Japan v Ireland
McDonald Jones Stadium, Newcastle, Australia
Kick-off: 11.00am BST / 12.00pm CET / 12.00pm SAST / 8.00pm AEST / 10.00pm NZST / 6.00am EDT / 3.00am PDT - Fiji v England
Hill Dickinson Stadium, Liverpool, England
Kick-off: 2.10pm BST / 3.10pm CET / 3.10pm SAST / 11.10pm AEST / 1.10am NZST (Sunday) / 9.10am EDT / 6.10am PDT - South Africa v Scotland
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 4.40pm BST / 5.40pm CET / 5.40pm SAST / 1.40am AEST (Sunday) / 3.40am NZST (Sunday) / 11.40am EDT / 8.40am PDT - Argentina v Wales
Estadio San Juan de Bicentenario, San Juan
Kick-off: 8.00pm BST / 9.00pm CET / 9.00pm SAST / 5.00am AEST (Sunday) / 7.00am NZST (Sunday) / 3.00pm EDT / 12.00pm PDT
Round 3
Saturday 18 July 2026
- Japan v France
National Olympic Stadium, Tokyo
Kick-off: 9.40am BST / 10.40am CET / 10.40am SAST / 6.40pm AEST / 8.40pm NZST / 4.40am EDT / 1.40am PDT - New Zealand v Ireland
Eden Park, Auckland
Kick-off: 8.10am BST / 9.10am CET / 9.10am SAST / 5.10pm AEST / 7.10pm NZST / 3.10am EDT / 12.10am PDT - Australia v Italy
HBF Park, Perth
Kick-off: 11.00am BST / 12.00pm CET / 12.00pm SAST / 8.00pm AEST / 10.00pm NZST / 6.00am EDT / 3.00am PDT - Fiji v Scotland
Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh, Scotland
Kick-off: 2.10pm BST / 3.10pm CET / 3.10pm SAST / 11.10pm AEST / 1.10am NZST (Sunday) / 9.10am EDT / 6.10am PDT - South Africa v Wales
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
Kick-off: 4.40pm BST / 5.40pm CET / 5.40pm SAST / 1.40am AEST (Sunday) / 3.40am NZST (Sunday) / 11.40am EDT / 8.40am PDT - Argentina v England
Estadio Unico Madre de Ciudades, Santiago del Estero
Kick-off: 8.00pm BST / 9.00pm CET / 9.00pm SAST / 5.00am AEST (Sunday) / 7.00am NZST (Sunday) / 3.00pm EDT / 12.00pm PDT
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