The Rugby League World Cup 2021 final is here, with 61 fixtures, six weeks and 16 teams now reduce to one showpiece event at Old Trafford – Australia vs Samoa for the Paul Barrière trophy.
The 16th staging of the covid-delayed event began in England on 15th October 2022, and all the action is free-to-air for UK viewers. Make sure you know how to watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 final live stream from wherever you are too. Viewing options and kick-off times are listed below along with how to watch iPlayer from abroad, for licence holders away from home.
Date: 15th October - 19th November 2022
Free stream: BBC iPlayer (UK)
Watch BBC iPlayer anywhere: ExpressVPN
For the first time in the history of the Rugby League World Cup, all three competitions – men's, women's and wheelchair – have run concurrently. It's also the first time that the tournament has been broadcast live and free-to-air, so there's no need to miss a single drop-goal or dummy pass.
The men's tournament kicked off on Saturday 15th October with England vs Samoa, and now finishes with the Polynesian Islanders facing Australia on Saturday at 4pm, not long after the women's final of Australia vs New Zealand takes place at 1.15pm. Ahead of that England and France face one another for the wheelchair final on Friday.
Australia, who have finished in the top three in all 15 RLWC tournaments, and have won 11, are once again hot favourites under the captaincy of James Tedesco. Here's how to watch a the Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream for free – and from anywhere in the world.
Rugby League World Cup 2021 free live stream
Good news for UK fans: all matches of the Rugby League World Cup 2021 will be broadcast live and free on BBC. That means all UK license fee payers can watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 free live stream of all of the games on BBC iPlayer. The free-to-air stream is restricted to viewers within the UK, but that doesn't mean you have to miss out.
Are you a UK citizen travelling outside the UK at the moment?
Use a VPN to watch the rugby on BBC iPlayer free from abroad.
We rate ExpressVPN as the best VPN. It comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and 24/7 customer support. Full details below.
How to watch the Rugby League World Cup 2021 abroad using a VPN
Even if you have subscribed to the relevant Rugby League World Cup 2021 rights holders, you won't be able to use them when outside your own country. The service will know your location based on your IP address, and will automatically block your access.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) helps you get around this obstacle. A VPN creates a private connection between your device and the internet, such that the servers and services you’re accessing aren’t aware of what you’re doing. All the information passing back and forth is entirely encrypted.
There are many VPN providers out there, with some more reliable and safe than others. As a rule, we’d suggest a paid-for service such as ExpressVPN which offers a 100 per cent risk-free money back guarantee. If you're not happy with the service any time within the first 30-days, then you can cancel with no penalties at all.
How to use a VPN for the Rugby League World Cup 2021
Using a VPN to watch the Rugby League World Cup is incredibly simple.
1. Install the VPN of your choice. ExpressVPN is the one we recommend.
2. Open up the VPN app and choose the location of the service you wish to access. For the RLWC2021, you may wish to choose 'UK' for BBC iPlayer.
3. Then head over to BBC iPlayer on your browser or device and enjoy the Rugby League World Cup 2021 free live stream.
USA: Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream
Rugby fans based in the US can tune into the Rugby League World Cup 2021 on combats sports streaming platform Fite.
It's a pricey pay-per-view affair – $99.99 gets you access to every men's game.
Don't forget: UK fans travelling overseas can stream the whole tournament free on BBC iPlayer.
Use a VPN to tune into BBC iPlayer while abroad.
Watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream in Australia
If you're in Australia, local streaming service Kayo Sports will be providing live coverage of the Rugby League World Cup 2021.
Kayo Sports offers new users a free 7-day trial. Subscription costs from AU$25 a month thereafter.
UK citizen in Australia? Don't forget that licence fee-paying UK nationals can use a VPN to access a free live stream on BBC iPlayer.
Watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream in New Zealand
Spark Sport has exclusive rights to show every 2021 RLWC match live in New Zealand.
If you're sitting on the fence about signing up, know that Spark Sport offers a 7-day FREE free trial, so you can try before you buy.
Once that's over, a subscription costs $24.99 per month, and includes the Premier League, plenty of Black Caps cricket action, F1 racing and MotoGP.
Spark Sport is available via web browsers on your PC or Mac, plus Apple and Android mobile devices, Chromecast, Apple TV, selected Samsung, Sony, Panasonic and LG TVs, and select Freeview streamers.
Watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream in Canada
Fite is the place to watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream if you're based in Canada. Pay-per-view access to the All Events Men's Bundle costs $49.99.
Watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream in Germany and Italy
Fite is also the place to watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream if you're based in Germany, Italy or "most of Europe" (but not France). Pay-per-view access to the All Events Men's Bundle costs $49.99. Individual games cost from $7.99 each.
Watch a Rugby League World Cup 2021 live stream in France
BeIN Sports has the rights to show the French teams’ matches (men’s, women’s and wheelchair), as well as other key clashes including all matches from the men's quarter finals onwards. Subscription costs from €15 a month.
Rugby League World Cup 2021 fixtures and schedule
All kick-offs in UK & Ireland time.
Friday, 18 November
Wheelchair
Final (19:30pm - BBC Two, BBC iPlayer)
Saturday, 19 November
Men’s
Final (16:00pm - BBC One, BBC iPlayer)
Women’s
Final (13:15pm - BBC One, BBC iPlayer)
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