How to watch the 2021 Rugby Autumn Internationals online

The 2021 Autumn Nations Series officially began on October 30 and will run until November 27 when the Barbarians (led by Dave Rennie and Jonathan Humpreys) will face off against Samoa at Twickenham Stadium. There’s still plenty of rugby to look forward to before then, though; scroll down to find out which networks are showing these matches where you are, and how you can watch every Autumn International fixture for free online with a VPN.

Note that we’ll only be covering official sources in this post. These offer the best possible experience, whereas unlicensed streams are often plagued by lag, sudden takedowns, and out-of-sync audio. Given that the Autumn Internationals are being broadcast in over a dozen countries, often on free-to-watch platforms, there’s really no reason to watch anywhere else.

These fixtures will only be shown on region-locked streaming platforms. Don’t worry, though: you can quickly regain access to your usual streaming services back home during a trip abroad by connecting to a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

How to watch Autumn International fixtures online while abroad

VPNs can help improve your digital privacy by encrypting your web traffic. That said, they can also make it look like you’re browsing from a different location. This is helpful for travelers since it means they can continue watching TV from their home country while on vacation.

Here’s how to watch the Autumn Internationals from anywhere:

1. Start by signing up with a reputable VPN provider. We recommend NordVPN, but Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two excellent, versatile alternatives.
2. Next, install the VPN onto any device you’d like to watch the rugby on. Most VPNs let you connect at least five devices simultaneously, though the exact limit varies.
3. Open the app and connect to a server in your home country. This will get you a local IP address and make it seem as though you never left.
4. All that remains is to try tuning into a TV channel from back home. Streams should begin right away but if you’re having trouble, you might want to clear your cookies and try again.

Because these matches will be broadcast live, we strongly recommend making sure your VPN works with your chosen streaming service before kickoff. The providers mentioned above all offer around-the-clock via live chat, allowing you to start getting help in seconds.

How to watch the 2021 Autumn Internationals for free on UK TV

Things have become much simpler for British rugby fans lately. In previous years, you’d have to tune into different channels depending on whether you wanted to stream England, Scotland, or Wales matches. Now, though, all of these fixtures will be shown on Amazon Prime Video. Plans cost $10.89 (GBP £7.99) per month but you can take advantage of its 30-day trial to watch every Autumn International match for free.

Ireland fixtures will be shown on Channel 4, but you can stream this channel for free as well, using the All4 website or app. You will have to sign up first, but this only takes a second.

Note: British law requires you to have a TV license to watch live events. Despite this, neither of these services actually checks if you have one or not. It’s worth mentioning that you don’t need a license to stream these matches on-demand at a later time.

These streaming services are geo-restricted, so if you’re outside of the UK, you’ll need a VPN to access them. Remember, NordVPN offers a 30-day money-back guarantee, so if you’re still unsure, you can try it risk-free and claim a full refund in the event that it doesn’t meet your needs.

Where else can I watch the Autumn Nations Series online?

Naturally, given that this is an international competition, it’s available for streaming in several locations around the world. Here’s how to stream the 2021 Autumn Nations Series where you are:

US

Although the US was originally scheduled to take on Ireland as part of the Nations Series, this match is no longer going ahead. On the plus side, it’s actually quite straightforward to watch the rest of the Autumn Nations Series in the US. Every fixture will be available live and on-demand, on Flosports. This service costs $29.99 (GBP £21.99) per month but unfortunately doesn’t come with any kind of free trial.

Flosports has different content in different countries, so you’ll likely need a VPN to stream the Autumn Internationals outside of the US.

Australia

Stan Sport has exclusive broadcasting rights for the Autumn International matches. Every fixture will be available live and added to the on-demand library shortly afterward. This service costs an extra $7.46 (AUD$10) per month on top of the base Stan subscription, bringing your total to a minimum of $14.93 (AUD$20) monthly. However, this is offset somewhat by Stan’s 30-day free trial.

If you’re traveling outside of Australia, you’ll need a VPN to access Stan.

Canada

Canadian fans can stream every 2021 Nations Series match live on DAZN. Normally, this would cost you $21.60 (CAD $20) per month, but as there’s a 30-day trial, it’s possible to watch the remaining matches for free, provided you remember to cancel in time.

DAZN is geo-restricted and particularly difficult for most VPNs to unblock. However, at the time of writing, NordVPN, Surfshark, and ExpressVPN were all able to access the Canadian version of the site.

Other locations

Didn’t see your country above? Don’t worry about it! The organizers of the Autumn Nations Series have actually put together a list of international broadcasters showing Autumn International fixtures. Just scroll through until you find one you recognize, and after a few minutes of research, you should be able to find a way to watch online, wherever you are in the world.

Which countries are playing in the 2021 Autumn Nations Series?

There are 15 countries participating in the Autumn Nations Series this year. These are:

• Argentina
• Australia
• England
• Fiji
• France
• Georgia
• Ireland
• Italy
• Japan
• New Zealand
• Scotland
• South Africa
• Tonga
• Uruguay
• Wales

The final Autumn International will be a double-header, with the Barbarians (an all-star squad made up of players from any country) and Samoa facing off for the Killik Cup.

2021 rugby Autumn Internationals schedule