How to watch Six Nations Online in 2026
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Rugby Union returns in 2026, with the Men’s Six Nations Championship kicking off on Thursday, February 5, 2026, marking the first-ever Thursday night opener as France hosts Ireland. The tournament runs until March 14, 2026, featuring classic clashes between England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland, and Wales.
In the UK, every match is available live for free across BBC and ITV, with streams on BBC iPlayer and ITVX depending on the broadcaster covering each fixture.
In the United States, coverage is typically carried by major sports streamers like Peacock or dedicated rugby platforms such as FloRugby.
In Australia, Six Nations matches have recently been shown on Stan Sport. As broadcast rights can shift, viewers should confirm current availability before the tournament starts.
To make this even easier for you, I’ve put together this guide to explain exactly how to do this and which VPNs are recommended.
How to watch Six Nations online with a VPN
- Find a VPN with a range of international servers. I recommend NordVPN, now NordVPN 76% OFF
- Download and install the software
- Connect to a server in a location where Six Nations is available, such as the UK
- Head to the streaming service you want to access and sign in or create an account. I’d recommend using BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK
- Start cheering on your favorite rugby team
Why should you use a VPN to watch Six Nations online?
The Six Nations rugby tournament is incredibly popular, where France, England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, and Italy compete to win the Six Nations trophy. But, despite its global appeal, the matches aren’t available to watch everywhere due to complex distribution rights, copyright laws, and licensing agreements.
Although it’s available on a wide range of streaming services, including BBC iPlayer, ITVX, and Peacock TV, you might not be able to access it from where you are. And if you attempt to watch restricted content, such as the Six Nations rugby, in a location where it’s not available, you’ll be blocked from entering the site by an error message, like this one: BBC iPlayer TV programmes are available to play in the UK only. Find out why. If you are in the UK and see this message please read this advice.
Still, there is an easy workaround for this problem: simply sign up for a reputable VPN and use it to connect to a server in a location where the matches are available, such as the UK.
A reliable VPN with servers in the UK offers IP addresses in the region, which allows you to bypass region restrictions, so you can watch all the matches from wherever you are in the world.
Best VPNs to watch Six Nations online in 2026
- NordVPN – best VPN for watching the Six Nations tournament
- Surfshark – fast speeds for streaming international content
- PureVPN – strong security features with low monthly costs
Where to stream Six Nations games
If you want to stream Six Nations games completely free. I recommend opting for BBC iPlayer or ITVX. However, you'll need to use a VPN if you're outside the UK. That said, to make it easier to find the perfect streamer in your country, let's take a look at the Six nations broadcasters along with the countries where each is available:
| Country | Primary TV broadcasters | Streaming service(s) to watch live | Free or paid | Notes |
| UK | BBC, ITV | BBC iPlayer, ITVX | Free | Every match free-to-air split between BBC and ITV; some games also carried non‑exclusively by Premier Sports pay TV |
| Ireland | RTÉ, Virgin Media | RTÉ Player, Virgin Media Player / Virgin Media Play | Free | Matches involving Ireland available on domestic free‑to‑air channels and their streaming apps |
| France | France Télévisions, some on TF1 | FranceTV / France.tv (France Télévisions streaming) | Mostly free | France Télévisions holds main rights; selected games sublicensed to TF1 but still free‑to‑air |
| Italy | Sky Sport Italia, TV8 | Sky Go / NOW (pay), TV8 online for selected free games | Mixed | Sky holds primary rights; some matches shown free on TV8 |
| Wales (language) | S4C, BBC | S4C online, BBC iPlayer (Welsh‑language feed) | Free | Welsh‑language coverage of Wales games via S4C, accessible through iPlayer |
| US | NBC (rights holder), Peacock | Peacock (all 15 games live) | Paid | Peacock streams every match; access typically via Peacock Premium |
| Australia | Stan Sport | Stan Sport (add‑on to Stan) | Paid | Every match live; requires base Stan + Sport add‑on |
| New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ | Sky Sport Now / Sky Go NZ | Paid | Sky Sport holds exclusive rights |
| South Africa | SuperSport | DStv / SuperSport app | Paid | Matches carried on SuperSport rugby channels |
| Canada | Premier Sports (exclusive) | Premier Sports streaming platform (where available) | Paid | Premier Sports is the exclusive home of the tournament in Canada |
How to watch Six Nations games from anywhere
Even though it’s one of the most popular sports tournaments, the Six Nations rugby matches aren’t available to watch everywhere. However, it is on streaming services in a number of countries, so you can watch the Six Nations in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada.
And if you live in a country that doesn’t have the rights to show the games, you can get around this easily and watch all the coverage live with the help of a reliable VPN.
Watch online in Canada
From 2026, Premier Sports has the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights to the Six Nations, including all men’s matches. At the time of writing, a DAZN subscription costs CA$29.99 a month or $89.99 a year.
