How to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship online from anywhere

Rugby Championship Sanzar
Rugby Championship Sanzar (Image credit: SANZAAR)

After being switched to a Tri Nations format last year due to the pandemic, the Rugby Championship is back for its eighteenth edition and we have all the details on how you can watch the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Pumas in this year's international rugby union competition on TV or online.

After being switched to a Tri Nations format last year due to the pandemic, the Rugby Championship is back for its eighteenth edition and we have all the details on how you can watch the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Pumas in this year's international rugby union competition on TV or online.

From 1996 until 2011, a Tri Nations format was used in which only Australia's Wallabies , New Zealand's All Blacks and South Africa's Springboks participated. However, from 2012 on, the Rugby Championship added Argentina's Pumas to the mix. Last year though, the Rugby Championship switched back to a Tri Nations format as South Africa did not wish to participate due to Covid-19.

The 2021 Rugby Championship will see the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Wallabies and the Pumas play a total of 12 games in cities across Australia, New Zealand and South Africa beginning on Saturday, August 14 and the competition will run all the way to Saturday, October 2.

During the last Rugby Championship held in 2019, each team only played each other once though Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and Argentina all hosted one game. South Africa's Springboks emerged victorious after winning two out of the three games the team played. While the Springboks won the last Rugby Championship, the All Blacks were the winners of last year's Tri Nations series.

Whether you're rooting for the Springboks, the All Blacks, the Wallabies, the Pumas or just want to catch all the action at this year's competition, we'll show you how to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship from anywhere in the world.

2021 Rugby Championship - When and where?

The 2021 Rugby Championship will begin on Saturday, August 14 and will run until Saturday, October 2. Argentina, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa will all be participating and matches will be held at venues across South Africa, Australia and New Zealand with no home games played in Argentina. In total, the 2021 Rugby Championship will feature 12 matches and the majority of the games will be played on Saturdays.

How to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship in the U.S.

Rugby fans in the U.S. will be able to watch all the action at the 2021 Rugby Championship on the dedicated rugby streaming service FloRugby which has the exclusive broadcast rights to show the international rugby union competition. A subscription to FloRugby costs either $29.99 per month or $150 for the year. In addition to rugby though, the streaming service also shows coverage of cycling, motorsport and football events.

Watch the 2021 Rugby Championship in the UK

If you want to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship in the UK, then you'll need a Sky Sports subscription to do so. The network will show rugby on both its Sky Sports Action and Sky Sports Arena channels.

Don't want to sign up for a lengthy Sky Sports contract just to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship, don't worry as you can watch all of the matches on NOW TV with a Sky Sports Day Pass for £9.98 if there are individual games you want to watch or with a Sky Sports Two Month Pass for £25.99 which will allow you to watch the entire competition. NOW TV will also let you watch rugby online on your computer, smartphone, smart TV or other streaming devices.

Live stream the 2021 Rugby Championship in Canada

Canadian rugby fans will be able to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship on TSN. From the schedule, it looks like you'll either need to download the TSN app or head to TSN's website to watch all of the matches as it appears the network won't be showing the games on TV.

If you're not a TSN subscriber yet, you can get access to the network's content for as little as $4.99 for a TSN Direct Day Pass or $19.99 for a monthly streaming subscription if there are other sports or events you want to watch.

Get a 2021 Rugby Championship live stream in Australia for free

Australians will be able to watch the 2021 Rugby Championship in its entirety for free on Channel 9. However, you can also stream all of the games online on the network's streaming service 9Now.

Alternatively, you'll also be able to watch all of the matches in the 2021 Rugby Championship on Stan Sport. A subscription to Stan Sport costs an additional AUD$ 10 per month on top of a subscription to Stan which costs AUD$ 10 each month.

Watch the 2021 Rugby Championship from anywhere

We have all the details on how you can watch the 2021 Rugby Championship in the U.S., Canada, the UK and Australia further up in this guide. However, if you want to catch all the action when you're away from home, then you'll run into problems as your domestic coverage online from abroad will likely be geo-blocked.

That's where a VPN (Virtual Private Network) can really come in handy. They allow you to virtually change the IP address of your laptop, tablet or mobile to one that's back in your home country which will let you watch as if you were back there.

VPNs are incredibly easy to use and have the added benefit of providing you with an additional layer of security when surfing the web. There are also a lot of options but we recommend ExpressVPN as our top pick due to its speed, security and ease of use. The service can even be used on a wide array of operating systems and devices (e.g. iOS, Android, Smart TVs, Fire TV Stick, Roku, game consoles, etc). Sign up for ExpressVPN now and enjoy a 49% discount and 3 months FREE with an annual subscription. You can even test it out for yourself thanks to the service's 30-day money back guarantee. Looking for more options?

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2021 Rugby Championship Full Schedule

Saturday, August 14

  • New Zealand vs Australia (3am ET / 12am PT)
  • South Africa vs Argentina (9:05am ET / 6:05am PT)

Saturday, August 21

  • Argentina vs South Africa (9:05am ET / 6:05am PT)

Saturday, August 28

  • Argentina vs South Africa (4am ET / 1am PT)

Saturday, September 11

  • New Zealand vs Argentina (1:05am ET / 10:05pm PT)

Sunday, September 12

  • South Africa vs Australia (11pm ET / 8:05pm PT)

Saturday, September 25

  • New Zealand vs South Africa (1:05am ET / 10:05pm PT)
  • Australia vs Argentina (3:45am ET / 12:45am PT)

Saturday, October 2

  • South Africa vs New Zealand (12:05am ET / 9:05pm PT)
  • Argentina vs Australia (4am ET / 1am PT)
Anthony Spadafora