The Rugby World Cup is an international rugby event that was first played in 1987. Only lagging behind the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup, the RWC is the third-largest sporting event in the world. Like other world cup events, this tournament is held every four years. This year, the RWC will be held in Japan, begins on 20 September, and runs through 2 November. Twenty teams make up the 9th Rugby World Cup, but the 2015 winner, New Zealand, is the odds on favorite to win the coveted William Webb Ellis Cup. Because of international interest, there are multiple countries covering the matches. Watch the excitement with a VPN.
| Rank | VPN Service | Price | Visit | Server Locations | No Logs | Browser Extensions | Smart DNS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  | $6.67 |  | 160 |  | | |
| 2 |  | $3.71 | | 87 | | | |
| 3 |  | $2.59 | | 95 | | |
How to Watch the Rugby World Cup from Anywhere
Follow these steps to watch the tournament:
- Sign up for ExpressVPN (includes a 30 day risk-free money-back guarantee)
- Download and install the ExpressVPN app on your device
- Connect to a VPN server in the UK to watch the Rugby World Cup on ITV.
- Enjoy live streaming access to the Rugby World Cup.
You can also watch coverage in other regions of the world. Connect to a VPN server in the channels home country to unblock any geo-restrictions.
Rugby World Cup broadcasters:
- Argentina – ESPN
- Australia – Fox Sports, Network Ten
- Brazil – ESPN
- Canada – TSN
- France – TF1
- Hong Kong – beIN Sports
- Ireland – RTE
- Japan – NHK
- Middle East – beIN Sports
- New Zealand – TVNZ
- Russia – Match TV
- South Africa – SuperSport
- UK – ITV, S4C
- US – NBC
Also like the FIFA World Cup, the Rugby teams are divided in to groups. In this case, there are four groups of five teams. The matches are listed here, but let’s have a look at the competitors.
- Pool A – Ireland, Scotland, Japan, Russia, Samoa
- Pool B – New Zealand, South Africa, Italy, Namibia, Canada
- Pool C – England, France, Argentina, USA, Tonga
- Pool D – Australia, Wales, Georgia, Fiji, Uruguay
You can see there is bound to be quite a bit of excitement as the tournament progresses. A staggering 12 different venues around Japan will be used for the 48 matches played, with locations spanning the entire country. England had an estimated draw of £500 million in the last Rugby World Cup so Japan has their work cut out for them. Will New Zealand be able to take home the cup again to extend their lead of RWC victories? Tune in to find out.
Here’s a schedule of matches for the first month of the Rugby World Cup:
| Date | Pool A | Pool B | Pool C | Pool D |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Sept. | Japan vs. Russia | |||
| 21 Sept. | New Zealand vs. South Africa | France vs. Argentina | Australia vs. Fiji | |
| 22 Sept. | Ireland vs. Scotland | Italy vs. Namibia | England vs. Tonga | |
| 23 Sept. | Wales vs. Georgia | |||
| 24 Sept. | Russia vs. Samoa | |||
| 25 Sept. | Fiji vs. Uruguay | |||
| 26 Sept. | Italy vs. Canada | England vs. USA | ||
| 28 Sept. | Japan vs. Ireland | South Africa vs. Namibia | Argentina vs. Tonga | |
| 29 Sept. | Georgia vs. Uruguay Australia vs. Wales |
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| 30 Sept. | Scotland vs. Samoa | |||
| 2 Oct. | New Zealand vs. Canada | France vs. USA | ||
| 3 Oct. | Ireland vs. Russia | Georgia vs. Fiji | ||
| 4 Oct. | South Africa vs. Italy | |||
| 5 Oct. | Japan vs. Samoa | England vs. Argentina | Australia vs. Uruguay | |
| 6 Oct. | New Zealand vs. Namibia | France vs. Tonga | ||
| 8 Oct. | South Africa vs. Canada | |||
| 9 Oct. | Scotland vs. Russia | Argentina vs. USA | Wales vs. Fiji | |
| 11 Oct. | Australia vs. Georgia | |||
| 12 Oct. | Ireland vs. Samoa | New Zealand vs. Italy | England vs. France | |
| 13 Oct. | Japan vs. Scotland | Namibia vs. Canada | USA vs. Tonga | Wales vs. Uruguay |
As we mentioned earlier, there is a large amount of coverage for these matches. For example, if you are in the US, the only way to watch all of the matches is by having a paid subscription to Universal Sports. If you live in the UK, your options are ITV1, UTV, STV or ITV4, and the 48 matches are divided between them. You would need a good VPN service to be able to see this tournament for free in some countries. Additionally, you may receive live updates from the RWC app if you have an Android or iPhone. If you live in a country that does not have this championship for free, or you are traveling to a country that does not offer coverage of the RWC, A VPN service is a great option. The providers we have chosen all have custom clients so it is just a matter of selecting a country, and connecting.
Don’t miss a single moment of the 2019 RWC. Watch all 48 matches, but please also share this post with your friends so they can track their favorite team from anywhere in the world with a VPN. Follow us @VPNFan for up to the moment guides and deals for your VPN needs.