The 2019 Rugby world cup is being held in Japan. It will run from September 20th until November 2nd with 20 teams competing. In this guide, we show you how to stream the rugby world cup from anywhere in the world.
In many countries around the world, the Rugby World Cup is not broadcasted on TV. This can be an enormous source of frustration. In some countries, the entire tournament is broadcasting exclusively on pay-per-view channels. The good news is that there is a workaround.
A VPN lets you spoof your IP address so that you appear to be in a different country. And, as a result, you can stream Rugby World Cup matches free of charge.
How to watch the Rugby World Cup for free - from anywhere!
Depending on where you live, it will be impossible to watch the Rugby World Cup for free without a VPN.
In some nations, the Rugby World Cup is only available on pay-per-view channels. This means you will need to connect to a VPN server in a country where the Rugby World Cup is showing for free.
The good news is that the UK is showing the Rugby World Cup for free on ITV. And, in any country where a TV deal has not been established - the World Rugby website will be broadcasting the games for free.
Best VPN to stream the Rugby World Cup
In some places you will need a VPN to stream Rugby World Cup matches for free. Here are our top recommended VPNs for streaming the Rugby World Cup:
- ExpressVPN - The fastest VPN we test, unblocks everything, with amazing service all round
- CyberGhost VPN - Longtime top ranked VPN, with great price and speeds
- Surfshark - Easy to use - 24/7 live chat support - Ublocks everything
- IPVanish - Apps for all platforms - Strong encryption - Zero-logs policy
- VyprVPN - A fast VPN that marries strong privacy with excellent unblocking capabilities
All the VPNs above have their merits, and it is worth checking the individual reviews for each service if you prefer to shop around. However, when it comes to unblocking the Rugby World Cup without issues - and at an exceptionally cheap rate - there is really no better option than NordVPN.
How to set up a VPN - Rugby World Cup guide
If you live somewhere that is showing the World Cup on a pay-per-view channel you can follow these simple steps to access the World Cup for free:
- Click through to the NordVPN website and subscribe. NordVPN has servers in over 60 countries, and it will allow you to stream the Rugby World Cup in HD without concerns about buffering.
- Download the VPN software from the NordVPN website (or whichever VPN from this guide that you prefer).
- Install the VPN software on your devices. NordVPN allows you to install and use the software on 6 simultaneous devices!
- Connect to a VPN server in the UK, or any other country that is showing the Rugby World Cup for free. If you want to watch the Rugby World Cup in 8K resolution - you may want to connect to a server in Japan to try out the super-high definition feeds on NHK.
- Once the VPN is connected, you can navigate to the World Rugby website to enjoy the matches!
Who has broadcast rights for the Rugby World Cup?
Below you can see a list of all the broadcasters that have rights to the 2019 Rugby World Cup. If you want to watch the Rugby World cup for free, simply check the list below.
If your country does not have an official broadcaster - you are in luck! Because you can watch the world cup for free without a VPN by heading over to the World Rugby website.
However, if you live in Brazil, Hong Kong, the Middle East, North Africa, South-East Asia - or anywhere else that is broadcasting the Rugby World Cup on a pay-per-view channel - you can use a VPN to pretend to be outside of your own country. This will allow you to watch the Rugby World Cup on the World Rugby Website.
If you are a British expat or a UK resident who is on holiday, you can use a VPN to connect to a server in England to watch the world cup on ITV player with full British commentary.
| Territory | Rugby World Cup Broadcasters |
|---|---|
| Albania | DigitAlb |
| Australia | Fox Sports Network Ten |
| Belgium | Telenet |
| Brazil | ESPN |
| Canada | TSN |
| Czech Republic | Pragosport |
| Fiji | Fiji TV |
| France | TF1 Group |
| Georgia | GPB |
| Germany | ProSiebenSat.1 Media |
| Hong Kong | beIN Sports |
| Ireland | Eir Sport RTÉ |
| Japan | J Sports NHK Nippon TV |
| Kosovo | DigitAlb |
| Latin America | ESPN |
| Malaysia | RTM |
| MENA | beIN Sports |
| Netherlands | Ziggo Sport |
| New Zealand | TVNZ Spark |
| Nordic | NENT |
| Pacific Islands | Fiji TV |
| Poland | Polsat |
| Portugal | Sport TV |
| Russia | Match TV |
| Romania | TVR |
| Slovakia | Pragosport |
| Southeast Asia | beIN Sports |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | SuperSport |
| United Kingdom | ITV S4C |
| United States | NBCUniversal |
Rugby World Cup Final Build up
Well, it’s been an exhilarating world cup, and after 6 weeks of fantastic rugby, it’s coming to an end. England will face South Africa in the world cup final and it should be a fantastic final. The English will be looking to win their second world cup title, if the South Africans win it’ll be their third.
