It's out with the Cheetahs and Kings, and in with the Sharks, Stormers, Lions and Bulls, as a bright new era begins in club rugby. South Africa's finest join the cream of Scotland, Wales and Italy and, of course, Ireland's dominant provinces in a 16-strong, ultra-competitive league encompassing both hemispheres. Read on as we explain how to watch a United Rugby Championship live stream online for every 2021/22 game, no matter where you are in the world.
Dates: September 24 - June
Champions: Leinster
FREE live streams: TG4 (opens in new tab) / RTÉ (opens in new tab) (IR) | S4C (opens in new tab) / BBC Wales (opens in new tab) / BBC Northern Ireland (opens in new tab) (UK)
Global live streams: Premier Sports (opens in new tab) (IR, UK) | SuperSport (opens in new tab) (SA)
Watch anywhere: Try ExpressVPN 100% risk-free (opens in new tab)
Leinster brought the Pro14 era to a close by securing their fourth consecutive title in March. The Irish club will forever be synonymous with the Pro14, but there's nothing like a major revamp to forge new rivalries and breathe new intensity into old ones.
From South Africa, the Lions finished as Super Rugby runners-up for three years in a row from 2017-2019. But the Bulls have won the last two editions of the Currie Cup, beating the Sharks on both occasions.
These teams are used to winning, and with European Rugby Champions Cup places up for grabs - even for the South African teams - how they'd love to embarrass their new stablemates.
So how can you watch all the gripping action this season? Read on as we explain how to watch a United Rugby Championship live stream no matter where you are in the world. You can even watch the rugby FREE online if you're in Ireland or the UK.
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How to watch United Rugby Championship from abroad
We've recommended some of the best places to live stream United Rugby Championship action below. But you might run into a problem trying to access them if you're outside of your country. This is because of something called geo-blocking - best thought of as a kind of digital border.
But we can help you get back to your preferred UCR live stream in no time at all. 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.
Using a VPN 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
3. Go to the broadcaster's live stream - so if you're from Ireland or Wales, just head to the likes of TG4 Player (opens in new tab) or S4C on BBC iPlayer (opens in new tab) as described below
How to watch United Rugby Championship FREE online in Ireland - or live stream every URC fixture
URC rugby live stream: how to watch United Rugby Championship FREE online in the UK
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How to watch URC games in South Africa
- More rugby: how to watch a Rugby Championship 2021 live stream
Global URC TV live streams
The United Rugby Championship has launched its very own streaming service - the aptly named URC TV (opens in new tab).
It's not available in any of the above-mentioned territories, but can be watched in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the US and pretty much everywhere else (excepting countries in Sub-Saharan Africa).
For an idea of pricing, in the US it costs $24.99 for a weekend pass, while the whole season would set you back $139.99. Down Under in Australia, you'll be looking at AU$35 and AU$135 respectively.
If you're not bothered about (or not awake for) live coverage, then you can still register for free to watch match highlights. You can watch across a range of devices, including laptops, Androids, iPhone, iPad, Airplay or Chromecast.