If American rugby star Ilona Maher‘s performance (both on and off the field) in women’s Olympic rugby has you excited to see more of the sport, you’re in luck; the annual Rugby Championship is nearly upon us. The six-week-long tournament features four countries – Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina – jetting across the globe to play on each other’s home turf for the Championship title. In recent years, New Zealand’s All Blacks have dominated play, winning five years in a row, though they face a challenge early on now that their captain, Scott Barrett, will miss the first few games due to injury.
This year’s tournament begins on August 10 and runs through September 28; here’s everything you need to know about how to watch the 2024 Rugby Championship, including the complete game schedule, how to watch if you’re in the U.S., and how you can stream games for free.
Dates: August 10 – September 28, 2024
Location: Across Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and South Africa
TV channel/streaming: StanSport, 9Now, FloSports
Who is competing in the 2024 Rugby Championship?
The four teams that traditionally compete in the Rugby Championship are the Australia Wallabies, the New Zealand All Blacks), Los Pumas from Argentina and the South African Springboks.
When is The 2024 Rugby Championship?
Games will be held in all four participating countries, and the championship will take place from August 10 through September 28. Note that all game times are listed in EDT, which has been determined based on the local kickoff time. Broadcast times may differ depending on your location and channel.
Round 1 – Saturday, August 10
South Africa vs. Australia: 12:30 a.m. ET
Argentina vs. New Zealand: 3:05 a.m. ET
Round 2 – Saturday, August 17
South Africa vs. Australia: 5:45 p.m. ET
Argentina vs. New Zealand: 3:05 a.m. ET
Round 3 – Saturday, August 31
Australia vs. Argentina: 11 a.m. ET
South Africa vs. New Zealand: 11 a.m. ET
Round 4 – Saturday, September 7
South Africa vs. New Zealand: 11 a.m. ET
Australia vs. Argentina: 3:00 p.m.
Round 5 – Saturday, September 21
South Africa vs. Argentina, at 5:00 p.m ET
New Zealand vs. Australia, 1:45 a.m. ET
Round 6 – Saturday, September 28
Australia vs. New Zealand: 3:05 a.m. ET
Argentina vs. South Africa: 11 a.m. ET
How to watch the Rugby Championship in the US:
In the U.S., you can tune into the 2024 Rugby Championship on FloSports, which requires a subscription. Rates start at $29.99/month or $149.99/year.
FloSports is the streaming destination for dozens of sports including rugby, hockey, track & field, racing, grappling, wrestling, cheer, and more
Where to watch the Rugby Championship free:
While you can tune in to the Rugby Championship on FloSports for a subscription fee, you can also watch every match – many of them for free – with the help of a VPN. By using a VPN with a location set to a different country, such as Australia, you can tune in to all the matches on Stan Sport, which is streaming every single game live, though you’ll have to become a monthly subscriber (rates start at $12/month). To watch every game that Australia is playing in for free, you can use a VPN to set your location to Australia in order to tune in to the Wallabies, whose games will all be broadcast on 9Now.
A VPN (virtual private network) helps protect your data, can mask your IP address and is perhaps most popular for being especially useful in the age of streaming. Whether you’re looking to watch Friends on Netflix (which left the U.S. version of the streamer back in 2019) or tune in to the next big boxing match for free this weekend without ordering on PPV, a VPN can help you out. Looking to try a VPN for the first time? This guide breaks down the best VPN options for every kind of user.
ExpressVPN offers “internet without borders,” meaning you can tune into the 2024 Rugby Championship free in Australia. All you’ll need to do is sign up for ExpressVPN, change your server location and create a free account on 9Now.
ExpressVPN’s added protection, speed and range of location options makes it an excellent choice for first-time VPN users looking to stretch their streaming abilities, plus, it’s Endgadget’s top pick for the best streaming VPN. New users can save 49% when they sign up for ExpressVPN’s 12-month subscription. Plus, the service offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, in case you’re nervous about trying a VPN.