South Africa has a Rugby World Cup crown to defend and you're going to need a pair of pliers and a blowtorch to strip it from them. Next up on the chopping block to face the Springboks today is Romania, who may not be the biggest name in world rugby but does have a handful of Test wins against the sport's elite. You wouldn't want to miss one of world rugby's biggest shocks, now, would you?
It looks like being a wet one in Bordeaux for this fixture, so expect a battle between both sides' packs in this one. The players are set to get this contest going.
The teams for this fiery contest are below, with South Africa ringing the changes from the defeat of Scotland...
SOUTH AFRICA Willie Le Roux; Grant Williams, Canan Moodie, Andre Esterhuizen, Makazole Mapimpi; Damian Willemse, Cobus Reinach; Ox Nche, Mbongeni Mbonambi (captain), Vincent Koch; Jean Kleyn, Marvin Orie; Marco van Staden, Kwagga Smith, Duane Vermeulen
Replacements: Deon Fourie, Steven Kitshoff, Trevor Nyakane, RG Snyman, Jasper Wiese, Jaden Hendrikse, Faf de Klerk, Jesse Kriel
ROMANIA Marius Simionescu; Tevita Manumua, Jason Tomane, Taylor Gontineac, Nicholas Onutu; Hinckley Vaovasa, Gabriel Rupanu; Iulian Hartig, Ovidiu Cojocaru, Alexandru Gordas, Adrian Motoc, Marius Iftimiciuc, Andre Gorin, Vlad Neculau, Cristian Chirica (captain)
Replacements: Robert Irimescu, Alexandru Savin, Thomas Cretu, Stefan Iancu, Damian Stratila, Cristi Boboc, Alin Conache, Gabriel Pop
South Africa vs Romania in the Rugby World Cup is airing for FREE in the UK today, on the ITVX streaming service. But don't worry if you're abroad while the games are playing, because you can watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 live streams on ITVX from anywhere with a VPN.
► Date: Sunday, September 17
► Time: 9 am ET / 6 am PT / 2 pm UK / 11 pm AEST
US: CNBC (live TV streaming) | Peacock
UK: ITV1 | ITVX (both free with license fee)
AU: Stan Sport
Stream anywhere: ExpressVPN
If you've got a weakness – and let's face it, who hasn't? – then South Africa exploits it to its dying breath. At its ruthless best in beating Scotland 18-3 in the opening round of Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures, the Springboks can claim one of the strongest packs in world rugby which incrementally turns the screw to squeeze the life from its opponent and force errors. In fact, head coach Jacques Nienaber's only real problem centers around the fitness of hooker Malcolm Marx, who has been sent for scans after picking up an injury in training and is a doubt for the remainder of the tournament. Nienaber has made 14 changes to his lineup from last week – only Damian Willemse, who switches from full back to fly half, keeps his place – in an effort to provide as much rest to his starting XV as possible. Indeed, he's picked all four scrum halves in his squad, with Cobus Reinach getting the number nine shirt and Grant Williams deployed on the wing. Jaden Hendrikse and Faf de Klerk, who can cover fly half, are the other two scrum halves in the matchday roster.
If Romania were playing cards, it would have folded its hand by now and waited for a better deal. Beginning the Rugby World Cup by playing the sides ranked number one and two in the world would be a gargantuan task for any nation, let alone one of the sport's smaller outfits. Sure, the Oaks lost 82-8 to Ireland in its opening fixture, but Gabriel Rupanu's early try gave the minnows an early lead to prove that the talent is there to cause an upset. If they frustrate the Springboks, who must win with the Irish and Scotland in the Pool of Death, then pressure does funny things even to the best.
Whether you're planning to catch today's South Africa vs Romania live stream or watch the entire Rugby World Cup 2023 on your TV or your laptop, keep reading for your entire list of options. We've also included lots of useful information below so you know when the matches take place, who will play, and where this evening's drama will go down.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in the UK for free
In the UK, ITV is the exclusive broadcaster for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so you'll be able to watch South Africa vs Romania – and all the games – on one of the various ITV-branded channels. You'll be able to watch this game on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 1:30 pm ahead of the 2 pm kick-off.
If you don't have a TV, then you'll be able to use ITVX on your computer, phone, tablet or smart TV, as that lets you live stream from ITV channels.
ITV1 and ITVX are free to watch for license fee payers. If you're trying to access the streaming platform while outside the UK, you might want to try a VPN to allow you to watch from abroad.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in the US
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcasting company will be the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including South Africa vs Romania, which will be streamed live on CNBC and Peacock. Kick-off is bright and early at 9 am ET / 6 am PT.
Firstly, on cable you can watch the game on CNBC, with coverage starting 15 minutes prior. Cord-cutters can use Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV (with the News Extra add-on), DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV to get the channel, with most of the best live TV streaming services offering it.
Alternatively, you can sign in to Peacock to catch the game, which will be a cheaper option than signing up to a TV service. Peacock starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Rugby World Cup 2023 games too.
Remember, if you're currently outside the States but don't want to miss any of the South Africa vs Romania action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in South Africa
Good news, rugby fans in South Africa (and there are plenty of you) you can also watch the Springboks in action against Romania for free. Kick-off is at 3 pm SAST.
A last-minute sub-licensing deal means Springboks game (including South Africa v Romania) will be available free-to-air on SABC, with selected games available on SABCSport.com’s live streaming channel. There are, however, restrictions on the OVHD platform, meaning millions will not be able to view the matches carried by SABC. Check local listings for more details.
Remember, if you want to watch every fixture at the Rugby World Cup 2023, not just the mighty Springboks, then pay-tv channel SuperSport is where you need to go. There are various SuperSport packages available, whether you want to watch via DStv or stream.
