Wales vs Ireland live stream: how to watch the Six Nations game online from anywhere today
Irish history with Gatland set to spice up Six Nations opener
Watch a Wales vs Ireland live stream
You can watch Wales vs Ireland for free on BBC One and BBC iPlayer in the UK, and on Virgin Media One and Virgin Media Player in Ireland. Fans can pay to watch today's rugby on Peacock in the US, and on Stan Sport in Australia. Full information on the TV viewing options below. We'll also explain how to watch a FREE Wales vs Ireland live stream from anywhere in the world.
Kick-off: Saturday, February 4, 2.15pm GMT / 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT |
TV channel: BBC One (UK) | Virgin Media One (IRE) | CNBC / Peacock (US) | Stan Sport (AUS) |
Free live stream: BBC iPlayer (UK) | Virgin Media Player (IRE) |
Use ExpressVPN to watch any stream |
Wales vs Ireland match preview
They're the No.1-ranked team in the world and have made it to the top while playing an attractive brand of rugby, but the one thing still missing from Andy Farrell's time as Ireland head coach is a major piece of silverware. His team has never been better-placed for Six Nations glory, but they begin their 2023 campaign today against a Wales team refreshed by the return of Warren Gatland, and at a ground that's become a byword for misery in recent years.
Wales have won four consecutive Six Nations fixtures over Ireland at the Principality Stadium, and most of them haven't been close. Gatland, back at the helm after that glorious reign that produced four Six Nations titles and three Grand Slams, has seized the pantomime villain role with both hands, taking every opportunity to emphasize Wales' status as underdogs.
Gatland infamously cut former Irish skipper Brian O'Driscoll and current Irish skipper Johnny Sexton from various British and Irish Lions setups, and while Sexton seems to be pretty sanguine about the whole affair, it's fair to say that everyone in Irish colors would love to get one over the Wales coach.
Ireland, who count the World Rugby men's player of the year Josh van der Flier in their ranks, scored more tries than anybody else at last year's Six Nations, and they're expecting big things after their historic series win in New Zealand and subsequent wins over Australia and South Africa. Wales, meanwhile, are missing their game-changing wing Louis Rees-Zammit, and are being captained by veteran hooker Ken Owens for the very first time.
The conditions are pretty much perfect at Principality Stadium today, and you can follow our guide as we explain all the ways to get a Wales vs Ireland live stream wherever you are – starting with how to watch the Six Nations for FREE in the UK and Ireland.
How to watch Wales vs Ireland: live stream Six Nations for FREE in the UK
Ireland vs Wales is being shown for free in the UK on BBC One, with kick-off set for 2.15pm GMT on Saturday afternoon.
You can also watch a Wales vs Ireland live stream for free on BBC iPlayer, which is free to use and works across a wide range of devices including smart TVs, laptops, games consoles, mobile phones, tablets and streaming sticks.
Welsh-language coverage of the game is available from S4C, which is available to stream for free in Wales via BBC iPlayer.
Away from home right now? No worries:
How to watch Wales vs Ireland from outside your country
If you're abroad right now and struggling to tap into your usual coverage of the Six Nations, you'll want a VPN. This'll help you circumvent the geo-blocking that will try to stop you watching a Wales vs Ireland live stream in particular parts of the world.
They're a useful means of getting around this issue, are cheap, and easy to set-up as well. Here's how it's done.
Use a VPN to watch Wales vs Ireland from anywhere
ExpressVPN is the world's top VPN
We've put all of the major VPN services to the test and we rate ExpressVPN as the absolute best of the bunch. It's compatible with loads of devices including iOS, Android, Amazon Fire Stick, PlayStation, Apple TV and such, and we found it secure, speedy and simple-to-use.
Another great perk is the fact that it comes with a 30-day money back guarantee and 3-months FREE, so you can see if it's right for you with no strings attached.
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Once you've downloaded the software, just follow the prompts to install it then select the location you want to relocate your IP address to - it really is that easy.
How to use a VPN for Wales vs Ireland
Using a VPN to is as easy as one-two-three...
1. Download and install a VPN - as we say, our top choice is ExpressVPN
2. Connect to the appropriate server location - open the VPN app, hit 'choose location' and select the appropriate location, eg: 'UK' for iPlayer.
3. Go to the broadcaster's stream - head to your home broadcaster's site or app and watch as if you were at home - BBC iPlayer for UK citizens abroad.
How to watch Wales vs Ireland: live stream Six Nations FREE in Ireland
Wales vs Ireland is being shown for FREE on Virgin Media One in Ireland, with kick-off set for 2.15pm GMT on Saturday afternoon.
This means you can also live stream Wales vs Ireland using Virgin Media Player - or check out its TV Anywhere app, which is available for nearly all modern devices including smartphones, tablets, computers and more. Away from home?
Watch Wales vs Ireland: live stream Six Nations rugby in the US without cable
The Wales vs Ireland Six Nations rugby game is being shown on both CNBC and Peacock TV in the US, with kick-off set for 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT first thing on Saturday morning.
Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported version of the service that also offers live coverage of Premier League soccer, every big WWE event, Premiership Rugby, plus plenty more live sports. You also have the option of paying $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.
OTT streaming service FuboTV carries CNBC and more than 100 additional channels including Fox, CBS and ESPN. Prices start at $74.99 a month after a FREE FuboTV trial.
If you subscribe to Peacock, FuboTV or any other US streaming service and find yourself unable to access coverage because you're out of the country, consider using a VPN as outlined below - of the many options, we rate ExpressVPN as the best of the best.
How to watch a Wales vs Ireland Six Nations live stream in Australia
In Australia you can watch Wales vs Ireland on Stan Sport, but be warned that kick-off is set for 1.15am AEDT on Saturday night/Sunday morning.
If you don't mind the late night, a subscription costs $10 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), but you can take advantage of a 7-day FREE trial.
Stan Sport is also the place to watch Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League football, and Formula E.
If you're currently out of Australia but want to watch a Wales vs Ireland live stream, you'll need to get yourself a VPN as per the instructions above.
How to watch Wales vs Ireland: live stream Six Nations in New Zealand
Sky Sport is showing the Wales vs Ireland game in New Zealand. Unfortunately, kick-off is set for the brutal time of 3.15am NZDT in the small hours of Sunday morning.
If that doesn't put you off, know that subscribers can watch online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a pass costs $19.99 per week or $39.99 per month.
The monthly package comes with a 7-day free trial.
How to watch Wales vs Ireland: live stream Six Nations rugby in Canada
Wales vs Ireland kicks off at 9.15am ET / 6.15am PT on Saturday morning, and is being shown on streaming service DAZN in Canada.
And it's a real bargain too - DAZN costs CA$24.99 a month or $199.99 a year. Away from home this weekend? No problem.
Use a VPN to watch Wales vs Ireland on DAZN while abroad.
Not only do you get every Six Nations 2023 match, but DAZN is also the exclusive Canadian streaming home of Champions League, Europa League and EFL Championship soccer!
It also comes with support for iOS, Android, Apple TV, Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Android TV, Roku, Xbox One, PS4, and laptop/PC streaming (including Mac devices).
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Aatif is a freelance copywriter and journalist based in the UK. He’s written about technology, science and politics for publications including Gizmodo, The Independent, Trusted Reviews and Newsweek, but focuses on streaming at Future, an arrangement that combines two of his greatest passions: sport and penny-pinching.