TL;DR: All 2026 Nations Championship matches are available to watch for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
This is shaping up to be a special year for sports.
The show has been ridiculously busy this year. We haven’t had time to breathe between the Winter Olympics, the T20 World Cup, and the World Cup, and now the world of rugby has thrown out a whole new competition to take its share of the limelight.
The Nations Championship is a game changer. The new tournament promises to deliver six rounds of high-quality matchups between international teams followed by a blockbuster Finals Weekend. It feels like the Rugby World Cup without the filler.
If you would like to watch the 2026 Nations Championship from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
What is the United Nations?
The 2026 Nations Championship is an international rugby union tournament featuring 12 men’s teams. The teams are divided into two pools of six (Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere). In two international windows, each team plays all of the other team’s teams once. All teams play three games at home and three away.
After six rounds, a series of finals will be contested over three days with each team pitted against the same ranked team in the other pool to determine the final position.
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When is the 2026 Nations Championship?
The 2026 Nations Championship is the first edition of this tournament. This year’s tournament runs from the first round of matches on July 4 to the finals on November 29. The first round of matches is as follows:
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New Zealand vs. France — 8:10 am BST July 4
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Japan vs. Italy — 9:40 am BST July 4
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Australia vs. Ireland — 11:10 am BST July 4
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Fiji vs. Wales — 2:10 pm BST on 4 July
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South Africa vs. England — 4:40 pm BST July 4
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Argentina vs. Scotland — 8:10 pm BST July 4
How to watch the 2026 Nations Championship for free
The 2026 Nations Championship is available to stream live for free on ITX.
ITVX is restricted to the UK only, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream the 2026 FIFA World Cup for free anywhere in the world.
Stream the 2026 Nations tournament for free by following these simple steps:
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Sign up for a streaming-ready VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
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Download the app to your device of choice
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Open the app and connect to the UK server
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Visit ITVX
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Watch the 2026 Nations Championship for free anywhere in the world
Only $12.99 at ExpressVPN
The best VPNs for streaming aren’t free, but they often offer money-back guarantees. By using these offers, you can watch the 2026 Nations Championship without spending your money. Obviously this isn’t a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream multiple weekends before recouping your investment.
ExpressVPN’s standard 30-day money-back guarantee is not available for any subscriptions purchased between June 10 and July 11. ExpressVPN remains our top pick for sports, but you’ll need to pay a monthly fee until that offer runs again. Alternatively, Proton VPN still offers that all-important money-back guarantee.
What is the best VPN for ITVX?
ExpressVPN is the best choice to bypass geo-restrictions to stream live sports on ITVX, for several reasons:
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Servers in 105 countries
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The user-friendly app is available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
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Strict no-logging policy to keep your data safe
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Fast connection is fast without lag
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Up to 10 simultaneous connections
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30-day money back guarantee (after the FIFA World Cup)
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN retails for $68.40 and includes four additional months for free – an 81% discount for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited backup and usually offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream the 2026 Nations Championship for free with ExpressVPN.