The 2026 Six Nations looks set to be one of the most competitive editions of the tournament for years as France, England and Ireland all have plenty of reason to believe they can prevail.
While these three nations are expected to lead the way for the title, Italy and Scotland will be no pushovers. The Italians demonstrated their quality in the Autumn Internationals with a dramatic upset win over Australia, while Scotland will be keen on revenge after their dramatic 16-15 loss to England in last year’s championship.
Finally, there is Wales, who have finished with the wooden spoon two years in a row. It has been a bleak period for Welsh rugby fans, but there was a faint glimmer of hope as they secured a hard-fought 31-22 win over Japan in Kobe last summer.
It’s set to be a fascinating Six Nations and luckily for rugby fans, a host of games will be shown free-to-air in the UK, Ireland and France via BBC iPlayer, ITVX, RTÉ Player, Virgin Media Play and FranceTV. Traveling away from the UK, Ireland and France? A good VPN will allow you to access the free Six Nations 2026 coverage from anywhere – and our favorite NordVPN is 74% off right now.
Can I stream Six Nations 2026 for free?
You can watch selected Six Nations games for free on BBC iPlayer and ITVX in the UK, RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play in Ireland and on France TV in France.
Are you traveling outside of these Six Nations countries? You can use a VPN to watch all the action for free as if you were at home. NordVPN is our top choice of options.
Use a VPN to watch any Six Nations 2026 stream
Why a VPN is a good option to watch Six Nations 2026
Six Nations 2026, which takes place over six weeks, may well coincide with holidays or planned work trips abroad. Unfortunately, you may find that your usual streaming options are geoblocked while you are away.
It is here a VPN is convenient – not only does it allow you to access your home streaming services anywhere, but it also protects you from potential online threats.
What is the Six Nations 2026 schedule?
(all start times GMT)
Thursday, February 5
France vs Ireland, 20.10
Saturday, February 7
Italy vs Scotland, 14.10
England v Wales, 4.40pm
Saturday 14 February
Ireland vs Italy at 14.10
Scotland v England, 4.40pm
Sunday, February 15
Wales vs France, 15.10
Saturday 21 February
England vs Ireland, 14.10
Wales v Scotland, 4.40pm
Sunday, February 22
France vs Italy, 15.10
Friday, March 6
Ireland vs Wales, 20.10
Saturday 7 March
Scotland vs France, 14.10
Italy vs England, 4.40pm
Saturday 14 March
Ireland vs Scotland, 14.10
Wales v Italy, 4.40pm
France vs England, 20.10
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