Rugby fans all over the world, particularly those from the participating nations, should be very excited as the Rugby World Cup 2023 approaches. Do you, on the other hand, know where you can watch the tournament?
Depending on where you live, the games will be available on various platforms and channels. Some are free, while others have a limited number of games available or require a paid subscription. However, there is no cause for concern.
If you want to watch the tournament for free, catch the games from your local channels while you’re traveling, or find the best platform to watch the live games, you’re in the right spot.
In this article, I will thoroughly cover each of these topics. I’ll explain how a VPN service can help you watch platforms from different countries, and I’ll also introduce you to the top VPNs for watching rugby.
So, with a VPN connection:
- You can watch the tournament for free by getting a local IP address from countries like the United Kingdom and Ireland.
- When traveling abroad, you can get a new IP address from your home country and watch the tournament using your existing subscriptions on local platforms.
- If your country does not have an official platform for broadcasting the tournament, you can connect to VPN servers in a different country and watch the entire tournament on one of the platforms listed below.
Here’s a quick guide to watching the Rugby World Cup 2023 from anywhere in the world for free:
- Visit Surfshark VPN. It has servers in the UK, where the tournament will be broadcast for free on a local platform (ITVX).
- Click the “Get VPN Deal” button in the upper-right corner of the page and choose a plan.
- Enter your email address and proceed with your preferred payment method. (After processing your payment, Surfshark will email you your login information.)
- With that information, sign in to your SurfShark account. Download the VPN app for your device and install it.
- Log into the SurfShark app with the same credentials.
- In the app’s interface, search for “United Kingdom” and connect to an available server.
Once your connection is established, your local IP address will be replaced with a UK IP address, allowing you to watch local platforms in the UK without geo-restrictions. In terms of where to watch the tournament, all Rugby World Cup 2023 games will be available for free on ITVX. The platform has a premium option, but to watch the tournament, all you need to do is sign up for a free account and access the live channels.

As you can see, our quick guide works properly. But since I promised you detailed information about watching the Rugby World Cup 2023 with a VPN, let’s get right to work.
How do I watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 for free?
Since we want to watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 for free, the first step should be to determine which platforms have licensing rights to the tournament in various countries and which will broadcast it for free. I discovered four platforms that offer this option after conducting extensive research.
- In the UK, “ITVX” will broadcast all games for free.
- In Ireland, the games are split between “RTÉ” and “Virgin Media”, but in total, these two platforms will broadcast all games for free.
- In Australia, “9Now” will broadcast all games of the Wallabies (Australia’s national team) and the tournament’s final game for free.
If we are located outside of these countries and wish to watch the tournament on one of these four platforms, we will need a UK IP address for ITVX, an Irish IP address for RTÉ and Virgin Media, and an Australian IP address for 9Now.
With a VPN service, getting an IP address from any country is simple. Each VPN service operates servers in a variety of countries. When we connect to a remote VPN server, all of our online traffic is routed and encrypted through that connection, and we are assigned a new IP address based on the location of the server.
Therefore, if we wanted to watch the tournament on ITVX, we would simply connect to the UK servers of a VPN service.
But with dozens of VPN services on the market, which one will we choose?
Choosing the best VPN for the Rugby World Cup 2023
Since we require specific IP addresses to watch the tournament for free, we must first examine the VPN services’ server coverage. Ideally, we should look for a VPN service with servers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia. Unfortunately, most free VPNs only provide a few general server locations and limit connection speeds or data transfer limits.
Furthermore, just server coverage is not enough for us. The VPN service we choose should also be compatible with local platforms and provide us with the necessary speed to watch the games in HD quality without buffering.
To spare you the trouble, I have already reviewed more than 20 premium VPN services on the market and determined the best rugby VPN that meets the aforementioned criteria.
Surfshark VPN has servers in the United Kingdom, Ireland, and Australia, provided me with an average download speed of 150+ Mbps in all three locations, and is one of the most affordable VPN services available.
To use the service, there are just a few simple steps to follow:
- Visit Surfshark VPN.
- Choose a subscription plan and fill out the purchase form. (By selecting a longer term, you can save up to 82%.)
- Complete the payment with your preferred method.
After the payment has been processed, you will receive an email from Surfshark containing your login information.
VPN app installation
In this step, we will log in to our account to download and install the VPN app compatible with our device.
- Check your inbox for your login credentials.
- Return to the SurfShark homepage.
- Click “Log in” in the upper-right corner of the page and enter your login information.
- Download and install the VPN app for your device through the “Apps and Extensions” menu.
Note: To avoid potential problems in the future, grant Surfshark all necessary permissions during installation.
Connecting to the VPN server
If everything went according to plan, your Surfshark app should now be ready for use. Let’s examine how to connect to the UK server as an example.
- Launch the Surfshark app.
- Enter “United Kingdom” in the search bar located on the app’s interface.
- Click on an available server.

