UPDATE 2021: The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will take place in England in 2022 from October 15 until November 19.
Originally due to take place in October and November of 2021, it was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent withdrawals of Australia and New Zealand. There’ll be 31 games in total, so there’s certainly plenty to look forward to. The good news is that you can easily live stream the Rugby League World Cup abroad with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).
You should note that we’ll only be recommending official sources for watching the Rugby League World Cup 2021. While there are often third-party streams for major sporting events such as this, we don’t advise using them. To begin with, the video tends to be laggy and low-resolution. To make matters worse, unlicensed streams can be taken offline at any moment for copyright violation. On the other hand, since you can watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 for free, there’s no need to use unauthorized, unreliable streams in the first place.
The Rugby League World Cup 2021 will only be shown on region-locked platforms. To continue watching abroad via your usual home streaming service, you’ll need to connect to a VPN.
How to watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 from abroad with a VPN
New to using VPNs and not sure how to get started? Don’t worry; it’s easy to access geo-restricted services abroad. Follow the steps below to stream the Rugby League World Cup from anywhere.
Here’s how to watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 online from anywhere with a VPN:
- First, sign up for a suitable VPN. We recommend NordVPN although Surfshark and ExpressVPN are two high-quality alternatives worth considering.
- Download and install the VPN app, taking care to get the right version for your device.
- Decide which streaming service you’d like to unblock from the list below and create an account (if required).
- Connect to a VPN server in the appropriate location. For example, a server in the UK to get a UK IP address (for watching for free via BBC iPlayer).
- Try playing a video on your chosen service. In most cases, it should load without any issues. If you’re having difficulty, clear your browser’s cache and cookies, then reload the page. Alternatively, try connecting to another server.
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Rugby League World Cup games will be broadcast live. For this reason, we recommend making sure your VPN works (using the steps above) well before matches are due to begin. This approach ensures you’ll have time to get help from your VPN’s customer support team in the event of unexpected technical problems, and makes it less likely you’ll miss part of the game.
How to watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 online free in the UK
The BBC will be the main broadcaster of the Rugby World Cup 2021 in the UK. It will show every game of the tournament on either BBC One or BBC Two, channels that can be watched live and for free online via BBC iPlayer. Signing up for BBC iPlayer is free and only takes a minute. All you have to do is enter some basic information. Note that while this service asks for your UK postal code, it doesn’t actually verify whether or not you live there, so any valid British postal code will work.
BBC iPlayer content is geo-restricted and only available in the UK. However, if you connect to a British VPN server, you can use either service from abroad. Don’t have a VPN yet? NordVPN comes with a risk-free 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to stream the Rugby League World Cup from abroad and claim a refund if you’re unsatisfied.
Where else can I watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 online?
The Rugby League World Cup will broadcast in many countries worldwide. However, only a few official broadcasters have been announced so far.
New Zealand
You’ll be able to watch all of the Rugby League World Cup matches live on Spark Sport. To watch, you’ll need a subscription with the streaming service. This costs $24.99 (NZD) a month although a 7-day free trial is available for new customers. It’s worth knowing that Spark Sport is only available in New Zealand. To access its region-locked content while traveling abroad, you’ll need to get a New Zealand IP address via a VPN service.
Which countries are taking part in the 2021 Rugby League World Cup?
A total of 16 countries will go head-to-head in the Rugby World Cup. They are divided into the following groups:
Group A:
- England
- Samoa
- France
- Greece
Group B:
- Australia
- Fiji
- Scotland
- Italy
Group C:
- New Zealand
- Lebanon
- Jamaica
- Ireland
Group D:
- Tonga
- Papa New Guinea
- Wales
- Cook Islands
2021 Rugby League World Cup in England: full schedule
The full schedule of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be announced later this year (2021).