The Best 2023 Rugby World Cup Live Stream Sites: How to Watch for Free

Having tested free streaming platforms from around the world, we’ve found five services that stream the Rugby World Cup for free, legally, and in HD quality.

Each platform shows all — or many of — the 2023 Rugby World Cup games. However, you will need a VPN to access them if you’re outside of their respective country.

You can find a comparison of each streaming service’s features in the table below:

Streaming Service	Commentary Language	IP Address Location	Number of Games Shown	Stream Quality	Account Required
ITVX	English	UK	Every Match (48)	720p	Yes
RTÈ Player	English	Ireland	*Unknown	1080p	No
RaiPlay	Italian	Italy	Every Match (48)	720p	No
6play	French	France	18	720p	Yes
9Now	English	Australia	7	720p	Yes

*See our RTÈ Player analysis below for more information on the number of games available on the platform.

In the list below, you’ll find a more detailed analysis of the global broadcasters that are showing the 2023 Rugby World Cup for free:

1. ITVX

The best site to stream the 2023 Rugby World Cup for free with English commentary.

Pros	Cons
100% free	Only streams in 720p with no 4K options
Broadcasts all 48 Rugby World Cup games	Games are interrupted by ad breaks
Offers full English commentary and punditry	Requires an ITV account with a UK postcode
Has an app for nearly every device, including Firestick
Compatible with a wide range of VPN services and apps

ITV is the UK’s official free-to-air broadcaster for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, which means it has exclusive rights to show every game of the tournament.

The streaming platform, ITVX, will be streaming all 48 matches in HD, along with English commentary and extras such as studio analysis by former rugby stars and pundits. Most other options in this list only offer commentary in Italian or French.

Between matches, you’ll also have access to a wide range of English-language content, including some of the most popular TV shows in the UK. However, you will have to accept regular advertising breaks, and a limited streaming quality of 720p.

To watch the rugby world cup matches for free, you’ll need to sign up for a free ITVX account. The service is geo-blocked though, so if you’re in the US or outside of the UK, you’ll have to get a UK IP address using a VPN.

Signing up requires a UK postcode, but the platform doesn’t verify this, so you can enter any UK postcode.

2. RTÈ Player

A good English-language alternative to ITVX, though it doesn’t broadcast every game.

Pros	Cons
100% free	Does not broadcast every match
1080p streaming quality	No app for Amazon Fire TV Stick
English-language commentary
No account required

The Irish national broadcaster, Raidió Teilifís Éireann, is also broadcasting the Rugby World Cup tournament for free on its streaming service, RTÉ Player.

Unlike ITVX, you don’t need an account to access this platform; just connect to a VPN server in Ireland and you’ll be able to stream the matches for free.

RTÉ Player also offers 1080p streaming quality, which is excellent for watching the Rugby World Cup in HD quality.

However, the number of matches that will be streamed on RTÉ Player is currently unclear. The total number of matches is split between RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Player, but details on the exact split are yet to be announced.

There isn’t an Amazon Firestick app for RTÉ Player either, so you’ll have to choose one of the other streaming services on this list if you want to watch the matches on your Firestick.

3. RaiPlay

Streams all 48 games for free, but only with Italian commentary.

Pros	Cons
100% free	Only streams in 720p
Broadcasts all 48 matches of the 2023 Rugby World Cup	Commentary only in Italian
Compatible with a wide range of devices, including Amazon Firestick
Does not require an account

RaiPlay is an Italian streaming service owned by RAI (Radiotelevisione Italiana). It is available on a wide range of devices in addition to desktop devices, from iPhones and Android phones to smart TVs and Amazon Firestick.

Unlike ITVX, you don’t need an account to access this platform; simply connect to a VPN server located in Italy and you’ll be able to stream all 48 world cup matches for free.

One of the few downsides to RaiPlay is that it isn’t compatible with a wide range of VPNs; only a select few have servers located in Italy. Once you’ve connected, you won’t have the option for English commentary, either.

CyberGhost, ExpressVPN, IPVanish, NordVPN, and PrivateVPN are the only VPN services that worked to unblock RaiPlay in our testing.

