How to watch Ireland vs New Zealand: live stream the Rugby World Cup 2023 game online and for free, team news

Garry Ringrose of Ireland scores ahead of the Ireland vs New Zealand live stream.
(Image credit: World Rugby/World Rugby via Getty Images)

The stage is set for a monumental clash at the Stade de France today when Pool B winners Ireland take on New Zealand for a place in the semi-finals of the Rugby World Cup 2023. The Irish have looked assured and clinical in France, while the All Blacks appear to be rediscovering their best form.

The Stade de France is full, the tension is building and we are fast approaching kick-off in Paris. Can Ireland show why they are the top-ranked team in the world? Or will te All Blacks power their way to the semi-finals?

Ireland vs New Zealand in the Rugby World Cup is airing for free in the UK, on the ITVX streaming service, and in Ireland via Virgin Media Player. Don't worry if you're abroad right now, because you can watch Rugby World Cup 2023 live streams on ITVX from anywhere with a VPN.

Quick links

Time: 8 pm UK & IST / 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT / 5 am AEST (Oct 15 )

US: Peacock
UK:
ITV1 | ITVX (free with license fee)
IRE: Virgin Media 1 | Virgin Media Player (free)
AU: Stan Sport
How to use a VPN to watch any stream

Confidence is high in the Ireland camp following four superb performances in the pool stage that culminated with a ruthless victory over Scotland. Andy Farrell’s side have now won 17 straight games, a remarkable run that has seen them dismantle South Africa, France, England and upcoming opponents New Zealand. 

Last year Ireland secured a historic 2-1 series victory in New Zealand and have looked virtually untouchable ever since. This is a squad full of imagination, ability and belief, and they will be confident of extending this remarkable run and reaching a first-ever World Cup semi-final. 

For New Zealand, this clash provides an opportunity to erase the memory of the series defeat last year and recent losses to South Africa and France. The All Blacks have looked vulnerable in the past 12 months but in their last three pool games were able to find their mojo as they scored 71 points against Namibia, 96 against Italy and then 73 in the win over Uruguay. 

Line-ups 

Ireland XV: Keenan; Hansen, Ringrose, Aki, Lowe; Sexton (c), Gibson-Park; Porter, Sheehan, Furlong; Beirne, Henderson; O’Mahony, Van der Flier, Doris

Replacements: Kelleher, Kilcoyne, Bealham, McCarthy, Conan, Murray, Crowley, O’Brien

New Zealand XV: B Barrett; Jordan, Ioane, J Barrett, Fainga'anuku; Mo'unga, Smith; De Groot, Taylor, Lomax; Retallick, S Barrett; Frizell, Cane (c), Savea

Replacements: Coles, Williams, Newell, Whitelock, Papali’i, Christie, McKenzie, Lienert-Brown

It should be a thrilling encounter in Paris so you’ll want to know how to watch Ireland vs New Zealand. We've got all the information on that below, including how to watch the Rugby World Cup 2023 from anywhere.

How to watch Ireland vs New Zealand in the UK for free

Image

In the UK, ITV is the exclusive broadcaster for the 2023 Rugby World Cup, so you'll be able to watch Ireland vs New Zealand – along with every other game – on one of the various ITV-branded channels. This game is being shown on ITV1, with coverage beginning at 7.15 pm UK ahead of the 8 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. Here's how to watch live TV on ITVX if you need a few more details.

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 Ireland vs New Zealand in Ireland for free

If you're fortunate enough to live in Ireland then you can enjoy every single minute of the Ireland vs New Zealand live stream for free. 

The game will be broadcast on the free-to-air channel Virgin Media 1 and you can access a live stream via Virgin Media Player if you live within the broadcaster's coverage area. Coverage starts at 7 pm IST, ahead of kick-off at 8 pm IST.

If you're going to be abroad for the Ireland vs New Zealand game and want to carry on watching your regular service, you'll need a VPN such as ExpressVPN. We'll explain exactly what you need to do below.

How to watch Ireland vs New Zealand in the US

Thanks to a partnership between World Rugby and NBC Sports, the broadcaster is the exclusive home for the Rugby World Cup games – including Ireland vs New Zealand, which will be streamed live on Peacock. The match kicks off at 3 pm ET / 12 pm PT.

You can sign in to Peacock, which 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 games.

Remember, if you're away from the US at the minute, you'll need a VPN to ensure you can still watch the Ireland vs New Zealand live stream without being geo-blocked. Keep reading on to find out how to get yourself set up. 

How to watch Ireland vs New Zealand in Australia

In Australia, you've got two options for watching the Rugby World Cup. Firstly, online streaming service Stan Sport is showing every single game – including Ireland vs New Zealand. The match kicks off on Sunday, October 15 at 5 am AEST, so make sure the coffee is brewing.

Beyond this fixture, Channel Nine will be showing the final of the World Cup and they'll also be streaming on 9Now.

Not in Australia right now? Make sure you get yourself a VPN to ensure you don't miss a second of the Ireland vs New Zealand live stream from Rugby World Cup 2023. 

How to watch Ireland vs New Zealand everywhere else

Wherever you live, there's a good possibility that a national broadcaster is streaming the Rugby World Cup, particularly if your country has a team playing in the tournament.

However, in some places there is a possibility that there's no easy way of watching the rugby. 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!
ExpressVPN
$12.95 at expressvpn.com

ExpressVPN is one of the simplest and most affordable ways to watch what you want from anywhere you want to watch it. 

It's straightforward and easy to use, has great security, is available on loads of streaming devices and, best of all, it comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it out 100% risk-free.

Rugby World Cup 2023 fixtures

Knockout stage

Saturday, October 14

QF1: Wales vs Argentina
QF2: Ireland vs New Zealand

Sunday, October 15

QF3: England vs Fiji
QF4: France vs South Africa 

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

Adrian Back
Contributor

Adrian is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about sport for a wide range of publications including World Soccer Magazine, Newsweek, Yahoo and FourFourTwo. Having covered everything from the NBA Finals and French Open to the London Olympics and F1 in Abu Dhabi, his great passion remains football – a sport he could write and talk about all day long.