The 2026 Six Nations is fast approaching, and we've made sure that you're not scrambling to find out when matches are and, most importantly, how you can watch them. From cup holders to France to entertaining Scotland and improving Italy - keep up with how your favourite team will fare.
Antoine Dupont is back to lead a France side that has evolved from flair to frightening physicality and is the holder of the Six Nations trophy. With behemoths like Emmanuel Meafou and Posolo Tuilagi now fully integrated, France possesses a depth of raw power unmatched in the Northern Hemisphere.
Meanwhile, England reclaimed the Calcutta Cup in 2025 and finished their campaign with their best Championship in years. Under Steve Borthwick, they've responded to fading late in crucial matches by cultivating a bench capable of devastating impact in the final quarter. The defensive system, first under Felix Jones and now Joe El-Abd, has evolved from a rush to a sophisticated folding defence.
Getty Images Ireland entered 2025 as the benchmark but showed signs of structural thinning during the Quilter Nations Series losses to the Southern Hemisphere giants. The golden generation of leaders is transitioning, placing renewed focus on Andy Farrell's long-term vision and the battle for the #10 jersey between Jack Crowley and Sam Prendergast.
Scotland continues to be the great entertainers, but 2025 was a year of frustrating almosts. Despite making an impressive number of clean breaks, they struggled to convert consistent pressure into points in the final third. Finn Russell's Bath have also begun focusing more on forward play than using their fly-half to break down defences. How could this impact his performance for Scotland in this Championship?
One things for sure, there’s an angle or story to every one of the 15 matches in store, and we will surely experience one-sided romps, jaw-dropping shocks and nail-biting thrillers over the coming weeks. Let GOAL show you the full 2026 Six Nations schedule and how you can watch or stream every one of them.
When does the Six Nations 2026 take place?
The Six Nations 2026 runs this year from Thursday, 5th January, until Saturday, 14th March, with 15 games taking place across five weekends. There are three games per round, with all teams playing during each and every round.
The tournament is played in a league format, with every side playing each other. The team placed at the top of the table at the end of the competition wins the Six Nations. The Grand Slam is achieved if one side wins all five matches during the tournament, as Ireland did in 2023.
Six Nations 2026 schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| Feb 5 | France vs Ireland | Stade de France |
| Feb 7 | Italy vs Scotland | Stadio Olimpico |
| Feb 7 | England vs Wales | Allianz Arena |
| Feb 14 | Ireland vs Italy | Aviva Stadium |
| Feb 14 | Scotland vs England | Scottish Gas Murrayfield |
| Feb 15 | Wales vs France | Principality Stadium |
| Feb 21 | England vs Ireland | Allianz Stadium |
| Feb 21 | Wales vs Scotland | Principality Stadium |
| Feb 22 | France vs Italy | Stade Pierre Mauroy |
| Mar 6 | Ireland vs Wales | Aviva Stadium |
| Mar 7 | Scotland vs France | Scottish Gas Murrayfield |
| Mar 7 | Italy vs England | Stadio Olimpico |
| Mar 14 | Ireland vs Scotland | Aviva Stadium |
| Mar 14 | Wales vs Italy | Principality Stadium |
| Mar 14 | France vs England | Stade de France |
🌍 How to watch the Six Nations 2026 worldwide
In many parts of the world, you can watch the Six Nations free of charge. That’s because the Six Nations has been afforded protected status in the countries it plays, meaning it’s shown free-to-air on public broadcasters. Whether it will remain as such is currently unclear, but extensive free coverage for the 2026 Six Nations is still available.
| Country | Network Streaming |
|---|---|
| 🇬🇧 United Kingdom | BBC / ITV / BBC iPlayer / ITVX |
| 🇮🇪 Ireland | RTE / Virgin Media / RTE Player / Virgin Media Play |
| 🇫🇷 France | France Télévisions / FranceTV streaming |
| 🇮🇹 Italy | Sky Sport / TV8 |
| 🇺🇸 United States | NBC / Peacock / FuboTV |
| 🇦🇺 Australia | Stan Sport |
| 🇳🇿 New Zealand | Sky Sport NZ |
| 🇿🇦 South Africa | SuperSport |
🛜 How to watch the Six Nations with a VPN
If Six Nations matches aren't available to watch live in your area or if you're travelling, you can use a VPN to tune into the action from wherever you are. A VPN creates a secure connection to bypass geographical restrictions and access your favourite streaming services from anywhere.
We recommend ExpressVPN if you're unsure which VPN to choose, but you can also check out our in-depth VPN guide to determine which one is best for you.
