Gregor Townsend’s men kick off their latest championship bid in Rome
Watch Italy v Scotland as Gregor Townsend takes his side to Rome for the first game of their 2026 Six Nations campaign.
– Date: Saturday 7 February, 2026
– Kick-off time: 2.10pm GMT / 3.10pm CET (local) / 9.10am ET / 4.10pm SAST / 1.10am AEDT (Sunday)
– FREE STREAMS: BBC iPlayer (UK), Virgin Media Play (Ireland), FranceTV (France)
– Watch from anywhere: Try Surfshark VPN with 3 months free
Scotland arrive in Italy with plenty of expectation. Townsend’s side is packed with talent (most notably star fly-half Finn Russell), and proved during narrow Quilter Nations Series defeats to New Zealand and Argentina that they’re capable of going toe-to-toe with the best in the world. Those same games also asked questions about their ability to finish off opponents – so which version will turn up in this year’s championship?
Italy, meanwhile, have ditched their reputation as perennial Wooden Spoon contenders. Having beaten Scotland in Rome two years ago, the Azzurri will fancy their chances of causing an opening day shock – even with star names like Ange Capuozzo and Tommaso Allan ruled out by injury. As an indication of the side’s growing experience, Juan Ignacio Brex, Paolo Garbisi and captain Michele Lamaro all win their 50th caps on Saturday.
The match kicks off at 2.10pm GMT/3.10pm CET at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, and you can watch Italy v Scotland live streams for free in the UK, Ireland and France. Read on to find out how to tune in to the big match, wherever you are on planet Earth.
Saturday’s second game, England v Wales (kick-off 4.40pm GMT) is on ITVX (UK), RTÉ Player (Ireland) and TF1+ (France).
Are there any free Italy v Scotland live streams?
Yes, there are several free streams for this Six Nations clash, including:
- United Kingdom: You can watch Italy v Scotland on both terrestrial channel BBC One and the BBC iPlayer streaming service. Both options are free to use but remember that you need a current TV Licence to watch/stream live television in the UK. You also need to complete a simple registration to access the iPlayer platform. BBC coverage starts at 1.00pm GMT ahead of the 2.10pm kick-off.
- Ireland: Rugby fans in Ireland can watch the second match of the Six Nations weekend for free via Virgin Media Play. You can stream through the app or the in-browser player, and no sign-up is required. You can also tune into the match for free on terrestrial channel Virgin Media One.
- France: Italy v Scotland live streams are available on France Télévisions in France. Coverage is free on both France 2 and the FranceTV streaming service – coverage starts at 3.00pm CET, with kick-off at 3.10pm.
Travelling overseas at the weekend? Residents of the UK, Ireland and France can still watch their usual free streaming service by making use of good VPN. More on that below…
Stream Italy v Scotland from anywhere
Being abroad on Saturday doesn’t have to ruin your rugby viewing plans. Using a VPN (or Virtual Private Network, to give it its full name) is a smart way to avoid the geo-blocking restrictions that might otherwise prevent you from watching your usual streaming services when you’re in another country – in fact, a VPN can allow you to watch Italy v Scotland as if you were sitting on your sofa in your living room.
As well as improving your online security, VPNs have the useful ability to change your IP address, making your laptop, smartphone or tablet appear to be back in your home country. This means you can tune into Six Nations 2026 fixtures even when you’re on the other side of the world.
There are plenty of good VPNs you can buy, but the tech experts at TechRadar and Tom’s Guide both reckon Surfshark is one of the best on the market, thanks to its affordable price and ability to unblock streaming services.
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More international streaming options for Italy v Scotland
- United States: A subscription to NBC’s Peacock Premium streaming service will get you access to all of this season’s Men’s Six Nations matches (including this Italy v Scotland live stream), and will cost you $10.99 per month. Kick-off is 9.10am ET / 6.10am PT on Saturday morning.
- Australia: Stan Sport is the place to go for Italy v Scotland live streams down under. You’ll need a $20 per month Stan Sport plan (in addition to your base Stan subscription) to watch the action as it happens. You’ll also need to stay up late, as kick-off is at 1.10am AEDT on Sunday morning.
- New Zealand: In New Zealand, Italy v Scotland is on Sky Sport, which costs $54.99 per month for a streaming subscription. Kick-off is 3.10am NZDT on Sunday morning – the question is, will you stay up very late or get up very, very early?
- South Africa: SuperSport is your destination for Italy v Scotland live streams in South Africa, and is available via DStv and streaming. The match gets underway at 4.10pm SAST on Saturday afternoon.
Check out our full guide to how to watch Six Nations 2025 for broadcasters around the world.
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