How to watch British Lions rugby: live stream 2021 South Africa tour from anywhere

It all comes down to this for the British and Irish Lions and their South African counterparts, as the two sides get set for a decisive third Test in Cape Town this Saturday. Follow our guide as we explain how to watch the Lions Tour 2021 online and get a rugby live stream from anywhere in the world.

Led by coach Warren Gatland and skipper Alun Wyn Jones, the Lions jumped out to a 1-0 series lead with a thrilling 21-17 win in the opening Test, but were overwhelmed by the Springboks in the second, losing 27-9 in a fiery encounter to set up this weekend's decider.

Gatland is ringing the changes for the third and final clash, after his side were dominated in the second-half of last Saturday's game - particularly in the air. That sees Liam Williams set to replace Stuart Hogg at 15, while Bundee Aki will add some heft to the midfield. In comes reliable veteran Welsh hooker Ken Owens, too, with set pieces of paramount performance on Saturday.

South Africa will certainly go in to Cape Town brimming with confidence after such dominance. But their pulsating scrum-half Faf de Klerk will miss the decider with injury, while the awesome Pieter-Steph du Toit must also sit this one out.

It's all at stake in the third and final Lions vs South Africa Test taking place Saturday, August 7, so read on as we explain how to get a 2021 Lions Tour live stream wherever you are in the world.

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How to watch 2021 British Lions Tour online in the UK and Ireland

Live coverage of all eight matches of the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa will be broadcast exclusively on Sky Sports. 

The pay TV network will be showing all three Tests which take place on successive Saturdays on 24 July, 31 July and 7 August, as well as the five preceding tour matches.

Sky subscribers can watch on-the-go or stream on a range of devices with the provider's Sky Go app, which is available on nearly all modern phones, tablets, laptops, PCs and consoles. For those without Sky, the best alternative is the more flexible streaming option, Now TV, where you can buy a Sky Sports Pass.

Elsewhere, free-to-air Channel 4 and its All4 service will be showing highlights of each Test.

Not in the UK for the 2021 Lions Tour? No worries - residents of the country can just download and install a VPN to port themselves back home to a UK location, then watch live as usual. 

How to live stream British Lions when you're not in your country

If you're outside your country of residence - whether that be the UK or anywhere else - and try to start streaming the rugby via your native broadcaster, you'll soon discover that you can't, as it's location restricted. But there is a way to tune in regardless.

By downloading and installing a VPN, you can effectively trick your computer into thinking that it's back at home. That way you can enjoy your home coverage without having to find an illegal stream - assuming you comply with the broadcaster's fine print, of course - specifically its terms and conditions.

Use a VPN to watch the British and Irish Lions tour from anywhere

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What is the British and Irish Lions 2021 schedule?

• 3 July - British Lions beat Sigma Lions 56-14
• 7 July - British Lions beat Cell C Sharks 54-7
• 10 July - British Lions beat Cell C Sharks 71-31
• 14 July - South Africa 'A'  beat British Lions 17-13 
• 17 July - British Lions beat DHL Stormers 49-3
• 24 July - British Lions beat South Africa 21-17
• 31 July - South Africa beat British Lions 27-9
• 7 August - Third Test v Springboks, 6pm SAST / 5pm BST / 12pm ET / 9am PT / 2am AEST / 4am NZST (Soccer City, Johannesburg)

Live stream Lions Tour 2021: how to watch every match live in South Africa

Live coverage of the British and Irish Lions Tour in the host nation will be shown exclusively on subscription service SuperSport. 

If you're away from the TV you can also watch the action via the network's streaming service for PC and Mac as well as via SuperSport's dedicated app.

If you want to catch SuperSports coverage but are out of the country, you can use a VPN. 

How to watch the Lions Tour 2021 free online and live stream rugby in the US

NBC Sports has the rights to show all three Tests of this tour, alongside the five preceding tour matches.

