Watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in the opening round of Nations Championship 2026 fixtures. Sydney’s Allianz Stadium hosts a Wallabies team that’s traded endless false dawns for perpetual night, though Andy Farrell’s visitors are missing several key men.
Some 15 months out from a home World Cup, the Aussies have a golden chance to build some goodwill and momentum against a rugged Ireland outfit they haven’t beaten in over eight years. It’s five wins in a row for the Irish, the latest a 46-19 drubbing littered with Aussie errors in Dublin last November.
Former Ireland coach Joe Schmidt, who will pass the baton to Les Kiss at the end of this month, has made some eye-catching selections, recalling Jock Campbell to the international fold after four years out in the cold. He’s also handed Ryan Lonergan his maiden start at scrum-half, partnering him with fly-half Carter Gordon. They’ve never played together before, and they’ve had just a handful of training sessions to get up to speed.
An injury to first-choice fly-half Jack Crowley has reopened the door for Sam Prendergast, who had a harrowing time of things at the Six Nations. The 23-year-old, however, ended the domestic season by leading Leinster to the URC title, and he’ll want to make the most of his opportunity here. It’s going to be a tall order, however, with Andrew Porter, Mack Hansen and captain Caelan Doris also among the Irish absentees.
Read on as we explain how to watch Australia vs Ireland for free in the 2026 Nations Championship.
Can you watch Australia vs Ireland for free?
Yes. Australia vs Ireland is being shown on free-to-air Rugbypass TV in the US, on ITVX in the UK, on Virgin Media Play in Ireland and on 9Now in Australia.
Traveling abroad right now? You can use a VPN to watch Australia vs Ireland for free as if you were right at home.
Use a VPN to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams
A VPN is handy piece of software that can make your device appear as if it’s back in your home country, so you can unlock your usual service. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything and comes with up to 75% off.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in the US
Australia vs Ireland, along with all 42 Nations Championship games, is available to live stream for FREE on Rugbypass TV in the US.
You can tune in via the Rugbypass TV website or app, and it works with Chromecast, Airplay, AppleTV and Android TV.
Outside of the US? Use a VPN while you’re traveling away from home to unlock your stream.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in the UK
In the UK, Australia vs Ireland is free-to-air on ITV1, with live streaming available via ITVX.
All you need is an account, a TV license and a UK postcode (e.g.HA9 0WS). Sign up here!
If you’re out of the UK but still want to tune in, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in Ireland
Australia vs Ireland is free-to-air on Virgin Media One in Ireland, with live streaming available via the Virgin Media Play platform.
Outside Ireland? You’ll need to download a VPN, as detailed above, to tap into your free Nations Championship stream from abroad.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in Australia
In Australia, Wallabies vs Ireland is free-to-air on Channel 9, with live streaming available via 9Now.
Stan Sport, meanwhile, is providing coverage of every Nations Championship game. Stan Sport costs AU$20/month on top of a Stan subscription, which itself starts at AU$12/month.
Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN like NordVPN to watch the action as if you were back home.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in New Zealand
In New Zealand, Sky Sport NZ is showing the Australia vs Ireland game.
You can access Sky Sport through satellite TV or get a live stream, with the Sky Sport Now subscription service starting at NZ$29.99 per day or NZ$59.99 per month.
Those outside of New Zealand for any part of the Nations Championship can use NordVPN to gain access to their home streaming service.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in South Africa
The Australia vs Ireland game is being shown on Supersport in South Africa.
You’ll need to get a DStv access package to watch the Nations Championship 2026, with prices starting at Rs99/month for the streaming version.
Abroad right now? Just use a VPN and tell your device that you’re back home and you’ll be good to go.
How to watch Australia vs Ireland live streams in Canada
In Canada, Australia vs Ireland is being shown on Premier Sports.
You’ll need either the monthly CA$29.99 pass to watch this game. Or to catch the whole tournament, it’s the CA$79.99 six-month pass or the CA$139.99/year annual subscription.
If you’re out of Canada but still want to catch the action, explore the VPN route set out above, which will help you access your accounts from anywhere.
What is the Australia vs Ireland start time?
The scheduled Australia vs Ireland kick-off time on Saturday, July 4 is 8.10pm AEST local time in Sydney, which is 3.10am PT / 6.10am ET / 11.10am BST.
What is the Australia vs Ireland head-to-head?
The Wallabies have won 22 of their 39 previous encounters with Ireland. Ireland have won 16, and the other ended in a draw.
In Australia, the head-to-head stands at 11-5.
Can I watch Australia vs Ireland on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access through mobile apps or via your phone’s browser. For example, ITVX, Rugbypass TV and Virgin Media Play all have dedicated apps.
We test and review VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example: 1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service). 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad. We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.
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