A blockbuster start to rugby’s newest international competition as the Six Nations champions take on the All Blacks
Watch New Zealand v France in the Nations Championship 2026 as the reigning Six Nations champions head to the southern hemisphere to take on a New Zealand side under new management. Expect a pulsating match as two of the best sides in the world get the inaugural Nations Championship underway in Christchurch.
The match kicks off at 8.10am BST on Saturday morning, and you can watch free All Blacks v France live streams for free in France, Ireland and the UK. We’ll tell you everything you need to know to tune in below – including details of how you can use a VPN to watch the match from anywhere.
Scroll down to the end of the article for a match preview and team line-ups.
Key information
– New Zealand v France date: Saturday 4 July 2026
– New Zealand v France kick-off time: 8.10am BST / 9.10am CET / 9.10am SAST / 5.10pm AEST / 7.10pm NZST / 3.10am EDT
– New Zealand v France kick-off time: One New Zealand Stadium, Christchurch
– New Zealand v France free streams: TF1+ (France), ITVX (UK), Virgin Media Play (Ireland)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
How to watch All Blacks v France in the UK – live stream the game for free
New Zealand v France is available for free on both streaming service ITVX and terrestrial channel ITV1 in the UK.
Coverage starts at 7.30am BST, kick-off is at 8.10am.
ITVX is free to use, but you do need to complete a simple sign-up process to access the service. You also need an up-to-date TV Licence to stream live TV in the UK.
Watch New Zealand v France from anywhere
Overseas right now? That doesn’t mean you have to miss out on the first ever game in the Nations Championship. By using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to change your IP address, you can avoid geo-blocking restrictions and stream All Blacks v France as if you were sitting at home on your sofa – or, indeed, watching in bed.
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All Blacks v France free streams in France
En France? You can watch les Bleus take on the mighty All Blacks for free on both TF1 and its TF1+ streaming service.
France v New Zealand coverage starts at 8.50am CET, with the action getting underway at 9.10am.
French fans who are away from home but want to tune in with their usual French language commentary can still access their TF1 coverage from overseas by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.
Stream New Zealand v France for FREE in Ireland
Viewers in Ireland can watch New Zealand v France for free on the Virgin Media Play streaming service or terrestrial channel Virgin Media One.
Pre-match build-up gets underway at 7.30am IST, ahead of the 8.10am kick-off.
Other ways to watch All Blacks v France around the world
New Zealand: All Blacks fans back home need to tune into Sky Sport, which costs $54.99 per month for a streaming subscription. Kick-off is at 7.10pm NZST this evening.
Australia: Rugby fans on the other side of the Tasman Sea need to head to Stan Sport for All Blacks v France live streams. A Stan Sport subscription costs $20 per month on top of a standard Stan plan (for which prices start at $12). Kick-off is 5.10pm AEST this evening.
South Africa: If you’re in South Africa you need to head to SuperSport to watch New Zealand v France. The start of a massive day of international rugby gets underway at 9.10am SAST this morning.
United States: In the US you can watch All Blacks v France, along with all the Nations Championship games, on World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV. It’s free to use, though you do need to register before you can start streaming the action. Kick-off is at 3.10am EDT/12.10am PDT this morning.
New Zealand v France match preview
If some have been underwhelmed by the prospect of Australia v Hong Kong China kicking off the 2027 Rugby World Cup, the same cannot be said for the Nations Championship. The new tournament will get underway to the biggest of bangs as the All Blacks host France, fresh off their second successive Six Nations title, in Christchurch.
There’s rarely a time when the New Zealand public isn’t interested in the exploits of their national team, of course, but even more eyes will be on the All Blacks than usual. Dave Rennie starts his reign as head coach, and – after several years in which they’ve rarely looked their best – the expectations will be extremely high, especially with the “Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry” tour to South Africa on the horizon
Perhaps the biggest surprise in the 23 is the relatively experienced Ruben Love getting the nod at fly-half after impressing for the Hurricanes. Number 8 Ardie Savea is named as captain, while Xavier Numia and Fehi Fineanganofo are in line to make their debuts from the bench.
France lost all three of their matches on last year’s tour of New Zealand, though it should be noted that head coach Fabien Galthié used the trip to give some of his younger players a run out. The big guns are out in force this time, including Damian Penaud, who returns after being dropped from Les Bleus’ Six Nations squad. However, they’ll be playing without usual “first names on the team sheet” Antoine Dupont, Thomas Ramos and Louis Bielle-Biarrey.
This will be the first ever All Blacks match at the new One New Zealand Stadium, and whoever comes out on top, it could be one for the ages.
New Zealand v France line-ups and officials
New Zealand
15. Damian McKenzie
14. Will Jordan
13. Quinn Tupaea
12. Jordie Barrett
11. Caleb Clarke
10. Ruben Love
9. Cam Roigard
1. Ethan de Groot
2. Codie Taylor
3. Fletcher Newell
4. Josh Lord
5. Sam Darry
6. Peter Lakai
7. Luke Jacobson
8. Ardie Savea (captain)
Replacements:
16. Asafo Aumua
17. Xavier Numia
18. Tyrel Lomax
19. Patrick Tuipulotu
20. Wallace Sititi
21. Cortez Ratima
22. Billy Proctor
23. Fehi Fineanganofo
France
15. Max Spring
14. Damian Penaud
13. Fabien Brau-Boirie
12. Yoram Moefana
11. Théo Attissogbé
10. Matthieu Jalibert
9. Maxime Lucu (c)
1. Jefferson Poirot
2. Maxime Lamothe
3. Demba Bamba
4. Hugo Auradou
5. Tom Staniforth
6. Pierre Bochaton
7. Oscar Jégou
8. Marko Gazzotti
Replacements:
16. Barnabé Massa
17. Reda Wardi
18. Régis Montagne
19. Mickaël Guillard
20. Killian Tixeront
21. Nolan Le Garrec
22. Antoine Hastoy
23. Nicolas Depoortere
England’s Luke Pearce is the referee for New Zealand v France, assisted by fellow Englishman Christophe Ridley and Japan’s Katsuki Furuse. South Africa’s Marius van der Westhuizen is the TMO.
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