4. 6play

Broadcasts 18 of the 48 matches for free with French commentary.

Pros	Cons
100% free	Only broadcasts 18 of the 48 Rugby World Cup matches
Easily unblocked by a range of VPN services	Limited to 720p video quality
Apps for desktop, mobile, and Firestick devices	Commentary only available in French
No account required

While ITVX and RaiPlay are showing all 48 matches of the Rugby World Cup, 6play will only stream 18 of them. The stream quality is also capped at 720p, though it should still provide a good HD viewing experience.

The French streaming platform is owned by M6 Group and is available for free on iPhone and Android phones, tablets, Apple TV, and Firestick.

While it isn’t compatible with as many VPNs as ITVX, 6play will still work with a wide variety of VPN providers, so finding one that works shouldn’t be a problem. It also does not require you to sign up for an account.

If you’re a French speaker, 6play is the best option, as all commentary will be in French. For non-French speakers, however, it’s sensible to choose a different streaming platform with English commentary.

That said, if you can’t connect to any of the other services, you can always mute the commentary and enjoy watching the matches on 6play.

5. 9Now

An Australian streaming website that’s showing seven Rugby World Cup matches with English commentary.

Pros	Cons
100% free	Only showing the 7 games featuring the Australian team
Full English commentary and punditry	Long pre-roll ads before each game
	Only streams in 720p quality
	Requires an Australian ZIP code

The last recommendation on our list is Australia’s 9Now, a streaming service owned by Nine Network. 9Now will broadcast the seven matches featuring the Australian team in 720p quality with full English commentary and punditry.

If you want to watch games involving the Wallabies, this is a good option if you don’t mind dealing with pre-roll ads before each game.

It’s also a good choice if you’re interested in watching other sports events, too — you can also use it to stream the US Tennis Open for free, amongst other things.

However, if you’re watching from outside of Australia, you’ll need to connect to an Australian VPN server to get access to the games for free.

9Now also has a streaming app that is compatible with a wide range of devices, so you have plenty of streaming options.

All of the streaming sites recommended in our list are well-known, legitimate streaming platforms with the legal rights to broadcast the Rugby World Cup.

However, there are dozens of less legitimate websites out there that are not officially licensed to show the games.

These streaming services often infringe on copyright laws and come with a long list of risks, including malware, adware, and spyware.

Below are some of the more common websites that claim to stream free rugby content while being unlicensed and potentially dangerous:

• BossCast
• Sport Lemon
• FSL (Free Streaming Live)
• BuffStreams
• CricFree
• Stream2Watch
• USTVGO
• CrackStreams
• SportSurge

To keep your device safe, and to ensure legal compliance, we strongly recommend avoiding these websites and using one of the legitimate streaming services we’ve suggested above, instead.

Not only are they much safer, you’ll get far better video quality on your streams, too.

The only way to legally watch the 2023 Rugby World Cup for free from anywhere is to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service.

Legitimate websites that broadcast the tournament for free are only available with an IP address from the UK (ITVX), Ireland (RTE), Italy (RAI), France (6play), and Australia (9 Gem).

Unless you live in one of those countries, you’ll need a VPN to temporarily assign you an IP address in one of those regions.

For example, if you live in the USA, you can connect to a UK VPN server to watch all 48 rugby world cup games for free on ITVX.

Subscribing to a premium VPN service with servers in these countries does cost money, though.

Fortunately, most top VPN providers offer a 30-day refund guarantee, or even a 100% free trial. By canceling your subscription within the VPN’s refund period, you can get your money back and watch the entire Rugby World Cup completely for free.

In the sections below, we’ll provide more detailed step-by-step instructions explaining exactly how to do this across various devices.

Desktop (Windows & Mac)

Watching the 2023 Rugby World Cup for free on your computer is easy. Simply subscribe to a VPN service, connect to a VPN server in the correct region, and then open the streaming website you’ve chosen.

Mobile (iPhone and Android)

Watching the Rugby World Cup on your mobile device is a little more complicated. You’ll need an Apple or Google account registered in the same country as the streaming service you’d like to use.

