How to watch Japan vs. South Africa online for free (Rugby World Cup quarter-finals)

The Japan vs. South Africa Rugby World Cup 2019 match will take place on Sunday, October 20 at 11:15 AM BST (6:15 AM EST / 19:15 PM JST local time) at Tokyo Stadium, Tokyo. If you’re looking for a way to watch the match live online from abroad, you’ve come to the right place. We’ll show you how to live stream Japan vs. South Africa online for free from anywhere in the world with the help of a VPN.

We’re only recommending official sources for watching Japan vs. South Africa. Unlicensed streams of Rugby World Cup games are common but these are often taken offline for copyright infringement. If you don’t want to run the risk of missing out on the match or face the frustration of having to watch an inferior quality stream, we advise against using unauthorized sources. After all, you can watch Japan vs. South Africa online for free on ITV.

How to watch Japan vs. South Africa live online free

Here we’ll take you step-by-step through what you need to do in order to live stream Japan vs. South Africa for free with a VPN:

1. Sign up with a VPN that unblocks ITV. We recommend ExpressVPN. However, NordVPN and CyberGhost also work well and provide excellent value for money.
2. Download and install the VPN app or browser extension for the device from which you want to live stream Japan vs. South Africa.
3. Open the VPN app or browser extension and connect to a server in the UK. By obtaining a UK IP address, you’ll be able to unblock ITV Hub and watch from abroad.
4. Register for an ITV Hub account (this is free), entering an email address and creating a password. You’ll also be asked to provide some basic personal details and a UK postcode (any UK postal code will work).
5. Select an ITV Hub live stream. The content should now play without any issues. If it’s still blocked, try clearing your browser’s cache and cookies. You may also want to try another server just in case the IP address you’re using has been blacklisted.

We recommend you test your VPN with ITV Hub (or any of the other platforms below) well before the match. This gives you time to contact your VPN’s live chat support should you encounter any issues.

How to live stream Japan vs. South Africa free on UK TV

ITV is showing every single game of the Rugby World Cup online for free. In order to live stream Japan vs. South Africa via the ITV Hub platform, you’ll have to sign up for a free ITV Hub account. This only takes a minute; you’ll be asked for your name, date of birth, email address, and postal code (you can enter any UK postcode).

If you’re located abroad (outside the UK), keep in mind that ITV Hub is region-locked and only available in the UK. However, you can get around the content restrictions with a VPN. All you need to do is connect to a server in the UK to get a UK IP address. Fortunately, ExpressVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. This means you can try it with ITV Hub risk-free and receive a full refund if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

Where else can I watch Japan vs. South Africa live online?

There are plenty of official broadcasters of the 2019 Rugby World Cup. Here are some of the free and paid options available:

USA

Unfortunately, there’s no free way to watch Japan vs. South Africa on US TV. However, the match will be available via NBC Sports Gold. In order to watch online, you’ll need an NBC Sports Gold Rugby World Cup Pass.

NBC Sports Gold offers a couple of options. One lets you watch the entire knockout stages for $99.99 USD. The other allows you to purchase an individual game for the price of $34.99. NBC Sports Gold is only available in the USA so a US IP address via a VPN is required to live stream Japan vs. South Africa from abroad.

Australia

Fox Sports will broadcast Japan vs. South Africa live online in Australia. You can watch the match online via the Foxtel Go app if you have a Foxtel TV subscription. However, another option is to watch via Foxtel Now. This is a standalone service that doesn’t require a long-term contract. The combined cost of the basic subscription and sports package is $40 AUD per month. It’s also worth knowing that it comes with a 10-day free trial.

Another option to rugby fans in Australia is Kayo Sports, a streaming service with no lock-in contracts. Offering a 14-day free trial, the Kayo Sports Basic Package costs $25 per month while the premium option costs $35 monthly. Foxtel Go, Foxtel Now, and Kayo Sport are geo-restricted which means you’ll need a VPN and Australian IP address if you’re outside Australia.

Japan

The host nation of the Rugby World Cup, Japan’s broadcasting rights are shared by J Sports, NHK, and NTV. However, of the three options, only J Sports will feature a live stream of Japan vs. South Africa.

This is a paid option through which you can purchase a one-month rugby pass for ¥1,800 (approximately $16.50 USD). Note that only Japanese commentary is available. Further, to live stream J Sports from abroad, a Japanese IP address is required.

What should I know about the Japan vs. South Africa Rugby World Cup match?

Japan and South Africa have only met on two occasions prior to this Rugby World Cup 2019 quarter-final match. The first meeting was in the 2015 Rugby World Cup when Japan won 32-34 in a match considered one of the biggest upsets in rugby union history. The second match was in the 2019 Rugby World Cup warm-up matches which saw South Africa win 7-41.

Japan won all four of their group games, defeating Ireland, Scotland, Samoa, and Russia. Ranked 7th in the world, this is the furthest Japan has ever progressed in a Rugby World Cup. South Africa won three group games (winning against Italy, Namibia, and Canada) and losing once, to New Zealand. South Africa have a world ranking of 5th and won the Rugby World Cup in 1995 and 2007.

Despite having defeated South Africa in the 2015 Rugby World Cup, Japan remain the underdogs for this quarter-final fixture. South Africa are expected to emerge victorious but will surely be wary of being the victims of another upset.