Watch Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers on Saturday January 18 as US star Ilona Maher makes her first start at Ashton Gate, with all the information here on live streams and TV channels, including a free live stream.
Maher’s arrival at the Bristol Bears earlier this month has seen a massive surge in interest in Premiership Women’s Rugby, with wildly unexpected attendances in the stadiums, and a flurry of activity to broadcast games that were not originally set to be televised.
Maher, who is huge on social media and is swapping US rugby Sevens for English 15s ahead of the Rugby World Cup, has made two appearances so far, coming off the bench against Gloucester-Hartpury and then starting away at Exeter Chiefs. Saturday’s game marks an opportunity for her new home fans to see her from the start, as the Bears host Leicester Tigers at Ashton Gate.
Bristol will be the favourites as they currently sit fifth in the Premiership Women’s Rugby table, three places above Leicester who are second from bottom.
Read on for all the information on how to watch Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers online, on TV, and from anywhere, including details of that free stream.
Key information
– Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers date: Saturday, January 18, 2025
– Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers kick-off time: 1pm GMT / 8am ET / 5am PT / 3pm SAST
– Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers FREE stream: YouTube, TikTok
– Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers pay streams: The Rugby Network (US)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers free live stream
There is a Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers free live stream, with Bristol Bears hosting a broadcast on their YouTube channel. There is an additional feed on the Bears’ TikTok account and that of PWR. Coverage starts at 12.30pm GMT / 7.30am ET.
This is an easy way to watch the game as there is no registration and no payment – you just visit the page. However, it is geo-restricted, so those in the US will not be able to watch since the game is also being shown on paid streaming platform The Rugby Network in the US.
If you’re away from home right now you can still access you0r usual streams by using a VPN – more on that below.
Watch Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers from anywhere
Abroad right now? Fear not, you can still watch your usual stream outside your home country thanks to a handy piece of software called a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network – to give it its full name – can set your device’s IP address to make it appear to be in another country, bypassing geo-restrictions and unblocking the streaming services you usually use back home. Provided it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to watch your usual rugby streams on the move, all with an added boost to your internet security.
Our expert colleagues at TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN provider. It comes at a huge discount right now, with a money-back guarantee.
Watch Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers in the UK
Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers is not being traditionally televised by the PWR rights-holder TNT Sports, but fans in the UK will have access to the free live stream on the PWR and Bristol Bears YouTube channels.
Watch Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers with Ilona Maher in the US
Fans in the US can watch their star Ilona Maher in action on Saturday, with Bristol Bears v Leicester Tigers to be broadcast on The Rugby Network. Kick-off is at 8am ET.
Subscriptions to The Rugby Network start from $6.99 per month, with a reduction in the rate if you take out an annual pass at $59.99.
Fans currently in the US are geo-blocked from the free stream on YouTube.
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