Amazon Fire TV

Fire TV is a popular method for streaming live sports on a big screen. Fortunately, there are several VPN providers that offer easy-to-use native applications that are specifically designed for the device.

If you’re using a VPN to stream the Rugby World Cup, you’ll need to choose a VPN with fast speeds, wide device compatibility, and servers in the countries where the streaming services are available.

We’ve tested over 55 VPN services to recommend the very best services for users all around the world. Based on our latest findings, these are the best VPNs for watching the 2023 rugby world cup for free:

You can compare our VPN recommendations in the table below:

	ExpressVPN	CyberGhost
No. of rugby world cup streaming	5	4
Type of Free Access	30-day full refund	1-day and 7-day free trials, 45-day refund guarantee
Data Cap	No	No
International Speed (out of 100Mbps)	85Mbps	81Mbps
Device compatibility	Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android apps, plus a Smart DNS feature.	Windows, macOS, and Android apps with a pro subscription. Smart DNS features cost extra.

1. ExpressVPN: Best VPN for the Rugby World Cup Overall

The best VPN for streaming the Rugby World Cup for free. It’s fast, easy to use, and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee.

Pros	Cons
Works to unblock every free rugby world cup streaming website	Can be expensive if you use it beyond the refund period
IP addresses in 94 countries
Fast international speeds capable of streaming HD-quality video
Has apps for all major platforms, including iOS, Android, and FireTV Stick
Offers a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee
24/7 live chat support if you run into any problems

ExpressVPN is the gold standard for streaming major international sports events, including the 2023 Rugby World Cup. In our testing from the US, it worked to unblock every single free streaming service you’d need to watch the tournament.

It’s fast, super easy to use, and with its 30-day money-back guarantee, you can watch every single match without spending a penny.

Fast Connection Speeds For HD Streaming

Performance is a critical factor when streaming live sports. You’ll need a VPN with fast connection speeds to ensure you can watch the Rugby World Cup without any buffering or lag.

The general standard for HD video streaming is 5Mbps, and ExpressVPN easily surpasses this threshold. In fact, it’s consistently been one of the fastest VPNs on the market in our testing.

Using our 100Mbps internet connection in New York, we recorded download speeds of 93Mbps connecting to the UK and 83Mbps connecting to Australia.

Unlike most free VPNs, ExpressVPN doesn’t impose any kind of data cap either, which means you can use it for the entire 30 day trial period without any restrictions.

Extensive compatibility and device support

In addition to its excellent speeds, ExpressVPN is compatible with a huge range of devices and platforms.

The VPN has native apps for Windows, iOS, Mac, Android, Linux, routers, and even FireTV sticks. That means you can watch the tournament for free on almost any device you want to use.

If you do run into any issues, ExpressVPN’s excellent customer support team is available 24/7 to help you out. They have a live chat service and an extensive knowledge base, so you can easily find answers to any questions you may have.

ExpressVPN is the only VPN on this list that’s compatible with every single Rugby World Cup streaming service.

It’s also our top-rated VPN for NBA League Pass and the best VPN for DAZN, so if you want a hassle-free way to watch the Rugby World Cup and other sporting events, ExpressVPN is your best bet.

2. CyberGhost: Best 100% Free Trial for the Rugby World Cup

Offers a 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day free trial on different devices, as well as a 45-day money-back guarantee.

Pros	Cons
Works with every Rugby World Cup streaming website except 6play	French VPN server is unable to unblock 6play
1-day free trial on desktop devices, with no payment details required	Inconsistent speeds that can lead to buffering or lag
3-day free trial on Android, 7-day free trial on iOS
45-day money-back guarantee on all devices
9,769 servers in 90 countries
Apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, and Firestick.

You can get Cyberghost 100% for free using a range of free trial offers, which means you can watch 2023 Rugby World Cup games completely for free without entering any payment details.

This makes CyberGhost an excellent choice for anyone who wants to try using a VPN before paying for a subscription. If you decide to use it to watch the whole tournament, you can take advantage of its 45-day money-back guarantee and claim a refund afterwards.

Combined, these offers give you plenty of time to watch the entire tournament and get your money back at the end.

