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How to watch Six Nations Online in 2025


Rugby Union is back for the 2025 season, kicking off with the annual Six Nations Championship on January 31st, 2025. In the UK, you can watch it for free on BBC iPlayer or ITVX. For fans in the US, Peacock TV has you covered, while viewers in Australia can tune in via Stan Sport.. However, each of these streaming services is geo-blocked, which means they’re not available to watch everywhere.

But there’s no need to lose hope because there’s an easy way to unblock Six Nations matches and watch the Championship from anywhere. All you need to do is download a reliable VPN and use it to connect to a server in a location where the matches are being streamed.

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

Watch Six Nations Rugby
  1. Find a VPN with a range of international servers. I recommend NordVPN, now NordVPN discount OFF
  2. Download and install the software
  3. Connect to a server in a location where Six Nations is available, such as the UK
  4. 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
  5. 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.

bbc iplayer error
BBC iPlayer error message while trying to watch the Six Nations outside the UK

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 2025

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:

CountryBroadcastersWhere to stream online
United States NBC Sports Network Peacock
United Kingdom ITV Sport, BBC Sport, S4C ITVX, BBC iPlayer
AustraliaStan Sport
ItalySky Italia, TV7 sky.it
FranceFrance 2 france.tv
Germany More Than Sports morethansports.tv
IrelandITV Sport, BBC Sport, Virgin Media, RTE, S4C ITVX, BBC iPlayer, RTV, Virgin Media One

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

If you’re in Canada, you’ll be able to watch all the Six Nations matches on DAZN, which has exclusive rights to the tournament. 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 and CNBC. 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.

How to watch Six Nations with a free VPN

The Six Nations Rugby League tournament is available to stream for free in the UK on BBC iPlayer and ITVX. So if you want to stream the matches for free, your best bet would be to use a VPN to connect to a UK server.

However, the vast majority of free VPNs aren’t strong enough to bypass geo-restrictions on streaming platforms, such as iPlayer. And even if you find one that can, free VPNs should be avoided because they are usually detrimental to customers’ security, as they often make money by selling user data to third parties.

However, if you’ve decided to use a free VPN, you’d be much better off using a freemium VPN, which is a basic version of a paid service that doesn’t have any subscription fees. Although they’re a lot more limited than paid options, I can recommend Proton VPN because it offers reasonably strong security and unlimited data.

Alternatively, if you just want to use a VPN for the remainder of the tournament, you might be able to get away with a free trial of a paid VPN. The VPNs I’ve recommended in this guide offer 30-day or 31-day money-back guarantees.

Once the free trial has expired, here’s how much a subscription will cost:

  • NordVPN – 7200 of strong international servers and the strongest security you can find. After the 30-day money-back guarantee has finished, prices start from just $3.39 a month. There’s also a 7-day free trial.
  • Surfshark – unbeatable speeds and great-value plans. From just $2.19 per month after the trial period ends. Take advantage of the 7-day free trial and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
  • PureVPN – low-cost option to watch rugby. Plans start from just $2.19 a month. You can try this VPN out risk-free using a 31-day money-back guarantee.

Why is my VPN not working while trying to watch the Six Nations?

If you’re trying to use a VPN to unblock the Six Nations tournament but you’re still getting an error message, it’s probably because your VPN has been detected and blocked by the streaming service you’re trying to access.

But to rule out other problems, here are some troubleshooting suggestions:

  • You’re not connected to a server in the right location
  • Your true IP address could be leaking
  • Your cookies might be giving away your actual location
  • Your device settings could need updating

To fix these issues, you should try:

  • Double-checking that you’ve connected to a secure server in the right location
  • Enabling IP leak protection on your VPN
  • Connecting to a different browser
  • Using a different server
  • Checking if your device has been updated
  • Clearing your cookies and cache
  • Contacting your VPN’s customer support team
Watch Six Nations Rugby with NordVPN
NordVPN is perfect for streaming Six Nations Rugby. It easily bypasses geo-blocks and ensures buffer-free streaming for the best experience.
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4.9 /5

If all else fails, take a look at our complete guide on how to use a VPN. And if you’re still having no luck, it may be time to think about upgrading to a more security-focused VPN.

Six Nations 2025 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:

Date and timeRoundFixtureStreaming service
January 31st, 2025,
9:15 PM CET (UTC+1)
Round 1France vs WalesBBC One, BBC iPlayer, S4C
February 1st, 2025,
2:15 PM GMT (UTC+1)
Round 1Scotland vs ItalyBBC One, BBC iPlayer
February 1st, 2025,
4:45 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 1Ireland vs EnglandITV, ITVX
February 8th, 2025,
3:15 PM CET (UTC+1)
Round 2Italy vs WalesITV, ITVX, S4C
February 8th, 2025,
4:45 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 2England vs FranceITV, ITVX
February 9th, 2025,
3:00 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 2Scotland vs IrelandBBC One, BBC iPlayer
February 22nd, 2025,
2:15 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 3Wales vs IrelandBBC One, BBC iPlayer, S4C
February 22nd, 2025,
4:45 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 3England vs ScotlandITV, ITVX
February 23rd, 2025,
4:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
Round 3Italy vs FranceITV, ITVX
March 8th, 2025,
2:15 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 4Ireland vs FranceITV, ITVX
March 8th, 2025,
4:45 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 4Scotland vs WalesBBC One, BBC iPlayer, S4C
March 9th, 2025,
3:00 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 4England vs ItalyITV, ITVX
March 15th, 2025,
3:15 PM CET (UTC+1)
Round 5Italy vs IrelandITV, ITVX
March 15th, 2025,
4:45 PM GMT (UTC+0)
Round 5Wales vs EnglandBBC One, BBC iPlayer, S4C
March 15th, 2025,
9:00 PM CET (UTC+1)
Round 5France vs ScotlandITV, ITVX

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