Rugby is a great game and the Six Nations start today. As usual, England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales battle for the crown. It is the first major tournament of the year and a real highlight. Last year’s reigning world champion, South Africa, is not taking part because it’s a tournament of the Northern Hemisphere. But at least the runner-up. Fans know, of course, that this is England. The Six Nations will definitely include some of the world’s best rugby teams and the rivalry between the UK teams is always worth watching.
Perhaps I will explain briefly the Six Nations’ point system, which can be a bit confusing:
- A team gets four points for a win.
- Two points are given to each team in case of a tie.
- A Try bonus point is awarded when a team scores 4 or more tries in a match.
- A loser bonus point is also awarded if the team loses with 7 or fewer points.
- If a team wins a Grand Slam, i.e. every 5 games, it receives 3 additional points.
The system is clear. It should encourage the teams to play as attractively and offensively as possible and never give up.
How to watch Six Nations Rugby for free from everywhere
I won’t beat around the bush here. In the UK the tournament will be on free TV, but for streaming you need a good VPN, otherwise you’ll run into geoblocking. I always use CyberGhost for bypassing geoblocking. The VPN provider is known to be able to bypass even the toughest blocks. I am sure that CyberGhost will serve me well again in the Six Nations.
| VPN Provider | Rating | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|
| CyberGhost | Best value for money | Get CyberGhost | |
| ExpressVPN | Premium VPN | Get ExpressVPN | |
| Private Internet Access | Great VPN, good value | Get PIA VPN |
VPNs are no longer expensive. For long-term subscriptions you only pay about 3 € per month. The technology is not only good for streaming, but you can also protect your devices with it. I will go into this further down.
Can’t I watch the Six Nations in other countries? Yes, but that most probably costs money … Let me explain for example in Germany.
Rugby Six Nations — not on public TV in many countries
If you want to watch the Rugby Six Nations for example in Germany, this is only possible via DAZN. You need a subscription for that.
In England the BBC and itv Hub broadcast the competition on public TV. The games are shown alternately, as you can find on the website of the organizer.
BBC and itv stream the matches live, free of charge and on public TV, but only in the UK. If you come from another country, the providers will block you. They use geoblocking technology and that prevents watching from other countries.
The streaming providers can tell which country you come from by your IP address. If you use a VPN to connect to a server in another country, it looks as if you are at another location. Now the streaming provider will no longer block you. If you are connected to a server in the UK, you seem to be at the right location.
But you need a good VPN with many servers. Streaming providers work with blacklists and if a server will be added on one of these, you will also be blocked.
However, you have to register with the BBC — you need a television license. But the BBC only asks for a postcode. So, any postcode in Britain… all right?
Are there any other possibilities?
Yes, of course, Zattoo! But only Zattoo Switzerland and Zattoo UK, and they work with geoblocking again. Now we have the same problem again. You need a good VPN with servers in Switzerland or the UK. But there is more to it. I explain what you have to do:
- Get a good VPN
- Connect to a server in Switzerland or the UK
- Set up a free account for Zattoo Switzerland or Zattoo UK
- Have fun with the Six Nations!
There are other VPN providers that offer servers in Switzerland and the UK. They are not bad either. CyberGhost is one of the cheapest providers you can trust. There are currently no limits for simultaneous device connections.
Can I watch the Six Nations on free TV from anywhere?
Yes! However, you will have to use a VPN if you are not in the UK or another country where the event will be broadcasted on free TV. I’m glad that I can unblock BBC and itv Hub with my VPNs.
I have tested both CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. Both deliver enough speed for a hassle-free streaming of the Six Nations. With my little trick you can watch your favorite sport for free and from anywhere.
Is that legal?
VPNs are legal in the UK and most other countries as well. However, this does not mean that you can do illegal things with it. It’s your responsibility what you do with it. Even with a VPN, you have to abide by the laws of the country you are in.
Bypassing geoblocking is not illegal, but it probably violates the usage guidelines of the operators. Broadcasters block viewers from other countries for licensing reasons – so it’s all about money and broadcasting rights.
For this reason, streaming operators use technology to detect VPN usage. Only the best VPNs can bypass this technology because they constantly change IP addresses, use camouflage modes, and so on.
if you download copyrighted torrents or other protected media with a VPN – that is illegal. With youtube-dl, it’s probably quite a grey area.
Can I watch the Six Nations with a free VPN?
Possibly – however, it is not advisable. Providers of free VPNs often limit bandwidth and data usage. You don’t need that much bandwidth for streaming, but if you only have a few hundred MB of data, the fun ends rather quickly.
Some free VPNs have also been caught selling users’ data. Others show advertisements and so on.
Services like CyberGhost* or ExpressVPN* are really not expensive and cost less than a beer per month. If you consider all the other advantages of the services, then such a VPN is absolutely worth the money. So, I’d rather pay 3 bucks per month for unlimited bandwidth plus infinite data and know for sure that I won’t run out of juice in the middle of a game.
Many free VPNs also throttle the speeds so much that trouble-free streaming is not even possible. I don’t bother with such things because of the few bucks – you probably don’t either.
There is a little trick that allows you to use high-quality VPNs for free. Most providers have a money-back guarantee of 30 days. This is also true for CyberGhost and ExpressVPN. In this case, you can use the service free for 45 days. If you don’t like the service, you can request a refund. Note, however, that you have to do this in time. You will usually get your money back within a few days. I have tested this with both and it worked. No annoying questions were asked, and they didn’t try to upsell me anything.
Can I watch the Six Nations on my phone or tablet?
The services presented here also offer excellent apps for Android and iOS. You can also use your smartphone to connect to a server of your choice and watch Six Nations Rugby.
If you have enough mobile data, you can watch Six Nations Rugby on the go with your smartphone or tablet. Of course, you can access BBC and itv on mobile devices. Watch Rugby as much as you want and where you want. When you want is limited to the live games, of course. I probably didn’t need to mention that, did I?
In any case, have fun! Six Nations Rugby is always a great show. I’m already very curious to see who will take the crown this year.