Long Money-Back Guarantee and Short Free Trials

The 45-day money-back guarantee is CyberGhost’s most significant selling point. This gives you plenty of time to watch the Rugby World Cup in its entirety before claiming your money back.

If you don’t want to pay anything upfront, then CyberGhost also offers 1-day, 3-day, and 7-day free trials on different devices.

This allows you to test out the streaming services we’ve recommended above before committing to a long-term subscription.

A Large Network of 9,769 Global Servers

CyberGhost has one of the largest networks of servers in the industry, with over 9,769 servers in 90 countries.

This means that you can access geo-restricted content from almost anywhere in the world, including streaming services like ITVX, 9 Gem, and RaiPlay. However, it does not unblock 6play, which means you won’t be able to watch the Rugby World Cup via this streaming platform.

You can also use CyberGhost to access 13 Netflix libraries, giving you access to a vast number of movies and TV shows.

In our testing, we measured download speeds of 83Mbps while connected to servers in the UK and 78Mbps when connected to Australia. These results aren’t slow compared to many VPNs, but they’re not fast enough to compete with ExpressVPN.

During the course of our testing, we reviewed 53 other VPN services but chose not to recommend them because they were missing key features.

In particular, we tested several free VPN services that didn’t meet our standards for recommendation. They’re typically much slower than paid alternatives, and they struggle to unblock geo-restricted websites. More importantly, they have data caps that would prevent you from watching the Rugby World Cup in its entirety.

If you want a free VPN for the Rugby World Cup, we recommend using CyberGhost’s 100% free trial instead, or using ExpressVPN’s refund guarantee.

You can see many of the VPNs we tested, and the free rugby world cup streaming sites they worked with, in the table below:

VPN Service	ITVX (UK)	RTE (Ireland)	RAI (Italy)	6play (France)	9 Gem (Australia)	Peacock (US)
ExpressVPN	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
CyberGhost	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓
Hide.me	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	✓
IPVanish	✓	✕	✓	✕	✓	✕
NordVPN	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓	✓
PIA VPN	✓	✕	✕	✕	✓	✓
PrivateVPN	✓	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓
Surfshark	✓	✓	✕	✓	✓	✓

Below are some of the other VPNs we considered for streaming the Rugby World Cup, and why we don’t recommend them:

VPN Service	Reason for Exclusion
Atlas VPN Free	5GB monthly data cap on the free plan Small server network Only able to unblock 6play (France)
Hide.me	Unable to access RAIplay Free version is limited to 10GB
IPVanish	Unable to unblock RTE or 6play
NordVPN	Fewer server locations compared to ExpressVPN
PIA VPN	Unable to access RAIplay, RTE, or 6play
PrivadoVPN Free	Unable to access any of our suggested streaming services
PrivateVPN	No server in France Slow long-distance connection speeds
Proton VPN Free	Unable to access any of our suggested streaming services
Surfshark	Unable to unblock RAIplay

Unless you’re lucky enough to live in a country where the Rugby World Cup will be broadcast for free, you’ll need to use a VPN to access the streaming services that show it.

Due to licensing rights, most streaming services are geo-blocked in countries outside of their broadcasting location.

Without the correct IP address assigned by a VPN, you won’t be able to access any of these streaming services and watch legitimate Rugby World Cup coverage.

Access Geo-Blocked Sites To Stream Rugby World Cup for Free

Using a VPN, you can unblock geo-restricted websites to legally watch the Rugby World Cup for free.

A VPN works by connecting you to a remote server in a location of your choice. This assigns you an IP address in that location, making it appear as if you’re browsing from a different country.

This tricks streaming services into thinking you’re within their jurisdiction, allowing you to access geo-restricted websites and watch the Rugby World Cup for free, without the risk of using illegal streams.

By taking advantage of the generous free trials and money-back guarantees offered by VPN providers such as ExpressVPN and CyberGhost, you can use a VPN to watch the Rugby world and recover the money you’ve spent on your subscription, so you don’t spend a cent.

Watch Rugby Matches With Commentary In Your Chosen Language

With multiple broadcasters covering the Rugby World Cup, you can watch the games with commentary in your chosen language.

For example, if you’re a French speaker outside of the country, you can use a VPN to access 6play and watch the Rugby World Cup in French.

