Irish rugby is split between free-to-air TV and Premier Sports, and which one you need depends on the competition. Ireland’s international games are all free; the provinces’ club rugby is mostly on Premier Sports.
The quick version
- Six Nations: free on RTÉ and Virgin Media Television, which share the rights until 2029 and alternate the fixtures each year.
- Ireland’s summer and November internationals: free on Virgin Media Television, which shows every game of the new Nations Championship in 2026 and 2028, and the Summer and Autumn Nations Series in between.
- United Rugby Championship (URC): at least 26 games a season free on TG4, in Irish. Every game involving Leinster, Munster, Ulster and Connacht is on Premier Sports, in English.
- Investec Champions Cup: every match on Premier Sports until the end of the 2026/27 season. There’s no free TV coverage; RTÉ Radio 1 has commentary of selected games.
Premier Sports is part of the Sports Extra pack on Sky, NOW, Virgin Media and Vodafone, and NOW sells it with no contract. See the streaming prices tracker for NOW’s current price.
For this week’s games, see sport on TV this week.
All our rugby guides
Where to Watch the Champions Cup Rugby in Ireland
Premier Sports shows every 2026-27 Investec Champions Cup match in Ireland. How to get it, with or without a contract.
Where to Watch Ireland’s November Rugby Internationals
Every Ireland rugby international this November is free on Virgin Media Television. The fixtures, channels and how to stream them at home.
Where to Watch the United Rugby Championship Legally in Ireland
How to watch the URC legally in Ireland: free games on TG4, and every Irish province’s match on Premier Sports, under deals running to 2029.
How to Watch Six Nations Rugby Legally in Ireland
RTÉ and Virgin Media share Six Nations coverage in Ireland, and every match is free-to-air. Here’s how to watch live and on the apps.