Irish giants Leinster will be bidding for a record fifth title when they face La Rochelle in the 2022 European Champions Cup final today. It's a predictably hot spring afternoon in Marseille with the temperature up to 27 degrees celsius. No doubt the players will be hoping it's cooled down considerably by the 4.45pm BST kick-off time. UK fans can get a free Leinster vs La Rochelle live stream on Channel 4. Away from home? Make sure you know how to watch a European Champions Cup final free live stream from anywhere.
Date: Sat 28th May 2022
Kick off: 4.45pm BST / 11.45am ET / 1.45am AEST
Venue: Stade Vélodrome, Marseille
Free streams: Channel 4 / France 2
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN risk-free today
US stream: Peacock ($4.99 a month)
AUS stream: Kayo Sports (14-day free trial)
The team news is in and Leinster are lining up just as they did for their semi-final win against Toulouse. Ireland internationals Tadhg Furlong and James Lowe both passed fitness tests to take part, having picked up knocks in the previous round a couple of weeks ago. Meanwhile, 20-year-old hot-stepper Jordan Larmour, man-of-the-match during Leinster's recent URC win over Munster, has recovered from his hip injury and is expected to make a big impact.
Leinster are on the hunt for their first Champions Cup triumph since 2018, when they beat Racing 92 to secure what was then a record-equalling fourth title. Having lost their fifth European final, against Saracens, in 2019, the Lions will be keen to make amends. They start the match as 1-5 favourites with the bookies.
Opponents La Rochelle are looking to go one better than last season when they lost 22-17 to Toulouse in their first ever European Champions Cup final. With 60,000 fans crowded into Marseille's Stade Velodrome, the French underdogs could be in the mood to slay the ghosts of the past.
Can La Rochelle unseat Leinster and take home the biggest prize in rugby today? Make sure you know to watch a Leinster vs La Rochelle free live stream online and on TV from wherever you are.
Leinster vs La Rochelle free live stream
There are plenty of ways to watch the 2022 European Champions Cup final free online.
UK fans can watch and stream free on Channel 4 from 4.15pm (kick off 4.45pm)
France 2 will also be serving up a free live stream, while Aussies can watch the action with a Kayo Sport 14-day free trial.
Remember: If you're away from home, you'll need to use a VPN to watch your local stream from abroad. We recommend ExpressVPN as it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Watch the European Champions Cup final from abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Heineken Champions Cup final rights holders, you won't be able to access them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. VPNs are a doddle to use and create a private connection between your device and the internet. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
How to use a VPN for the European Champions Cup final free live stream
Using a VPN to watch the Champions Cup final free on Channel 4 from abroad is incredibly simple:
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the Champions Cup rugby, you may wish to choose 'UK' for Channel 4.
3. Then head over to Channel 4 on your browser or device and enjoy the free European Champions Cup final live stream.
UK: Leinster vs La Rochelle live stream
BT Sport has the rights to show 2021/22 Heineken Champions Cup in the UK, including Saturday's Leinster vs La Rochelle finale.
Existing BT customers can upgrade to the sport channels for as little as £15 per month. Non-BT customers can get a BT Sport Monthly Pass for £25 a month and enjoy all four BT Sports channels contract-free.
Channel 4 will also show the final free. Remember to use a VPN when travelling away from the UK.
Sky TV users can also add BT Sport to their existing package from £30 a month, but that will not include any 4K viewing. It's also worth looking out for bundled Sky Sports and BT Sport deals.
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USA: European Champions Cup final live stream
NBC Sports has the exclusive rights to air the Heineken Champions Cup final between Leinster and La Rochelle in the USA.
The network will stream all the action live on Peacock TV and subscription costs just $4.99 a month (with commercials) or $9.99 a month (commercial-free). Cancel anytime.
Outside the US this week? Simply use a use a VPN to access all your favourite local streaming services from wherever you are in the world.
Peacock TV gets you full coverage of the Heineken Champions Cup, plus selected Premier League soccer games, Champions League games, Premiership Rugby, blockbuster movies and TV boxsets such as The Office. It's one heck of a deal.
Australia: Leinster vs La Rochelle live stream
Foxtel's streaming-only platform, Kayo Sports, is the best way to get a Heineken Champions Cup final live stream in Oz. The respected streaming service offers over 50 sports live and on-demand, including Heineken Cup and Six Nations rugby.
The Basic package costs $25 a month while Premium, which works across multiple screens, costs $35 a month. Both come with a a free 14-day trial. There's no lock-in contract, so you can cancel at any time.
European Champions Cup final match facts
The first ever Champions Cup winners were French side Toulouse, who defeated Cardiff 21-18 in a tightly contested final at Arms Park, Wales, in front of 21,800 spectators.
Toulouse have won the Champions Cup a record five times and reached the final a record seven times. Leinster have won four, while Saracens and Toulon have won three each.
The tournament was called the Heineken Cup between 1995 and 2014, before its name was changed to the European Rugby Champions Cup. Dutch beer giant Heineken returned as the main sponsor for 2018/19, signing a four year deal to rename the event the Heineken Champions Cup.
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