How to watch Ireland rugby: Six Nations and tests

Ireland rugby is free. All of it. The Six Nations, the autumn tests, the summer tour. If a fella in a car park ever told you otherwise, he was selling something.

Who has it this season

• Free-to-air All of it Review
  • Free

  Every Six Nations game (men's, women's and U20) is free on RTÉ or Virgin Media to 2029, and Virgin Media has every Ireland summer and autumn international free to 2029.

Rights and prices checked 2026-09-19. Standard prices; intro offers can be lower.

Two broadcasters, both free. RTÉ and Virgin Media share every men’s, women’s and under-20 Six Nations game under a four-year deal from 2026 to 2029, with the fixtures split equally between them and RTÉ keeping the men’s radio rights. In 2026 RTÉ had eight men’s games and Virgin Media seven, with two and three Ireland games respectively.

Virgin Media is the exclusive free-to-air home of the Nations Championship, all 42 games in 2026, and of the Summer and Autumn Nations Series in the non-Championship years, on a four-year deal from 2026. RTÉ has none of those. Neither Sky Sports nor Premier Sports has any Ireland international.

The cheapest way to watch most of it

An aerial pointed at the nearest mast; if you need one put up, get installer quotes. RTÉ2, Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Two all come through Saorview, and RTÉ Player and Virgin Media Play carry the same games on any phone or streaming stick.

There is no subscription to time. February and March are the Six Nations, April and May the women’s championship, November the autumn tests, and the summer tour in July in the years there is one. The finder marks those months as free and leaves your money alone.

The one exception is the provinces. Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht in the URC and Champions Cup are partly paid, and that is its own guide.

What’s free

Everything in this guide. Every Six Nations game in all three grades, every Nations Championship game, every Ireland summer and autumn international, free to air, on Saorview or the free players.

The calendar

• Friday 6 November 2026: Ireland v Argentina, Aviva, Virgin Media (played).
• Saturday 14 November 2026: Ireland v Fiji, Aviva, 8.10pm, Virgin Media.
• Saturday 21 November 2026: Ireland v South Africa, Aviva, 4.40pm, Virgin Media.
• 27 to 29 November 2026: Nations Championship finals weekend, Twickenham, opponent by standings.
• Six Nations 2027, 5 February to 13 March: Ireland v England Fri 5 Feb 8.10pm, Aviva; Italy v Ireland Sat 13 Feb 2.10pm, Rome; Wales v Ireland Sat 20 Feb 2.10pm, Cardiff; Scotland v Ireland Fri 5 Mar 8.10pm, Murrayfield; Ireland v France Sat 13 Mar 8.10pm, Aviva.
• Women’s Six Nations 2027: 10 April to 15 May, consecutive Saturdays.
• Rugby World Cup 2027: six weeks from 1 October, Australia. No Irish broadcaster has been announced yet.

Nothing to pay, nothing to cancel. Sort me out with the finder for everything else you watch, and if your telly has no Saorview, a cheap streaming stick runs both players. The rest is on the watch index.