2025 Quilter Nations Series, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 15/11/2025 Ireland vs Australia Ireland’s Mack Hansen scores his sides third try of the match despite Australia’s James O'Connor Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Gary Carr
Virgin Media Television (VMTV) will become the exclusive free‑to‑air Irish broadcaster of the Nations Championship, when the new international rugby tournament kicks off this July.
The Nations Championship has been created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR through a landmark joint venture, transforming the July and November international windows into a single competitive tournament held every two years. Featuring the twelve strongest international sides and the world’s best players, the Nations Championship will see the Northern and Southern Hemispheres go head‑to‑head to determine the dominant hemisphere.
The major new partnership with Virgin Media Television joins ITV, in the UK, TF1 in France, and Sky Italia in Italy, ensuring the broadest possible audience across rugby’s biggest territories have comprehensive access to the new global tournament.
VMTV will broadcast every Nations Championship fixture live, complementing its existing coverage of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations. From 2026, every major Ireland international game in the Summer and Autumn will be available free‑to‑air on VMTV – the first time this level of access has been available since the game turned professional.
Outside of a Nations Championship year, VMTV will also broadcast fixtures from the Summer Nations Series, as teams prepare for Rugby World Cup 2027, as well as the Autumn Nations Series, delivering comprehensive year‑round international rugby coverage for Irish fans.
This new partnership not only guarantees extensive free‑to‑air visibility for elite rugby, but also brings significant new investment into the sport, supporting its growth across all participating nations.
Commenting on Virgin Media Television becoming the Irish home of international rugby and the first broadcaster to air the new Nations Championship, Mick McCaffrey, Director of News and Sport at Virgin Media Television said: “This is a hugely significant announcement and brilliant news for all rugby fans. It means every Irish rugby international will be broadcast free-to-air for the next four years and really cements Virgin Media Television’s role as the home of top-class international rugby.
The Nations Championship is set to be a very exciting tournament with 12 of the world’s best teams competing against each other across the summer and autumn. This is a key strategic investment for Virgin Media Television, and we are delighted to be broadcasting all 42 games live and exclusive. We can’t wait for the action to start”
Tom Harrison, CEO of Six Nations Rugby, added: “Rugby has never been in a stronger position, leading into 2026 and the debut of the Nations Championship, and the new partnership with Virgin Media Television cements this. Fans in Ireland have guaranteed Free-To-Air access to the very best international rugby for the next four years, confirming Virgin Media Television as the home of rugby in Ireland. Coupled with significant investment to fuel the game, this partnership is a hugely significant moment for the sport, giving rugby an incredible opportunity to unlock its true value to drive long term growth.”
Kevin Potts, Chief Executive Officer of the IRFU, commented: This landmark agreement with Virgin Media Television represents a major step forward for Irish rugby and for our supporters. The Nations Championship is set to elevate the international game, bringing together the best teams in world rugby in a truly compelling new format.
Ensuring that every Ireland fixture is available Free To Air is hugely important to us, and we are delighted that fans across the country will be able to experience this new tournament in its entirety on VMTV. Their commitment to showcasing this tournament, alongside their existing Six Nations coverage, strengthens the connection between our national team and the millions who follow them.”
VMTV will air all 42 matches of the 2026 Nations Championship, with seven Ireland fixtures included in the schedule. Full broadcast details are outlined below:
• Australia vs Ireland
• Japan vs Ireland
• New Zealand vs Ireland
• Ireland vs Argentina
• Ireland vs Fiji
• Ireland vs South Africa
• All 12 nations will play on finals weekend in London.
• Match‑ups will be determined by the final league standings at the end of the pool phase, i.e. 1st ranked team from Northern Hemishphere group versus 1st ranked team from Southern Hemisphere group
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