If that’s too expensive for you, or you prefer to watch the UK coverage, I’d recommend signing up for a reasonably-priced VPN, such as NordVPN, and using it to connect to a server in the UK. You’ll then be able to access all the games for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
Watch online in the US
If you want to watch the Six Nations rugby games in the US, you’ll be able to find every single match of this year’s tournament on Peacock TV. Prices for Peacock TV start at $7.99 a month for the ad-supported version or $13.99 a month for the ad-free tier.
Alternatively, you could watch the matches on CNBC. And if you don’t have cable TV, you can access CNBC, along with loads of other great TV channels, by signing up for SlingTV for $23 a month, or fuboTV for $44.99 for the first month.
If this is too pricey for you, it’ll work out cheaper to sign up for a reliable VPN, such as NordVPN, and use it to unblock BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, so you can stream for free.
Watch online in Australia
Australian rugby fans will be able to stream every Six Nations match live on Stan Sport. A subscription to this ad-free streaming platform costs AU$15 a month on top of the Basic membership plan for AU$12. However, there is a free seven-day trial, so you can stream for a week before you start paying anything.
Watch online in Europe
Given that all of the countries competing in the Six Nations tournament are European, it makes sense that there are plenty of options to stream all the matches live throughout the continent.
For example, in Ireland, you can watch all the action live on either RTÉ Player or Virgin Media Player. It’s also available on FR2, Sky Italia, and Eurosport, which is widely available in European countries.
However, my favorite option remains streaming in the UK because the platforms that show the matches are free to watch. This year, the rights to show the games in the UK are split between BBC iPlayer and ITVX, neither of which costs anything to watch. Although you can pay a subscription fee to watch ITVX without ads.
Six Nations 2026 matches
The Six Nations Championship is a men’s annual rugby tournament that is made of England, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, France, and Italy teams.
To help you plan your viewing, here are all the games and where you can watch them for free:
| Round | Date | Match | Venue |
| 1 | Thu 5 Feb 2026 | France vs Ireland | Stade de France, Paris |
| 1 | Sat 7 Feb 2026 | Italy vs Scotland | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 1 | Sat 7 Feb 2026 | England vs Wales | Twickenham, London |
| 2 | Sat 14 Feb 2026 | Ireland vs Italy | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| 2 | Sat 14 Feb 2026 | Scotland vs England | Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2 | Sun 15 Feb 2026 | Wales vs France | Principality, Cardiff |
| 3 | Sat 21 Feb 2026 | England vs Ireland | Twickenham, London |
| 3 | Sat 21 Feb 2026 | Wales vs Scotland | Principality, Cardiff |
| 3 | Sun 22 Feb 2026 | France vs Italy | Stade Pierre‑Mauroy, Lille |
| 4 | Fri 6 Mar 2026 | Ireland vs Wales | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| 4 | Sat 7 Mar 2026 | Scotland vs France | Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 4 | Sat 7 Mar 2026 | Italy vs England | Stadio Olimpico, Rome |
| 5 | Sat 14 Mar 2026 | Ireland vs Scotland | Aviva Stadium, Dublin |
| 5 | Sat 14 Mar 2026 | Wales vs Italy | Principality, Cardiff |
| 5 | Sat 14 Mar 2026 | France vs England | Stade de France, Paris |
Note: Broadcast schedules are subject to change, so for the most accurate and up-to-date information, refer to the official broadcasters' schedules. To stay informed about the latest news, I suggest following the Six Nations on Twitter and Facebook.
Conclusion
Rugby fans all over the world will no doubt want to watch all the matches of the Six Nations Championship. But, although it’s on several streaming services, it’s not available to watch everywhere due to geo-blocks.
Luckily, there’s a simple solution to this problem: simply download a secure VPN, such as NordVPN, and use it to connect to a server in a location that has the rights to show all the live coverage. I recommend opting for the UK, so you can watch for free on BBC iPlayer, ITVX, or S4C.
Aside from this, a VPN is an essential security tool because it encrypts your data while you’re online, thereby protecting you from malicious hackers and other third parties.
I hope this guide has answered all your questions about using a VPN to unblock the Six Nations matches from anywhere. If not, get in touch using the comments box at the bottom of the page.
FAQs
Can you watch the Six Nations tournament with a VPN?
Yes, you can watch all the Six Nations matches live from anywhere by using a reputable VPN, like NordVPN, to connect to a server in a location that has the rights to show the games, such as the UK. This will allow you to bypass the geo-blocks and watch without restrictions.
How can I watch rugby games that are blacked out?
Most rugby games are televised, so they don't tend to be blacked out. However, if you’re struggling to watch the matches from your country, simply download a reliable VPN and use it to connect to a server in a location where the game is being broadcast, so you can stream without restrictions.
What’s the best way to watch the Six Nations online for free?
The best way to watch the Six Nations online without paying anything is by streaming them on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. However, if you’re outside the UK, you’ll need to use a free trial of a secure VPN, such as NordVPN, to unblock the content and watch from anywhere.
