With reigning champions France recalibrating on the fly and Ireland no longer the force they once were, there's a sense that the Six Nations stars have aligned for England. Out of the blue, following years of mediocrity, even decline, Steve Borthwick's men are on an 11-game winning run. With France and Ireland set to meet in the opener, one of the two heavyweights will be on the back foot from the off.
Follow our guide below for where to watch Six Nations 2026 live streams from anywhere with a VPN.
How to watch Six Nations 2026 online and free
UK: BBC iPlayer / ITVX (FREE)
Ireland: Virgin Media Play / RTÉ Player (FREE)
US: Peacock
Australia: Stan Sport
Blocked? Watch your preferred Six Nations stream with a VPN
Andy Farrell has returned to the Ireland fold after his stint in charge of the Lions, only to oversee a demoralising autumn campaign that saw them fall behind England in the World Rugby rankings. They had two fixtures of note, both in Dublin, and were barely competitive in either of them, losing 13-24 to South Africa and 13-26 to New Zealand. It felt like a pretty accurate reflection of where they are right now.
France hammered Ireland 27-42 to win the title last year despite losing Antoine Dupont to an ACL injury during the game – there could be some bad blood there – but Fabien Galthie has opted to rebuild while they're still on top. To widespread disbelief, Les Bleus stalwarts Damian Penaud, Gael Fickou and Gregory Alldritt haven't made the squad. Louis Bielle-Biarrey topped the try-scoring charts by a landlside a year ago, but he's only 22 and for all the obvious greatness of Dupont, he's only just returned from a lengthy layoff.
After crumbling under modest hopes at each of the past two editions of the tournament, Scotland lowered expectations with an awful autumn series. They snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against both New Zealand and Argentina, and after years of underachievement it's fair to say that Gregor Townsend is on borrowed time. Italy, on the other hand, are on the up and up under Gonzalo Quesada, and the less said about Wales the better. But at least they have Louis Rees-Zammit back.
Is there a way to catch all 15 games? Can you watch any of the games for free? Is there 4K Six nations coverage? And what should you do if you're on holiday during the tournament? Read on as we explain how to watch Six Nations 2026 online and on TV.
Where can I watch Six Nations 2026 free of charge?
Lucky rugby fans in the UK and Ireland can look forward to comprehensive coverage of all 15 Six Nations games.
They're split between free-to-air BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, and Virgin Media Play and RTÉ Player in Ireland.
Watch a Six Nations 2026 live stream from anywhere
Most Six Nations live streams are location-sensitive. So, you won't be able to access your usual stream travelling away from home. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) is a small but powerful app that lets you select your preferred location and quickly unblock and watch your usual Six Nations 2026 live stream safely and securely from almost any location.
NordVPN is our pick of the best VPN services. It's affordable, fast, stable and easy to use. Try it risk-free for 30 days and see for yourself.
How to use a VPN for any Six Nations live stream
1. Sign up to the VPN of your choice. NordVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the Six Nations, you may wish to choose UK for BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
3. Head over to BBC iPlayer or ITVX on your browser or device and enjoy the free Six Nations live stream.
Can I watch Six Nations 2026 in 4K Ultra HD?
Stan Sport, the Six Nations broadcaster in Australia, supports 4K for an additional $10 a month. However, its 4K coverage doesn't appear to extend to the Six Nations.
Similarly, Sky Sport Now shows select events in 4K in New Zealand, but has made no mention of 4K Six Nations coverage at the time of writing.
Watch Six Nations 2026 live in US
Rugby fans in the US can watch every game of the 2026 Six Nations on Peacock.
Prices start at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year, but you can pay $16.99 per month or $169.99 per year to download select TV shows and films, and unlock live streaming access to your local NBC channel.
To access your usual streaming service from outside the US, you'll need to download a good VPN, as detailed above.
Watch Six Nations 2026 live in UK
In the UK, every game of the 2026 Six Nations is free-to-air, on either the BBC or ITV, with live streaming available via BBC iPlayer and ITVX.
S4C is providing Welsh-language coverage of each Wales game. The feed can be found on BBC iPlayer.
Outside the UK? Get NordVPN to access your usual Six Nations streams.
Select games are also being shown on Premier Sports, which costs £11.99 per month if you commit to a year, or £120 per year if you pay upfront.
Watch Six Nations 2026 live in Australia
Rugby fans in Australia can watch every Six Nations game on Stan Sport.
To tune in you'll need both a standard Stan package (from $12 a month) and the Stan Sport add-on (a further $20).
Although Stan Sport Premium supports 4K for an additional $10 a month, this doesn't apply to Six Nations coverage.
Australian viewers travelling abroad can access their Six Nations streams using NordVPN.