Watching rugby on NBC used to mean coughing up the best part of $80 for an NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass, but not anymore. NBC's Rugby Pass has been absorbed into its excellent new streaming platform, Peacock TV, which makes rugby more accessible to US fans of the sport and ex-pats living in the States than ever before.

For starters, Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service that gets rugby fans not only the Lions Tour 2021 but also features Premiership Rugby and Heineken Champions Cup coverage as well (plus loads more premium sports coverage, TV shows, and movies). Alternatively, you can pay a $10 a month for commercial-free coverage.

And best of all, Peacock even offers a FREE 7-day trial you can take advantage of.

If you've already hopped on the Peacock bandwagon but are abroad during the 2021 Lions Tour, don't forget that you can still tune in like you at home with the help of a good VPN.

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How to watch a Lions Tour live stream in Australia 

Streaming service Stan has a bit of a coup on its hands after snapping up exclusive live broadcast rights Down Under for the entire British and Irish Lions Tour. The streaming service will be showing the games on its new Stan Sports platform.

A Stan subscription currently starts at AUS$10 a month, with the Stan Sports add-on costing a further AUS$10 a month.

However, the service is currently offering a FREE 7-day trial of the add-on, which if timed right, should allow you to watch a couple of the Tour matches for nada.

Who won the last Lions Tour of South Africa in 2009?

South Africa won the first two Tests to clinch the series but the Lions roared back to win the third match in style.

Things have been better for the Lions since, with a win Down Under in Australia, followed by the most remarkable drawn series in New Zealand four years ago.

Which players are in the British and Irish Lions 2021 squad?

Tadhg Beirne (Ire), Jack Conan (Ire), Luke Cowan-Dickie (Eng), Tom Curry (Eng), Zander Fagerson (Sco), Taulupe Faletau (Wal), Tadhg Furlong (Ire), Jamie George (Eng), Iain Henderson (Ire), Jonny Hill (Eng), Maro Itoje (Eng), Wyn Jones (Wal), Courtney Lawes (Eng), Ken Owens (Wal), Sam Simmonds (Eng), Kyle Sinckler (Eng)*, Rory Sutherland (Sco), Justin Tipuric (Wal), Mako Vunipola (Eng), Hamish Watson (Sco),  Josh Adams (Wal), Bundee Aki (Ire), Dan Biggar (Wal), Elliot Daly (Eng), Gareth Davies (Wal), Owen Farrell (Eng), Chris Harris (Sco), Robbie Henshaw (Ire), Stuart Hogg (Sco), Conor Murray (Ire), Ali Price (Sco), Louis Rees-Zammit (Wal), Finn Russell (Sco), Duhan van der Merwe (Sco), Anthony Watson (Eng), Liam Williams (Wal).

Which players are in the South Africa squad?

Thomas du Toit, Steven Kitshoff, Vincent Koch, Frans Malherbe, Ox Nché, Trevor Nyakane, Coenie Oosthuizen, Joseph Dweba, Malcolm Marx, Bongi Mbonambi,
Scarra Ntubeni, Lood de Jager, Eben Etzebeth, Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg, Franco Mostert,  Marvin Orie, RG Snyman, Dan du Preez, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Kwagga Smith, Marco van Staden, Duane Vermeulen, Jasper Wiese, Jean-Luc du Preez, Rynhardt Elstadt, Faf de Klerk, Herschel Jantjies, Sanele Nohamba, Cobus Reinach, Elton Jantjies, Handré Pollard, Morné Steyn, Lukhanyo Am, Damian de Allende, Jesse Kriel, Wandisile Simelane, Frans Steyn, Aphelele Fassi, Cheslin Kolbe,  
Willie le Roux, Makazole Mapimpi, Sbu Nkosi, Yaw Penxe, Rosko Specman, Damian Willemse

Which players are the captains?

Back-row forward Siya Kolisi will captain the hosting Springboks, with Wales forward Alun Wyn Jones wearing the armband for the visiting Lions and Ireland's Conor Murray his deputy.

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