Bristol vs Toulon live stream: how to watch Challenge Cup Final rugby from anywhere

By Kevin Lynch
published

Can the Bears bag their first big silverware in 37 years?

Bristol vs Toulon live stream Rugby European Challenge Cup Final 2020
(Image credit: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)

A new name is set to be etched on the Rugby European Challenge Cup trophy this evening - read on as we explain how to watch a Bristol vs Toulon live stream today and catch all the rugby action online from wherever you are.

Pat Lam's side will be battling in Aix-en-Provence for their first pace of serious silverware for 37 years, with the match marking the club's first ever European final. Bristol booked their place in the final with a 37-20 victory over Bordeaux-Begles in the semis.

Live stream Bristol Bears vs RC Toulon

This European Challenge Cup final begins at 9pm CET local time on Friday evening at the Stade Maurice David, in Aix-en-Provence. That makes it an 8pm BST start for rugby fans in the UK.

Wherever you are, you can access the same coverage you would at home by using a VPN (opens in new tab).

Toulon, meanwhile, eased their way past Leicester Tigers 34-19 in the other half of the draw. While Toulon have a storied history in European competition, having won the Champions Cup three times on the spin between 2013 and 2015, the French side have never won the second tier Challenge Cup.

The Bears have been forced into making late change ahead of  Friday's showdown with skipper Steven Luatua set to miss out as his partner is due to give birth. His absence comes on top of injured duo Charles Piutau and Nathan Hughes being ruled out.

Jean-Baptiste Gros and Beka Gigashvili are set return at prop for Toulon, while Romain Taofifenua will once again look to form a potent lock pairing with South African star Eben Etzebeth.

Read on as we explain how to watch an Bristol Bears v RC Toulon live stream online and catch the Heineken European Rugby Challenge Cup final from wherever you are right now.

How to watch Bristol vs Toulon from abroad

Wanting to watch the rugby from the UK, Down Under or in North America? Just scroll down and you'll see all your options listed out there. But you'll run into problems if you try to access that stream online when you're outside of your country - even if you're fully registered and in all likelihood paying a subscription fee.

This is because of something called geo-blocking - best thought of as a kind of digital border - but it's not nearly as scary as it sounds. Simply follow our VPN advice below and you'll soon be up and running with a great bit of software that allows you to relocate your device back to your country of residence - thereby regaining access to all the streaming services and content you normally enjoy at home.

Use a VPN to stream the rugby live from anywhere

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Bristol Bears v RC Toulon Heineken Challenge semi-final rugby live stream uk

How to live stream Bristol Bears v Toulon in the UK 

BT Sport 2 (opens in new tab)

Rugby fans in the UK will still be able to watch the Challenge Cup Final live with BT Sport 2 (opens in new tab) . Coverage begins on the channel at 7.15pm prior to that 8pm kick-off.

If you're not already a BT Sport customer, it's worth remembering that BT has recently introduced a new £25 monthly sports pass this season, so you can get all that BT Sport goodness without a long-term commitment.

If you're looking to stream tonight's game, the BT Sport app or BTSport.com (opens in new tab) is where you need to go, enabling mobile, tablet and PC viewing. 

If you're outside the UK or Ireland and want to watch the match like you would at home,  don't worry about geo-blocks on your account – simply grab the best VPN you can and follow the instructions above to live stream the action just as you normally would.

Bristol Bears v RC Toulon Heineken Challenge Cup final live stream australia

How to live stream Bristol vs Toulon in Australia

epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab)

EPCR have launched an OTT service, epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab), so you can stream live Champions Cup matches outside of its core broadcast territories. That includes Australia.

The service is offering a special deal this weekend, offering both the Heineken Champions Cup and the European Rugby Challenge Cup for a combined price of €3.99 (about AUS$7)

If you're tuning in from Down Under its a 6am AEDT start in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Bristol Bears v RC Toulon rugby final live stream new zealand

How to watch Bristol Bears v RC Toulon: live stream the European Rugby Challenge Cup Final in New Zealand

epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab)

It's the same story for Kiwi fans looking to get their European rugby fix.

Bristol Bears v RC Toulon will be available to watch in New Zealand via the EPCR's streaming service - full details can be found at epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab).

The match kicks off at 8am NZST on Saturday morning.

Heineken European Rugby Challenge Cup final live stream canada

How to watch Bristol vs Toulon in Canada for FREE

epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab)

Well what do you know? Canadians looking to watch tonight's action from France will also be served by the EPCR's streaming service - full details can be found at epcrugby.tv (opens in new tab).

The match kicks off at 3pm ET on Friday afternoon.

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Bristol Bears vs Toulon: live stream Champions Cup rugby in the US

NBC Sports Gold Pass (opens in new tab)

The official broadcaster of Challenge Cup matches is NBC, with matches streamed on NBC Sports Gold so you can watch them anytime and anywhere - kick-off times above.

The NBC Sports Gold Pass (opens in new tab) for rugby is $79.99 and includes coverage of the Gallagher Premiership, European Challenge and Challenge Cups, and Guinness Six Nations.

Kevin Lynch
Kevin Lynch

Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com (opens in new tab) and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.

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