Six Nations 2026 fixtures and dates
(All times GMT)
Round 1
Thursday, 5th February
8pm – France vs Ireland | FREE ON ITVX
Saturday, 7th February
2.10pm – Italy vs Scotland | FREE ON BBC iPlayer
4.40pm – England vs Wales | FREE ON ITVX
Round 2
Saturday, 14th February
2.10pm – Ireland vs Italy | FREE ON ITVX
4.40pm – Scotland vs England | FREE ON ITVX
Sunday, 15th February
3.10pm – Wales vs France | FREE ON BBC iPlayer
Round 3
Saturday, 21st February
2.10pm – England vs Ireland | FREE ON ITVX
4.40pm – Wales vs Scotland | FREE ON BBC iPlayer
Sunday, 22nd February
3.10pm – France vs Italy | FREE ON ITVX
Round 4
Friday, 6th March
8.10pm – Ireland vs Wales | FREE ON ITVX
Saturday, 7th March
2.10pm – Scotland vs France | FREE ON BBC iPlayer
4.40pm – Italy vs England | FREE ON ITVX
Round 5
Saturday, 14th March
2.10pm – Ireland vs Scotland | FREE ON ITVX
4.40pm – Wales vs Italy | FREE ON BBC iPlayer
8.40pm – France vs England | FREE ON ITVX
Six Nations 2026 squads
England squad:
Forwards: Ollie Chessum (Leicester Tigers), Arthur Clark (Gloucester Rugby), Alex Coles (Northampton Saints), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Sale Sharks), Chandler Cunningham-South (Harlequins), Tom Curry (Sale Sharks), Theo Dan (Saracens), Trevor Davison (Northampton Saints), Ben Earl (Saracens), Greg Fisilau (Exeter Chiefs), Ellis Genge (Bristol Bears), Jamie George (Saracens), Joe Heyes (Leicester Tigers), c Maro Itoje (Saracens), Emmanuel Iyogun (Northampton Saints), Guy Pepper (Bath), Henry Pollock (Northampton Saints), Bevan Rodd (Sale Sharks), Vilikesa Sela (Bath), Sam Underhill (Bath)
Backs: Henry Arundell (Bath), Seb Atkinson (Gloucester Rugby), Elliot Daly (Saracens), Fraser Dingwall (Northampton Saints), Immanuel Feyi-Waboso (Exeter Chiefs), George Ford (Sale Sharks), Tommy Freeman (Northampton Saints), George Furbank (Northampton Saints), Alex Mitchell (Northampton Saints), Cadan Murley (Harlequins), Max Ojomoh (Bath), Henry Slade (Exeter Chiefs), Marcus Smith (Harlequins), Ben Spencer (Bath), Freddie Steward (Leicester Tigers), Jack van Poortvliet (Leicester Tigers)
France squad:
Forwards: Dorian Aldegheri (Stade Toulousain), Uini Atonio (Stade Rochelais), Hugo Auradou (Section Paloise), Cyril Baille (Stade Toulousain), Paul Boudehent (Stade Rochelais), François Cros (Stade Toulousain), Alexandre Fischer (Aviron Bayonnais), Joshua Brennan (Stade Toulousain), Jean-Baptiste Gros (RC Toulon), Mickaël Guillard (Lyon OU), Oscar Jegou (Stade Rochelais), Anthony Jelonch (Stade Toulousain), Maxime Lamothe (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Julien Marchand (Stade Toulousain), Temo Matiu (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Peato Mauvaka (Stade Toulousain), Emmanuel Meafou (Stade Toulousain), Régis Montagne (ASM Clermont), Rodrigue Neti (Stade Toulousain), Lenni Nouchi (Montpellier HR), Charles Ollivon (RC Toulon), Dany Priso (RC Toulon), Thomas Staniforth (Castres Olympique), Tevita Tatafu (Aviron Bayonnais), Cameron Woki (Union Bordeaux Bègles)
Backs): Grégoire Arfeuil (Section Paloise), Théo Attissogbe (Section Paloise), Louis Bielle-Biarrey (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Fabien Brau-Boirie (Section Paloise), Romain Buros (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Thibault Daubagna (Section Paloise), Nicolas Depoortere (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Gaël Dréan (RC Toulon), c Antoine Dupont (Stade Toulousain), Kalvin Gourgues (Stade Toulousain), Aaron Grandidier Nkanang (Section Paloise), Matthieu Jalibert (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Yoram Moefana (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Noah Nene (Stade Français), Thomas Ramos (Stade Toulousain), Baptiste Serin (RC Toulon), Ugo Seunes (Racing 92)
Ireland squad:
Forwards: Tom Ahern (Munster), Finlay Bealham (Connacht), Tadhg Beirne (Munster), Jack Boyle (Leinster), Thomas Clarkson (Leinster), Jack Conan (Leinster), c Caelan Doris (Leinster), Edwin Edogbo (Munster), Tadhg Furlong (Leinster), Ronan Kelleher (Leinster), Jeremy Loughman (Munster), Joe McCarthy (Leinster), Michael Milne (Munster), Tom O'Toole (Ulster), Cian Prendergast (Connacht), James Ryan (Leinster), Dan Sheehan (Leinster), Tom Stewart (Ulster), Nick Timoney (Ulster), Josh van der Flier (Leinster)