Once the connection is established, your local IP will be replaced with a UK IP address.
Streaming the Rugby World Cup 2023 for free
As we chose to get a UK IP address in the previous step, we can now watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 on ITVX. Let’s find out whether our VPN connection works as intended.
- Verify that you are still connected to SurfShark’s United Kingdom servers.
- Visit ITVX at https://www.itv.com/
- Create a free account and check out the live channels.

It appears that our VPN connection has worked its magic, as we are now able to watch every game of the tournament for free on ITVX.
Rugby streaming channels by country
We’ve already learned the essential steps for streaming the Rugby World Cup 2023 for free. Now, let’s dive into the details of which local channels will be airing the tournament in each different country.
We’ll also check if these channels require a paid subscription and identify any other important factors that might need our attention.
The United Kingdom
ITVX owns the broadcasting rights to the Rugby World Cup 2023 in the United Kingdom. Although the platform has a premium option, a free account is all that’s required to stream the games via live channels.

To watch ITVX outside the United Kingdom, you must connect to the UK servers of a VPN service. Surfshark stands out as a trustworthy option.
Ireland
RTÉ and Virgin Media share the broadcasting rights for the Rugby World Cup 2023 in Ireland. Fortunately, both of these services are free, and live broadcasts of each game can be found on one of them.

To access these platforms outside of Ireland, a VPN connection is required.
France
France will host the Rugby World Cup in 2023. The tournament, like the World Cup 2021, will be broadcast live on TF1 in France for free. If you want to watch the games in French, go to MYTF1 and sign up for a free account.
Surfshark, CyberGhost, and ExpressVPN, fortunately, all have servers in France.
Australia
Rugby fans in Australia have two choices for watching the Rugby World Cup 2023: one is free and the other requires a monthly subscription. The games of the Australian national team and the final game of the tournament are available for free on 9Now. If you wish to watch the entire tournament, however, you must subscribe to Stan Sport. The platform offers a 7-day free trial, and the monthly subscription fee for the sports plan is AU$20.

If you wish to access either of these platforms from outside Australia, you will need a reliable rugby VPN.
The United States
Every Rugby World Cup 2023 match will be broadcast on Peacock TV in the United States. The platform offers various plans, with the ad-supported plan beginning at $4.9 per month. The PeacockTV app is compatible with a wide variety of devices, which is a plus.
To access PeacockTV from outside the United States, you must connect to US-based VPN servers.
New Zealand
Sky Sports will be responsible for broadcasting the Rugby World Cup 2023 in New Zealand. If you already have a Sky Sports subscription but are unable to access the platform because you are located outside of New Zealand, all you need is a New Zealand IP address.
Sky Sport Now, Sky Sport’s digital streaming platform, costs $39.99 per month if you don’t have a subscription. To watch the tournament on Sky Sports with your existing account or to access one of the free platforms, you will need a VPN service.
South Africa
SuperSport owns the broadcast rights to every game of the Rugby World Cup 2023 in South Africa. You must subscribe to DStv in order to watch Super Sport on your smartphone, tablet, or laptop. The monthly cost of the DStv Premium pack, which includes all sports content, is 799 ZAR (~43 $).
Of course, you’ll need a good rugby VPN with South African servers.
Canada
The Rugby World Cup 2023 will be broadcast on TSN in Canada. TSN Plus, the digital streaming service provided by TSN, is available for prices starting at $8 per month.
To watch TSN Plus from outside of Canada, you’ll need a trustworthy rugby VPN, such as Surfshark, CyberGhost, or ExpressVPN.
Countries | Channels | Subscription |
---|---|---|
The UK | ITVX | Free |
Ireland | RTE, Virgin Media | Free |
Australia | 9Now | Free |
France | TF1 | Free |
The USA | Peacock | 4.9$/Month |
New Zealand | Sky Sport Now | 39.99 NZD/Month |
Canada | TSN Plus | 8 CAD/Month |
South Africa | DStv Premium | 799 ZAR/Month |
Best Rugby VPNs
Let’s take a look at the best rugby VPNs on the market together. When I chose these three VPN services, I looked for servers in the countries I listed above. Of course, I verified that these three services could bypass geo-restrictions, provide the necessary speed/performance for smooth streaming, and offer a reasonable price-performance ratio.
Surfshark
Surfshark is a British Virgin Islands-based VPN service provider with over 3200 servers in 100 countries. The company has servers in all of our target countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada.
When it comes to speed, all of these servers delivered satisfactory results in my most recent speed tests. You can watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 games on the respective platforms by connecting to any of these servers. The download speeds I got from some of the servers are listed below for reference.
Surfshark UK servers: 179.23 Mbps; Surfshark US servers: 168.61 Mbps; Surfshark Australia servers: 150.29 Mbps.

