The Rugby Championship is an annual international rugby union competition featuring the national teams of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. The 2025 Rugby Championship runs from mid-August to early October 2025.
The 2025 Rugby Championship will also be available to stream live on BBC iPlayer. However, BBC iPlayer is only accessible in the UK. If you’re in New Zealand and want to watch the 2025 Rugby Championship on BBC iPlayer, you’ll need to use PureVPN.
By connecting to a UK server, PureVPN masks your New Zealand IP address and allows you to access BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK, giving you uninterrupted access to every match of 2025 Rugby Championship in New Zealand live.
2025 Rugby Championship Key Details
- Dates: August 16 – October 4, 2025
- Teams: Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa
- Broadcasters: BBC Iplayer, Sky Sports
Why Do You Need VPN to Watch 2025 Rugby Championship in New Zealand
You need a VPN to watch the 2025 Rugby Championship live stream in New Zealand if you want to access coverage from broadcasters like BBC iPlayer in the UK. BBC iPlayer holds exclusive rights to air the tournament in the UK, but it is geo-restricted and unavailable in New Zealand without a VPN.
PureVPN solves this by masking your real New Zealand IP address and assigning you a UK one. Simply connect to a UK server, and you can access BBC iPlayer as if you were in the UK. This ensures you can enjoy every match of the 2025 Rugby Championship live, with no regional blocks and a smooth, high-quality streaming experience right from New Zealand.
How to Watch 2025 Rugby Championship in New Zealand on BBC iPlayer
The 2025 Rugby Championship will be available to stream on BBC iPlayer, one of the official broadcasters of the tournament. However, if you’re in New Zealand, you’ll encounter regional restrictions because BBC iPlayer is only accessible within the UK. This is where PureVPN comes in.
Here’s how to access the 2025 Rugby Championship live stream from New Zealand:
- Subscribe to PureVPN and create your account.
- Visit the official BBC iPlayer website and sign up for a free account (no paid subscription is required for BBC iPlayer).
- Use your email address to register and confirm your account.
- Install the BBC iPlayer app on your smart TV, mobile device, or use it directly through your web browser.
- Connect PureVPN to a UK server.
- Search for “Rugby Championship 2025” in the app or website.
- Click play to start watching all live matches, expert commentary, and full coverage of the tournament.
Since BBC iPlayer is geo-restricted to the UK, fans in New Zealand will need PureVPN to bypass the regional restrictions. With a UK server connection, you can enjoy the 2025 Rugby Championship live in New Zealand as if you were watching straight from the UK without interruptions.
Watch the 2025 Rugby Championship Online
If you are traveling or living in the US, PureVPN helps you access your home streaming service. Here’s a look at some of the official broadcasters for the 2025 Rugby Championship.
Watch 2025 Rugby Championship in New Zealand on Stan Sport
Stan Sport is one of Australia’s official broadcasters for the 2025 Rugby Championship, offering every game live and on demand. To access it, you need a basic Stan subscription starting at $12 AUD per month, plus the Stan Sport add-on for an additional $20 AUD per month, bringing the total to at least $32 AUD monthly.
If you’re in New Zealand and want to watch on Stan Sport, you’ll need PureVPN. Simply connect to an Australian server with PureVPN, log into your Stan Sport account, and enjoy uninterrupted coverage of the 2025 Rugby Championship.
Watch 2025 Rugby Championship on 9Now
9Now is the official free-to-air streaming platform in Australia for the 2025 Rugby Championship. Registration is free just sign up with an email address. However, you must be in Australia to stream matches live or on demand.
If you’re in New Zealand and want to use 9Now, connect PureVPN to an Australian server. This bypasses regional restrictions, giving you free access to every thrilling moment of the 2025 Rugby Championship.
Rugby Championship 2025 Preview
The 2025 Rugby Championship continues with its distinctive “mini-tour” format, featuring the national teams of Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
This edition runs from mid-August to early October across various locations, including a notable match between Argentina and South Africa at London’s Twickenham Stadium. This will be only the second time a Rugby Championship game is hosted outside the core Southern Hemisphere countries, emphasizing the tournament’s growing international appeal.
In 2025, each team plays six matches: three home and three away organized as two-match tours plus single home-and-away games against the remaining opponent. This format optimizes travel and competition balance while maintaining intense rivalries. South Africa, the defending champions and reigning World Cup winners, face strong challenges especially away from home, particularly in New Zealand.
The 2025 tournament is also significant as the last before the Rugby Championship shifts to a biennial schedule coinciding with the launch of the broader Nations Championship, signaling an evolving future for global southern hemisphere rugby competitions.
Rugby Championship 2025 Teams
- Argentina
- Australia
- New Zealand
- South Africa
Rugby Championship 2025 Schedule
| Date | Match | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| August 16 | South Africa vs Australia | Johannesburg |
| Argentina vs New Zealand | Cordoba | |
| August 23 | South Africa vs Australia | Cape Town |
| Argentina vs New Zealand | Buenos Aires | |
| September 6 | Australia vs Argentina | Townsville |
| New Zealand vs South Africa | Auckland | |
| September 13 | Australia vs Argentina | Sydney |
| New Zealand vs South Africa | Wellington | |
| September 27 | New Zealand vs Australia | Auckland |
| South Africa vs Argentina | Durban | |
| October 4 | Australia vs New Zealand | Perth |
| Argentina vs South Africa | Twickenham |
The Rugby Championship Format
The opening tournament of 1996 was contested by New Zealand, Australia and South Africa, with each nation playing each other home and away. New Zealand dominated the inaugural year and won every game they played. Although New Zealand won many of the early tournaments, most editions of the Tri Nations were hugely competitive and each nation had won the tournament at least once by 2000.
The success of the Tri Nations saw the tournament expand in 2006, when it was decided that each nation would play the others three times instead of twice. Then, in 2009, it was announced that Argentina would enter the competition in 2012. Until that point, Argentina had been the only tier one nation in the world that didn’t face regular international competition. When Argentina entered The Rugby Championship, the tournament reverted to a double round robin.
Counting down the days until we take to the field 🤩
— TheRugbyChampionship (@SanzarTRC) August 8, 2025
Who will lift the trophy in 2025?#TheRugbyChampionship pic.twitter.com/L4d9sRIsls
Frequently Asked Questions
Use PureVPN, connect to a UK server, then sign in to BBC iPlayer.
No, BBC iPlayer is free.
You can use Smart TVs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
Yes, when using a UK VPN server.
Yes, replays for Rugby Championship 2025 are available
Yes, full match commentary is included on BBC Iplayer for Rugby championship 2025
