How to watch Six Nations 2026: free streams, official broadcasters

Antoine Dupont of France breaks to score a try during a Six Nations match against Ireland.

(Image credit: Charles McQuillan/Getty Images)

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Fixtures & schedule

Europe's biggest sextet of international rugby sides come together again across February and March for the annual Six Nations Championship, with France defending the title they won by a single point 12 months ago.

You can watch Six Nations 2026 from anywhere with a VPN and potentially for FREE.

Six Nations 2026 live streams: TV channels, dates

Six Nations 2026 live streams run from February 5 to March 14. Full schedule below.
• FREE STREAMS — BBC iPlayer / ITVX (U.K.) | RTÉ Player / Virgin Media Play (Ireland)
• U.S. — Stream on Peacock
• Watch anywhere — Try NordVPN 100% risk free

Having missed a year in 2024 to concentrate on winning Olympic gold in Paris, Antoine Dupont showed Les Bleus what they were missing in last year's Six Nations, captaining them to glory. He and player of the tournament Louis Bielle-Biarrey showed why France will once again be in the conversation when favorites for next year's Rugby World Cup begin being discussed.

That said, they only managed to pip England by a solitary point, and Steve Borthwick's men enjoyed a home win in the Le Crunch thanks to a last minute converted try. Despite claiming the Triple Crown, it was an off season for Ireland as they failed in their bid for three championships in a row and, after a difficult Autumn Nations campaign, Andy Farrell will be desperate that the Men in Green claim back their title.

It's another chance for Scotland to break off their 'nearly men' reputation, Wales to rebuild under head coach Steve Tandy and Italy to finally finish in the top three of the final table. Here's how to watch Six Nations 2026 — including free streaming options and a full list of fixtures and kick-off times.

How to watch Six Nations 2026 for FREE

Live coverage of the Six Nations 2026 is carried by the free-to-air streaming platforms BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the U.K.

All Six Nations games are free across RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play in Ireland, too.

Traveling abroad? You won't be able to watch the action like you normally would due to regional restrictions. Fortunately, there’s an easy solution. Use a VPN to watch Six Nations 2026 for free — we’ll explain more below.

Next fixtures — round 1

France vs Ireland: Thursday, Feb. 5 at 8:10 p.m. GMT / 3:10 p.m. ET STREAM FREE ON ITVX
Italy vs Scotland: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET STREAM FREE ON BBC iPlayer
England vs Wales: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET STREAM FREE ON ITVX

Watch Six Nations 2026 from anywhere

Away from home at the moment and blocked from watching the rugby on your usual subscription?

You can still watch Six Nations 2026 live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software can make your devices appear to be back in your home country regardless of where you are, making it ideal for viewers away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN — we explain why in our NordVPN review.

How to watch Six Nations 2026 online in the U.S.

Peacock, NBC's streaming service, has the rights to show every game of the 2026 Six Nations championship in the U.S.

You'll need at a Premium subscription to watch, with prices starting from $10.99/month or $109.99/year. You can pay an extra $4/month to add Apple TV.

Already subscribed to Peacock but outside the U.S. right now? That's when a VPN like NordVPN will help make sure you don't miss a minute of the Six Nations.

Watch Six Nations 2026 live streams for FREE in the U.K.

British flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

All games of the 2026 Six Nations championship will be shared between the BBC and ITV in the U.K.

All 15 matches will be free-to-air on TV (so long as you have a valid TV Licence) as well as online through the broadcasters' streaming platforms BBC iPlayer and ITVX. You can see which channel is showing what upcoming game above.

Welsh speakers also have the option to watch all five of Wales' games on S4C.

And pay-to-stream platform Premier Sports will also show five of the 2026 Six Nations games — one from each round.

Away from home? You can still catch all the action using a VPN, such as our top pick: NordVPN.

Where to watch Six Nations 2026 live online in the Australia

Australia flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

Rugby union fans in Australia can watch every Six Nations clash exclusively on Stan Sport.

You'll need a Stan subscription starting at $12/month and then add Stan Sport for an extra $20/month (although, at the time of writing, you'll get your first month for $10).

If you're traveling overseas you can still watch all the 2026 Six Nations on Stan via a VPN. Our number one VPN service right now is NordVPN.

How to watch 2026 Six Nations live streams in New Zealand

New Zealand flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

New Zealanders can catch the 2026 Six Nations on Sky Sport.

That means you can also watch through the online Sky Sport Now platform, which costs $29.99/day, $54.99/month or $549.99/year.

Remember. You can still tap into your Six Nations stream when overseas by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.

How to watch Six Nations 2026 in Ireland

Irish Flag — (Image credit: Wikimedia Commons)

As alluded to earlier, Irish residents can watch every game of the Six Nations 2026 on either RTÉ Player or Virgin Media Play.

Both are free services meaning you won't have to pay a penny to stream any of the 15 games.

Outside the Emerald Isle? Watch from anywhere across the world with NordVPN!

How to watch Six Nations 2026 in Canada

Canada Flag — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

The Six Nations will be broadcast on DAZN in Canada with prices starting at CA$34.99/month.

Outside Canada during the tournament? Unlock your DAZN streams with NordVPN.

Six Nations fixtures and schedule 2026

Round 1
France vs Ireland: Thursday, Feb. 5 at 8:10 p.m. GMT / 3:10 p.m. ET
Italy vs Scotland: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET
England vs Wales: Saturday, Feb. 7 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET

Round 2
Ireland vs Italy: Saturday, Feb. 14 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET
Scotland vs England: Saturday, Feb. 14 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET
Wales vs France: Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3:10 p.m. GMT / 10:10 a.m. ET

Round 3
England vs Ireland: Saturday, Feb. 21 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET
Wales vs Scotland: Saturday, Feb. 21 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET
France vs Italy: Sunday, Feb. 22 at 3:10 p.m. GMT / 10:10 a.m. ET

Round 4
Ireland vs Wales: Friday, Mar. 6 at 8:10 p.m. GMT / 3:10 p.m. ET
Scotland vs France: Saturday, Mar. 7 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET
Italy vs England: Saturday, Mar. 7 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET

Round 5
Ireland vs Scotland: Saturday, Mar. 14 at 2:10 p.m. GMT / 9:10 a.m. ET
Wales vs Italy: Saturday, Mar. 14 at 4:40 p.m. GMT / 11:40 a.m. ET
France vs England: Saturday, Mar. 14 at 8:10 p.m. GMT / 3:10 p.m. ET

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We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.

Adam was the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversaw many of the articles the publisher produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Adam can still be seen dusting his keyboard off to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide, having started his career at consumer champions Which?.

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