Finally, let’s look at Surfshark’s pricing policy. It is one of the most cost-effective VPN services available, with the basic plan starting at $2.30 per month. If you are dissatisfied with the service, you can request a refund within 30 days. Also, you can use your Surfshark account with an unlimited number of simultaneous connections.
CyberGhost
Another rugby VPN that I can happily recommend is CyberGhost. This Romania-based provider is one of the market leaders in terms of coverage, with over 9600 servers spread across 91 countries. Of course, the United States, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada are all within CyberGhost’s service region.
Another benefit of CyberGhost is the optimized streaming servers, which can be found in the app’s “For Streaming” category. There are optimized servers for ITV, RTE, 9Now, and Peacock TV. The server performance of CyberGhost is also excellent.
CyberGhost UK servers: 181.25 Mbps; CyberGhost US servers: 123.33 Mbps; CyberGhost Australia servers: 157.81 Mbps.

Finally, CyberGhost is an affordable service. A single CyberGhost account can support up to 7 simultaneous connections and costs $2.11 per month. In addition, CyberGhost promises a 45-day money-back guarantee.
ExpressVPN
If you need a dependable VPN service with worldwide coverage, ExpressVPN, based in the British Virgin Islands, is one of the two biggest players in the VPN market. The company has over thirteen years of experience in the industry and operates thousands of servers in 94 countries. ExpressVPN has servers in every country where you might want to connect to watch the Rugby World Cup 2023.
ExpressVPN will not lag behind Surfshark or CyberGhost in terms of performance, as demonstrated by my test results below. Furthermore, these servers are fully compatible with the streaming platforms mentioned throughout the article.
ExpressVPN UK servers: 174.91 Mbps; ExpressVPN US servers: 155.75 Mbps; ExpressVPN Australia servers: 92.47 Mbps.

The sole reason ExpressVPN is at the bottom of my list is due to the company’s pricing policy. With a monthly subscription fee of $6.67, ExpressVPN is the most expensive VPN service on our list. A single ExpressVPN account allows for up to five simultaneous connections, and the company offers a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Surfshark | CyberGhost | ExpressVPN | |
---|---|---|---|
ITVX | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
RTE, Virgin Media | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
9Now | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Peacock | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Sky Sport Now | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
TF1 | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
DStv | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
TSN Plus | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Average speed | 150+ Mbps | 140+ Mbps | 120+ Mbps |
Official website | surfshark.com | cyberghost.com | expressvpn.com |
Summing up the article
With the Rugby World Cup 2023 rapidly approaching, I wanted to inform you about the tournament’s live-streaming arrangements. To address various needs, I divided the subject into three major sections.
First, I demonstrated how to use a VPN to watch the tournament for free on channels such as ITVX, RTE, and 9Now. I have listed the official broadcasters of the tournament in each country, as well as the VPN services you can use to access these channels, for those who want to watch the tournament on their country’s local channels while abroad.
Finally, I presented you with the top three rugby VPNs. You can easily bypass geo-restrictions and enjoy the Rugby World Cup 2023 to the fullest by using Surfshark, CyberGhost, or ExpressVPN.

I’ve been a translator for many years. During this time, geo-restriction has always been the most problematic issue in the many countries I’ve visited. I’m here to tell you about my experience.