How to live stream Ireland vs Japan online and watch the rugby international where you are

Josh van der Flier of Ireland, red cap, scores his side's fourth try during the International Rugby Friendly match between Ireland and Japan at Aviva Stadium in Dublin

(Image credit: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile via Getty Images)

published 6 November 2021

Rugby fans will be in for a treat if July's encounter between the Boys In Green and the Cherry Blossoms at the Aviva is anything to go by. Read on for your full guide on how to watch this Autumn Nations Series match online and get an Ireland vs Japan live stream from anywhere.

Japan almost pulled off an historic victory at the same ground back in the summer in what proved to be a thrilling 39-31 win for the hosts.

Ireland fielded a somewhat under-strength line-up that afternoon, thanks to the Lions tour, and with a full deck of card to play with, Irish head coach Andy Farrell will be expecting to mark skipper Johnny Sexton's 100th international cap in style as they look to extend the visitors' four-match losing streak.

We've got all the info on how to live stream Ireland vs Japan and watch this rugby international online from anywhere. And if you're out of the country and can't access your preferred domestic broadcaster, you can always use a VPN to bypass any geo-restrictions and watch the match.

Ireland vs Japan: Autumn Nations Series rugby kick-off time

Ireland vs Japan is being played at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin, with kick off at 1pm IST/GMT local time on Saturday, November 6.

That makes it a 10pm JST start for fans cheering on the Cherry Blossoms in Japan, a 12am AEDT start for rugby fans in Australia on Sunday, and a 2am NZDT kick-off in New Zealand, with the match starting at 9am ET / 6am PT on Saturday morning for rugger followers in the US and Canada.

How to watch Ireland vs Japan in the UK for FREE

How to watch Autumn Nations Series rugby from anywhere in the world

If you're out of the country for Ireland vs Japan, you can still get access to a live stream of every match by making use of our best VPN to get past those geo-restrictions.

With most domestic broadcasters locking streaming services to their country, you may hit a wall when it comes to accessing the likes of Amazon Prime or Sky Sport when overseas. However, by getting yourself a handy streaming VPN, you can hop on a server within the UK, New Zealand or the US (or anywhere else for that matter depending on where your online content is geo-restricted to), and this will switch your IP address to make it appear as if you're browsing right from the comfort of your own home.

ExpressVPN is the champ of VPN providers with its excellent speed, plethora of security features, and, of course, its ability to unlock geo-restricted content, gets us the best seat in the house for Ireland vs Japan.

Better still, it offers new customers a 30-day money back guarantee, allowing you to give it a shot and find out if it's actually the service for you, before you part with your hard-earned dollar. Better still, right now you can save 49% and receive an additional 3 months with your plan for free.

- Try out ExpressVPN 100% risk free to stream Ireland vs Japan

New to VPN? Find out how to use one to unblock geo-restrictions

How to watch Autumn Nations Series rugby for FREE in Ireland

In Ireland, the great news is that this rugby international clash will be shown live via free-to-air national broadcaster RTE. Coverage begins on RTE 2 at 12pm IST, ahead of the 1pm IST kick off.

Viewers on the Emerald Isle will be able to watch the game live online via the RTÉ Player service, which can be accessed via your browser or via its dedicated iOS and Android apps.

How to live stream Ireland vs Japan: rugby international anywhere else in the world

Australian rugby fans can watch these two sides battle it out on Stan Sport, though kick-off is set for a somewhat inconvenient 12am AEDT on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

A Stan subscription currently costs $10 per month (on top of a $10 Stan sub), but you can take advantage of a 7-day FREE Stan Sport trial.

Rugby fans in New Zealand can watch this big game via Sky Sport, who have exclusive live broadcast rights.

Kick-off set for 2am NZDT on Saturday night/Sunday morning.

Viewers based in South Africa looking to watch Ireland vs Japan can see all the action live from Cardiff via subscription service SuperSport at 3pm SAST on Saturday evening and via the network's streaming service for PC and Mac, as well as via SuperSport's dedicated app.

In the US you'll be able to live stream this rugby international clash via dedicated rugby streaming service FloRugby.

A monthly subscription will set you back $29.99, with an annual subscription costing $150, with either option giving you access to the entire FloSports network, which includes coverage of cycling, motorsport and American Football.

Kick off in the States is at 9am ET / 6am PT on Saturday.

How to use a VPN to unblock any restrictions

If you're outside of your preferred broadcaster's boundaries, you can use a VPN to unblock any geo-restrictions and watch Ireland vs Japan live stream as if you were right at home. Here's our step-by-step guide on how to do just that.

VPN - standing for virtual private network - offers security and anonymity as you browse online, using set protocols to encrypt your data and make it unreadable to outsiders.
As a part of that, you can also switch your IP address, which identifies your location.
Most VPNs offer a list of locations where its servers are based to join. Connecting to them switches your IP to appear as if you're browsing from that country/city. In turn, you can then access content locked to that country.
When it comes to finding a VPN, you should make sure you find the best one that's suitable for your chosen device, with VPN providers offering compatibility for a ton of devices, including VPN for Mac, VPN for Android smartphones, an iPad VPN, and even a range of fairly nifty free VPNs.
Once you've made the decision for the most suitable VPN for your device and your means for using a VPN, sign-up and install it.
To live stream Ireland vs Japan, all you need to do is select a country showing matches from its list of available servers and connect. You'll then be able to hop over geo-restrictions, with the likes of Prime Video and other services opening their online gates to you.
We also want to ensure your money is well spent, so we would recommend going for a VPN that offers a risk free trial. ExpressVPN is one of many providers that has a 30-day money back guarantee.

Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.