Expect plenty of points on the board for Ireland as they begin their quest for glory at the Rugby World Cup on Saturday when they face minnows Romania in a Pool B clash at the Stade de Bordeaux.
Looking for an Ireland vs Romania live stream? Read on and we’ll show you how to watch from anywhere with a VPN, and potentially for FREE.
Ireland vs Romania live stream, date, time, channels
• Date: Saturday (Sep. 9)
• Time: 2:30 p.m. BST / 9:30 a.m. ET / 6:30 a.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. AEST
• U.K. — ITVX (FREE STREAM)
• AUS — Stan
• U.S. — Peacock
• Watch anywhere — Try ExpressVPN 100% risk free
There is a sense of expectation around Ireland heading into their World Cup opener against Romania and for good reason. Ranked number one in the world, Andy Farrell’s side have won their last 13 games, are reigning Six Nations champions and beat Australia and South Africa last November. Before that, they won two out of three games during their historic and successful tour of New Zealand.
All in all, it’s been a memorable run for Ireland who warmed up for the World Cup with wins over Italy, England Samoa. There’s also good news on the injury front, with only Dan Sheehan looking like missing out on the opening game. Therefore, it should be a straightforward start against a Romania side that recently lost by 50 points to Italy and Georgia.
This will be the ninth time Romania have played in a World Cup but little is expected of the minnows, who are only playing in France after finishing second in the Rugby Europe competition due to Spain fielding an ineligible player and being demoted to third.
Line-ups
Ireland XV: Keenan; Earls, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (c), Gibson-Park; Porter, Herring, Furlong; McCarthy, Ryan; Beirne, O’Mahony, Doris
Replacements: Kelleher, Loughman, O’Toole, Henderson, Van der Flier, Murray, Crowley, Henshaw
Romania XV: Simionescu; Onutu, Tangimana, Tomane, Manumua; Vaovasa, Rupanu; Harting, Cojocaru, Gordas; Motoc, Iancu; Rosu, Neculau, Chirica (c)
Replacements: Bardasu, Savin, Gajion, Iftimiciuc, Ser, Conache, Boldor, Gontineac
It should be a comfortable opening match for Ireland at Stade de Bordeaux and a great opportunity for its fearsome attack to rack up a big score. We’ve got all the details you need to watch Ireland vs Romania live streams, from anywhere, down below.
How to watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream for FREE
If you’re fortunate enough to live in the U.K. or Australia, then you can enjoy the Ireland vs Romania live stream for FREE.
The game will be shown on ITV and ITVX in the U.K.
But what if you’re usually based in one of those countries but aren’t at home for the Ireland vs Romania live stream? Perhaps, you’re on holiday and don’t want to spend money on a paid streaming service in a foreign country when you’d usually be able to watch for free at home.
Don’t worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We’ll show you how to do that below. Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you’ll find others in our best VPN services list.
Using a VPN is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we’ve said, ExpressVPN is our favorite.
2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you’re in the U.S. and want to view a British service, you’d select the U.K. from the list.
3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to ITVX and watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream.
How to watch the Ireland vs Romania live streams in the U.S.
Rugby fans in the U.S. can watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream on Peacock, NBC’s streaming service. To tune in, you’ll need to be signed up for either a Premium subscription ($5.99/month) or Premium Plus ($11.99/month, which also gets rid of some ads.).
If you’re outside of the U.S. but have one of these subscriptions, you can watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream by using a VPN such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream for FREE in the U.K.
In the U.K. the Ireland vs Romania live stream will be available to watch for free on ITV and ITVX. Just bear in mind that you will need a valid U.K. TV license in order to watch the game on TV or via online streaming.
If you’re not currently in the U.K. and have a valid TV license, you can still watch an Ireland vs Romania live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch a Ireland vs Romania live stream for FREE in Australia
Rugby fans in Australia can watch Ireland vs Romania on Stan Sport, meanwhile, which will be live streaming every match of the Rugby World Cup, ad-free.
A subscription costs $15 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), after a 30-day Stan Sport FREE trial.
Traveling outside Oz? Don’t worry — you can watch via a VPN instead. Our favorite VPN service right now is ExpressVPN, but you’ll find others in our best VPN services list.
How to watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream in New Zealand
Kiwis can watch Ireland vs Romania via Sky Sport. This costs $63.98 NZD per month after a $31.98 NZD three-month offer, or you could go for the Sky Sport Now service, which gives you just the Sports channels but for a reduced cost of $24.99/week, $44.99/month or $499.99/year.
Not at home in New Zealand right now? You can still follow the game by using one of the best VPN services, such as ExpressVPN.
How to watch the Ireland vs Romania live stream in Singapore
Rugby fans in Singapore can watch all 48 games from the Rugby World Cup 2023 live on beIN Sports. Sadly, the RWC 2023 games are not included with the standard monthly or annual subscriptions. Instead, you’ll need to shell out on a specific RWC Pass for S$85.90. Ouch.
Don’t forget, though, if you’re a license-fee-paying Brit abroad in Singapore at the moment, you can watch all of the Rugby World Cup on ITVX instead by using a VPN.