Another four-year cycle has been completed, and we are faced with yet anotherseason of the Rugby World Cup. What a time to be alive, don’t you think?
While we still have a couple of weeks to properly prepare for all the fun and excitement that is about to hit us, how about we go through everything that needs to be said, done and known before the D-day?
Who won the last edition of the Rugby World Cup?
Without even looking it up online, about everyone who is a fan of rugby in any capacity should know that is New Zealand. The fact that they won the last edition does not make them special, but for the fact that they have now won it back to back.
Not only are they the only team in the world to have managed such a feat, they are also the ones with the most wins in this competition (3) over the past eight editions.
It is, thus, not surprising that they are entering this ninth edition as not just defenders of the trophy, but favorites to make a three peat happen.
When does the current edition start?
The ninth edition of the rugby world cup is scheduled to start on the 20th of September and roundup with a final game on the 2nd of November. That gives the teams about a month and a half to battle it out for supremacy again to see who comes out tops at the end of the day.
How many teams are playing in the rugby world cup?
A total of 20 teams will be involved in the competition for this edition. Of those, it should be noted that only four teams have ever won the trophy since its inception.
Besides New Zealand, both South Africa and Australia have claimed the trophy twice and will fancy a shot at the third one. England is a little bit on the back foot with only one trophy since 2003, but they will be looking to join the leagues of SA and Australia this year.
Where will the rugby world cup hold?
Japan won the bid for the ninth edition, making it the very first time an Asian country will host the showpiece event.
Where can I watch the rugby world cup?
Watching the world cup action will be dependent on where you are in the world.
Fans and enthusiasts in the US and UK can get all the action on dedicated TV networks if they have cablesubscription running. That would be NBC and ITV for both markets respectively.
However, interested persons who do not have cable running can also access the rugby world cup live stream from the comfort of their smartphones, tablets, laptops or other streaming devices.
UK watchers can get all 48 games for free via ITV by using the TVPlayer platform to stream the games. For the US, you would have to go through third-party streaming services too, but you might not always get the game for free as you would be required to pay a subscription fee.
A pro tip is to combine all the free streams you get from different streaming services to ensure you get the games without having to pay a dime all through. Some of the streaming services we recommend (since they come with the NBC network that you need for the rugby games) are:
- YouTube TV – Comes with a 14-day free trial, and you get to stream on any device of your choice
- SlingTV – Although it is already very cheap, it still allows youenjoy the first 7 days for free
- DirecTV – Great for sports and other forms of entertainment, the 7-day free trial comes in handy too
- PlayStation Vue – It might be the most expensive of the bunch, but you don’t have to worry about that since you get the first 7 days at no cost.
Combined, you get more than a month of free streams with all the services above. Ensure you start on the day of the first game so you can enjoy all the games within the rugby world cup window.
How can I watch from outside the US and UK?
ITV and NBC have already acquired the rights to these games from the US and UK. However, that should not mean the rest of the world is plunged into darkness or uncertainty about what is happening.
Likewise, you don’t have to condemn yourself to merely watching the game highlights.
To ensure that:
- Download a trusted VPN of your choice
- Connect to a US or UK server location. We prefer that you connect to the UK because of the ease of streaming from that location
- Head over to TVPlayer and create an account
- Stream all the games for free on ITV like you were physically present in the UK.