If you're currently outside the States but don't want to miss any of the South Africa vs Romania action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in Australia
In Australia, you've got two options for watching the Rugby World Cup. Firstly, online streaming service Stan Sport will be showing every single game – including South Africa vs Romania. The match kicks off on late on Sunday evening at 11 pm AEST, so get the coffee (or the poison of your choice) ready.
Beyond this fixture, Channel Nine will be showing all of the Australian team's games (and the final, whether or not the Wallabies make it), and will also be streaming it on 9Now.
Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the England vs Japan live stream from the Rugby World Cup 2023.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania everywhere else
Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Rugby World Cup 2023 matches, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.
However, there's a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the tournament games. Thankfully, you can solve this issue with a Virtual Private Network (a VPN).
A VPN lets you get around the usual digital barriers by changing your IP address, meaning you can watch events like the Rugby World Cup 2023 tournament even if it is not directly broadcasting where you are. Our favorite is ExpressVPN, which is the No. 1-rated VPN in the world right now according to our sister site, TechRadar.
How to use a VPN to watch any stream
- Download the app at ExpressVPN
- Choose the location of the streaming service you want to watch.
- Navigate to the streaming service and start watching!
Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures
Group stage
Saturday, September 16
Group B: Ireland vs Tonga
Group C: Wales vs Portugal
Group D: Samoa vs Chile
Sunday, September 17
Group B: South Africa vs Romania
Group C: Australia vs Fiji
Group D: England vs Japan
Wednesday, September 20
Group A: Italy vs Uruguay
Thursday, September 21
Group A: France vs Namibia
Friday, September 22
Group D: Argentina vs Samoa
Saturday, September 23
Group B: South Africa vs Ireland
Group C: Georgia vs Portugal
Group D: England vs Chile
Sunday, September 24
Group B: Scotland vs Tonga
Group C: Wales vs Australia
Wednesday, September 27
Group A: Uruguay vs Namibia
Thursday, September 28
Group D: Japan vs Samoa
Friday, September 29
Group A: New Zealand vs Italy
Saturday, September 30
Group B: Scotland vs Romania
Group C: Fiji vs Georgia
Group D: Argentina vs Chile
Sunday, October 1
Group B: South Africa vs Tonga
Group C: Australia vs Portugal
Thursday, October 5
Group A: New Zealand vs Uruguay
Friday, October 6
Group A: France vs Italy
Saturday, October 7
Group B: Ireland vs Scotland
Group C: Wales vs Georgia
Group D: England vs Samoa
Sunday, October 8
Group B: Tonga vs Romania
Group C: Fiji vs Portugal
Group D: Japan vs Argentina
Knockout stage
Saturday, October 14
QF1: Group C winner vs Group D runner-up
QF2: Group B winner vs Group A runner-up
Sunday, October 15
QF3: Group D winner vs Group C runner-up
QF4: Group A winner vs Group B runner-up
Friday, October 20
SF1: QF1 winner vs QF2 winner
Saturday, October 21
SF2: QF3 winner vs QF4 winner
Friday, October 27
Bronze Final: SF1 loser vs SF2 loser
Saturday, October 28
Final: SF1 winner vs SF2 winner
Rugby World Cup 2023 questions
Where does the Rugby World Cup take place?
The Rugby World Cup 2023 is being hosted by France, with nine different locations around the country hosting rugby games:
- Stade de Framce in Saint-Denis, capacity 80,698
- Stade Vélodrome in Marseille, capacity 67,394
- Stade Lyon-Décines in Décines-Charpieu, capacity 59,186
- Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, capacity 50,186
- Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux in Bordeaux, capacity 42,115
- Stade Geoffroy-Guichard in Saint-Étienne, capacity 41,965
- Stade de Nice in Nice, 35,624
- Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes, capacity 35,322
- Stadium Municipa in Toulouse, capacity 33,150
Which teams are in the Rugby World Cup?
There are 20 teams partaking in the Rugby World Cup, with each split into four groups of five in the first stage of the tournament.
Chile makes its debut to the tournament this year, knocking out the United States and Canada in its successful qualification tournament.
Group A
New Zealand
France
Italy
Uruguay
Namibia
Group B
South Africa
Ireland
Scotland
Tonga
Romania
Group C
Wales
Australia
Fiji
Georgia
Portugal
Group D
England
Japan
Argentina
Samoa
Chile
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in the US
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcasting company will be the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including South Africa vs Romania, which will be streamed live on CNBC and Peacock. Kick-off is bright and early at 9 am ET / 6 am PT.
Firstly, on cable you can watch the game on CNBC, with coverage starting 15 minutes prior. Cord-cutters can use Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV (with the News Extra add-on), DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV to get the channel, with most of the best live TV streaming services offering it.
Alternatively, you can sign in to Peacock to catch the game, which will be a cheaper option than signing up to a TV service. Peacock starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Rugby World Cup 2023 games too.
Remember, if you're currently outside the States but don't want to miss any of the South Africa vs Romania action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
How to watch South Africa vs Romania in the US
Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcasting company will be the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including South Africa vs Romania, which will be streamed live on CNBC and Peacock. Kick-off is bright and early at 9 am ET / 6 am PT.
Firstly, on cable you can watch the game on CNBC, with coverage starting 15 minutes prior. Cord-cutters can use Hulu with Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV (with the News Extra add-on), DirecTV Stream or YouTube TV to get the channel, with most of the best live TV streaming services offering it.
Alternatively, you can sign in to Peacock to catch the game, which will be a cheaper option than signing up to a TV service. Peacock starts at $5.99 per month for ad-enabled streaming or $11.99 for ad-free, and it's showing all of the Rugby World Cup 2023 games too.
Remember, if you're currently outside the States but don't want to miss any of the South Africa vs Romania action, then get a VPN so you won't be geo-blocked from your regular service.