Backs: Bundee Aki (Connacht), Robert Baloucoune (Ulster), Harry Byrne (Leinster), Craig Casey (Munster), Jack Crowley (Munster), Nathan Doak (Ulster), Tom Farrell (Munster), Ciaran Frawley (Leinster), Jamison Gibson-Park (Leinster), Hugo Keenan (Leinster), James Lowe (Leinster), Stuart McCloskey (Ulster), Tommy O'Brien (Leinster), Jamie Osborne (Leinster), Sam Prendergast (Leinster), Garry Ringrose (Leinster), Jacob Stockdale (Ulster)
Italy squad:
Forwards: Simone Ferrari (Benetton Rugby), Danilo Fischetti (Northampton Saints), Muhamed Hasa (Zebre Parma), Marco Riccioni (Saracens), Mirco Spagnolo (Benetton Rugby), Tommaso Di Bartolomeo (Zebre Parma), Pablo Dimcheff (Colomiers Rugby), Giacomo Nicotera (Stade Français), Niccolò Cannone (Benetton Rugby), Riccardo Favretto (Benetton Rugby), Federico Ruzza (Benetton Rugby), Andrea Zambonin (Exeter Chiefs), Lorenzo Cannone (Benetton Rugby), Alessandro Izekor (Benetton Rugby), c Michele Lamaro (Benetton Rugby), Samuele Locatelli (Zebre Parma), David Odiase (Zebre Parma), Manuel Zuliani (Benetton Rugby)
Backs: Alessandro Fusco (Zebre Parma), Martin Page-Relo (Lyon), Stephen Varney (Exeter Chiefs), Giacomo Da Re (Zebre Parma), Paolo Garbisi (Toulon), Juan Ignacio Brex (Benetton Rugby), Leonardo Marin (Benetton Rugby), Damiano Mazza (Zebre Parma), Tommaso Menoncello (Benetton Rugby), Paolo Odogwu (Benetton Rugby), Matt Gallagher (Benetton Rugby), Monty Ioane (Lyon), Louis Lynagh (Benetton Rugby), Lorenzo Pani (Zebre Parma), Edoardo Todaro (Northampton Saints)
Scotland squad:
Forwards: Ewan Ashman (Edinburgh Rugby), Josh Bayliss (Bath Rugby), Magnus Bradbury (Edinburgh Rugby), Gregor Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Dave Cherry (Vannes), Alex Craig (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Darge (Glasgow Warriors), Jack Dempsey (Glasgow Warriors), Freddy Douglas (Edinburgh Rugby), Matt Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh Rugby), Jonny Gray (Union Bordeaux Bègles), Nathan McBeth (Glasgow Warriors), Liam McConnell (Edinburgh Rugby), Elliot Millar Mills (Northampton Saints), D’arcy Rae (Edinburgh Rugby), Jamie Ritchie (Perpignan), Pierre Schoeman (Edinburgh Rugby), Rory Sutherland (Glasgow Warriors), George Turner (Harlequins), Max Williamson (Glasgow Warriors)
Backs: Fergus Burke (Saracens), Matt Currie (Edinburgh Rugby), Jamie Dobie (Glasgow Warriors), Darcy Graham (Edinburgh Rugby), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Rory Hutchinson (Northampton Saints), Huw Jones (Glasgow Warriors), Tom Jordan (Bristol Bears), Blair Kinghorn (Toulouse), Stafford McDowall (Glasgow Warriors), Kyle Rowe (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Bath Rugby), Ollie Smith (Glasgow Warriors), Kyle Steyn (Glasgow Warriors), c Sione Tuipulotu (Glasgow Warriors), Duhan van der Merwe (Edinburgh Rugby), Ben White (Toulon)
Wales squad:
Forwards: Keiron Assiratti (Cardiff Rugby), Adam Beard (Montpellier), Liam Belcher (Cardiff Rugby), James Botham (Cardiff Rugby), Rhys Carre (Saracens), Ben Carter (Dragons), Olly Cracknell (Leicester Tigers), Harri Deaves (Ospreys), Ryan Elias (Scarlets), Tomas Francis (Provence Rugby), Archie Griffin (Bath Rugby), Dafydd Jenkins (Exeter Chiefs), c Dewi Lake (Ospreys), Alex Mann (Cardiff Rugby), Josh Macleod (Scarlets), Taine Plumtree (Scarlets), Nicky Smith (Leicester Tigers), Gareth Thomas (Ospreys), Freddie Thomas (Gloucester Rugby), Aaron Wainwright (Dragons)
Backs: Josh Adams (Cardiff Rugby), Sam Costelow (Scarlets), Dan Edwards (Ospreys), Jarrod Evans (Harlequins), Mason Grady (Cardiff Rugby), Kieran Hardy (Ospreys), Gabriel Hamer-Webb (Leicester Tigers), Joe Hawkins (Scarlets), Louie Hennessey (Bath Rugby), Eddie James (Scarlets), Ellis Mee (Scarlets), Reuben Morgan-Williams (Ospreys), Blair Murray (Scarlets), Louis Rees-Zammit (Bristol Bears), Tom Rogers (Scarlets), Ben Thomas (Cardiff Rugby), Owen Watkin (Ospreys), Tomos Williams (Gloucester Rugby)
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