The Ireland v Scotland 2020 Six Nations match will take place on Saturday, February 1 at 4:45 PM GMT. This opening weekend fixture will be played at Aviva Stadium, Dublin and will be Andy Farrell’s first match in charge of Ireland. If you can’t make it to the match in person, don’t worry; we’ll now show you how to live stream Ireland v Scotland live online, for free, from anywhere in the world, with a Virtual Private Network (VPN).

It’s worth knowing that we’re only recommending official sources for watching Ireland v Scotland. Unauthorized streams of popular sporting events are common. However, we don’t recommend them for several reasons. In particular, unofficial sources run the risk of being taken offline for copyright infringement. They’re also typically of poor quality with low resolution video and frequent lag. Besides, you can watch Ireland v Scotland live online for free so there’s no need to waste time and energy on unlicensed streams.

The 2020 Six Nations match between Ireland and Scotland will only be shown on region-locked platforms. To watch your usual home streaming services when traveling abroad, you’ll need a VPN.

How to live stream Ireland v Scotland online for free with a VPN

When you use a VPN to connect to a server in another country, you receive a new, temporary IP address. This makes it appear as if you’re browsing from another location entirely, allowing you to unblock geo-restricted websites and services. We’ll explain how you can do this to watch Ireland v Scotland no matter where you are in the world.

Here’s how to watch Ireland v Scotland (Six Nations 2020) live online from anywhere: 

  • Start by signing up with a VPN service. We recommend ExpressVPN although CyberGhost and NordVPN are two great value alternatives to consider.
  • Next, download and install the appropriate VPN app for your device. The above-recommended VPNs offer a wide range of apps and browser extensions.
  • Open the VPN app (or navigate to your VPN browser extension) and connect to a server in the UK for unblocking ITV Hub abroad.
  • Go to ITV Hub and sign up for an account if you don’t have one already. Note that you’ll be asked to provide a UK postcode though any UK postal code is accepted.
  • Finally, select an ITV Hub live stream. The content should now play without any restrictions. If it’s still blocked, clear your browser’s cookies and refresh your browser.

The Ireland v Scotland match will be broadcast live. For this reason, we recommend you test your VPN with ITV Hub in advance. This gives you time to contact your VPN’s customer support for further guidance should you run into any problems.

How to live stream Ireland v Scotland free on UK TV

The 2020 Six Nations broadcasting rights are shared by the BBC and ITV but Ireland v Scotland will be shown exclusively on ITV. This means you can watch it online for free via ITV Hub. In order to watch live content on ITV Hub, you’ll need to sign up for a free account. This requires you to provide your name, email address, date of birth, and a UK postal code. Don’t worry, any UK postal code will do as there is no verification of the information provided.

If you’re outside the UK, you’ll need a VPN in order to watch Ireland v Scotland on ITV Hub. That’s because ITV Hub content is region-locked. Simply connect to a server in the UK and you’ll be assigned a UK IP address for unblocking ITV Hub abroad. ExpressVPN works with ITV Hub and comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. As such, you can try ExpressVPN risk-free and claim a full refund within the 30-day period if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

Where else can I watch Ireland v Scotland live online?

There are plenty of ways to watch the Six Nations 2020, with official broadcasters in dozens of countries. To find out more, take a look at our full guide to live streaming the Six Nations. The Six Nations website also provides a full list of TV broadcasters. You’ll find just some of the options available below:

Ireland

Unfortunately, ITV Hub isn’t available in the Republic of Ireland. However, the good news is that the Ireland v Scotland match will be broadcast for free on Virgin Media One. Better still, you don’t need to sign up for an account to watch its content. You will need to have an Irish IP address to watch Virgin Media One. If you’re out of the country at the moment, you can obtain one by connecting to one of your VPN’s Irish servers.

USA

Rugby fans in the US can watch all of the Six Nations games on NBC Sports Network. If you have a US cable TV subscription you can, therefore, watch Ireland v Scotland at no extra cost. It’s also possible to watch NBC Sports Network cable-free via the following streaming services: AT&T TV Now ($65 USD/month), FuboTV ($54.99/month), Hulu with Live TV ($54.99/month), Sling TV ($20/month), and YouTube TV ($49.99/month). Finally, there’s the option of purchasing an NBC Sports Gold Rugby Pass which costs $79.99.

NBC Sports Network content is geo-restricted. However you choose to watch NBC Sports Network outside the US, you’ll need to connect to a server in the US for a US IP address.

Australia

If you’re in Australia, you can watch Ireland v Scotland (and all Six Nations matches) on beIN Sports. All cable TV subscribers have to do is sign in using their TV provider credentials. Foxtel Now allows you to watch beIN Sports Australia without the commitment of a long-term contract. This costs $54 AUD per month ($25 for the base subscription and an additional $29 for the sports package) and comes with a 10-day free trial.

One further way to watch beIN Sports is via Fetch TV. Signup is possible via various Australian Internet Service Providers. Alternatively, you can purchase a Fetch box outright. Whichever method you choose, you’ll need to pay a further $19.99 monthly for the beIN Sports package. As beIN Sports content is only available in Australia, you’ll need to use a VPN and connect to a server in Australia to watch abroad.

What should I know about the Ireland v Scotland Six Nations match?

The winner of this opening weekend Six Nations match will be presented with the Centenary Quaich. This award has been annually contested by Ireland and Scotland since 1989 as part of the Six Nations Championship.

Overall, Ireland and Scotland have played each other 135 times. This has been a closely fought contest with Ireland winning 64 games, Scotland winning 66 times, and five matches drawn. However, of the 65 matches played in Ireland, 35 have been won by Ireland with four draws. Add to this Ireland’s dominant record versus Scotland in recent years (they’ve won 19 of the 25 matches played since 2000), and Ireland are firm favorites to win this Six Nations match.

What about watching other games online?

We have an extensive guide to live streaming the Six Nations online so you don’t have to miss a single game if you are away from home.