Similarly, If you want to watch the tournament in the United States, you can use a VPN to access ITVX and watch the games with English commentary.

Pool A: New Zealand, France, Italy, Uruguay, Namibia

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Fri 8 Sept	8.15pm	France v New Zealand	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Sat 9 Sept	12.00pm	Italy v Namibia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Thu 14 Sept	8.00pm	France v Uruguay	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Fri 15 Sept	8.00pm	New Zealand v Namibia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Wed 20 Sept	4.45pm	Italy v Uruguay	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Thu 21 Sept	8.00pm	France v Namibia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Wed 27 Sept	4.45pm	Uruguay v Namibia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Fri 29 Sept	8.00pm	New Zealand v Italy	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Thu 5 Oct	8.00pm	New Zealand v Uruguay	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Fri 6 Oct	8.00pm	France v Italy	ITVX, RaiPlay, 6play, RTÈ Player*

Pool B: South Africa, Ireland, Scotland, Romania, Tonga

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Sat 9 Sept	2.30pm	Ireland v Romania	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 10 Sept	4.45pm	South Africa v Scotland	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 16 Sept	8.00pm	Ireland v Tonga	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 17 Sept	8.00pm	South Africa v Romania	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player
Sat 23 Sept	8.00pm	South Africa v Ireland	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 24 Sept	4.45pm	Scotland v Tonga	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 30 Sept	8.00pm	Scotland v Romania	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 1 Oct	8.00pm	South Africa v Tonga	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 7 Oct	8.00pm	Ireland v Scotland	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 8 Oct	4.45pm	Tonga v Romania	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*

Pool C: Wales, Australia, Fiji, Georgia, Portugal

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Sat 9 Sept	5.00pm	Australia v Georgia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, RTÈ Player*
Sun 10 Sept	8.00pm	Wales v Fiji	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 16 Sept	4.45pm	Wales v Portugal	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 17 Sept	4.45pm	Australia v Fiji	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, RTÈ Player*
Sat 23 Sept	1.00pm	Georgia v Portugal	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 24 Sept	8.00pm	Wales v Australia	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, RTÈ Player*
Sat 30 Sept	4.45pm	Fiji v Georgia	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*/td>
Sun 1 Oct	4.45pm	South Africa v Tonga	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 7 Oct	2.00pm	Wales v Georgia	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 8 Oct	8.00pm	Fiji v Portugal	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*

Pool D: England, Japan, Argentina, Samoa, Chile

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Sat 9 Sept	8.00pm	Australia v Georgia	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 10 Sept	12.00pm	Japan v Chile	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 16 Sept	2.00pm	Samoa v Chile	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 17 Sept	8.00pm	England v Japan	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 23 Sept	4.45pm	Argentina v Samoa	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 24 Sept	4.45pm	England v Chile	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 30 Sept	8.00pm	Japan v Samoa	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sun 1 Oct	2.00pm	Argentina v Chile	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 7 Oct	4.45pm	England v Samoa	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*
Sat 8 Oct	12.00pm	Japan v Argentina	ITVX, RaiPlay, RTÈ Player*

Quarter-Finals

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Sat 14 Oct	4.00pm	Winner Pool C v Runner-up Pool D	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Sat 14 Oct	8.00pm	Winner Pool B v Runner-up Pool A	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Sun 15 Oct	4.00pm	Winner Pool D v Runner-up Pool C	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*
Sun 15 Sept	8.00pm	Winner Pool A v Runner-up Pool B	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*

Semi-Finals

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Fri 20 Oct	8.00pm	Winner Quarter-final 1 v Winner Quarter-final 2	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 86play, RTÈ Player*
Sat 21 Oct	8.00pm	Winner Quarter-final 3 v Winner Quarter-final 4	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*

Third-Place Match

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Fri 27 Oct	8.00pm	Third-place Play-off	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*

Final

Date	Time	Teams	Availability
Sat 28 Oct	8.00pm	World Cup Final	ITVX, RaiPlay, 9Now, 6play, RTÈ Player*

*Exact number of games covered by RTÈ Player is yet to be confirmed.