Firstly, we must mention the third-round playoff. On Friday, New Zealand brushed aside Wales to win bronze in the third-place playoff in a match that finished 40 – 17. This match not only marked the end of the world cup for New Zealand and Wales, but it was also the last match for the head coaches of both teams, Warren Gatland and Steve Hansen.
Many rugby fans didn’t expect England to reach the world cup final, but they come through a major challenge to beat current holders New Zealand in their Sem-Final match. Willi Heinz has picked up an injury, meaning Ben Spencer will replace him on the England bench. The inexperienced Spencer has only four England caps and is yet to start a match in this world cup. Other than that, there are no injuries for England, and Jones will name an unchanged starting 15 for the second time in two years.
South Africa managed to edge past a brave Welsh team last Sunday to reach the final of this world cup in a 19-16 win. Although it wouldn’t have been easy to watch, the character shown by this South Africa team will be a positive for head coach Rassie Erasmus. The spring bocks will be boosted by the return of star winger Cheslin Kolbe who is likely to start the match.
Don’t miss a minute of the Rugby World cup final, simply connect to a VPN and use one of the streams listed above.
Who is playing at the 2019 Rugby World Cup in Japan?
Following a gruelling qualifying competition in which 90 countries battled it out for a place in the ninth Rugby World Cup finals - just 20 teams are left!
Below you can see exactly who will be playing in the Rugby World Cup:
| Region | Team |
| Africa | South Africa |
| Africa | Namibia |
| North America | USA |
| North America | Canada |
| Asia | Japan |
| Europe | England |
| Europe | France |
| Europe | Georgia |
| Europe | Ireland |
| Europe | Italy |
| Europe | Russia |
| Europe | Scotland |
| Europe | Wales |
| Oceania | Australia |
| Oceania | Fiji |
| Oceania | New Zealand |
| Oceania | Samoa |
| Oceania | Tonga |
| Latin America | Argentina |
| Latin America | Uruguay |
Who is the favorite to win the Japan Rugby World Cup?
New Zealand are the favorites to win this year’s World Cup, with Australia and England trailing in second and third. However, as is always the case, the Rugby World Cup is a hard to predict tournament which is bound to cause at least a few upsets and surprises.
Rugby World Cup fixtures
Below you can see the entire schedule for the group stage matches - so that you can keep track of all your favorite teams:
POOL A
Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa
- Fri 20 Sep Japan v Russia (Tokyo)
- Sun 22 Sep Ireland v Scotland (Yokohama)
- Tue 24 Sep Russia v Samoa (Kumagaya)
- Sat 28 Sep Japan v Ireland (Shizuoka)
- Mon 30 Sep Scotland v Samoa (Kobe)
- Thu 3 Oct Ireland v Russia (Kobe)
- Sat 5 Oct Japan v Samoa (Toyota)
- Wed 9 Oct Scotland v Russia (Shizuoka)
- Sat 12 Oct Ireland v Samoa (Fukuoka)
- Sun 13 Oct Japan v Scotland (Yokohama)
POOL B
New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Namibia, Canada
- Sat 21 Sep New Zealand v South Africa (Yokohama)
- Sun 22 Sep Italy v Namibia (Osaka)
- Thu 26 Sept Italy v Canada (Fukuoka)
- Sat 28 Sep South Africa v Namibia (Toyota)
- Wed 2 Oct New Zealand v Canada (Oita)
- Fri 4 Oct South Africa v Italy (Shizuoka)
- Sun 6 Oct New Zealand v Namibia (Tokyo)
- Tue 8 Oct South Africa v Canada (Kobe)
- Sat 12 Oct New Zealand v Italy (Toyota)
- Sun 13 Oct Namibia v Canada (Kamaishi)