The Lions are looking to make it three tour wins from three in Sydney.
Watch NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions live streams as Andy Farrell’s squad continues its tour of Australia in Sydney.
Will the Super Rugby side have what it takes to stop the best players from England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in their tracks? Read on to find out all you need to know to tune into today’s match online, on TV and from anywhere – including a free option if you’re in the US.
Scroll down to the end of the article for a Lions v Waratahs preview and the team line-ups – including a late change, with Scott Cummings coming in for Henry Pollock who has a tight calf.
Watch Waratahs v Lions: In brief
– Date: Saturday 5 July 2025
– Venue: Allianz Stadium, Sydney
– Kick-off time: 11.00am BST / 6.00am ET / 8.00pm AEST (local)
– FREE STREAM (US only): RugbyPass TV
– Other TV channels: Sky Sports/Now (UK and Ireland) / Stan Sport (Australia)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
Free NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions live streams in the US
This is a great time to be a rugby fan in the US because – thanks to World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV streaming platform – you can watch all of the Lions’ warm-up matches for FREE.
This means you can watch every second of NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions this morning, though you’ll have to get up early to do it – the game kicks off at 6.00am ET/3.00am PT.
You’ll also be able to watch the Lions’ three remaining warm-ups on RugbyPass TV (find out the key dates and times in our guide to British & Irish Lions fixtures), but you’ll need CBS or subscription service Paramount+ to watch the three Test matches against the Wallabies.
If you’re outside the US for work or a vacation when Waratahs v Lions kicks off, a VPN could be your saviour. Find out how below…
How to watch Waratahs v Lions from anywhere
Being away from home doesn’t mean you have to miss the Lions’ third game on Australian soil.
A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) allows you to change your IP address, making your smartphone, tablet or laptop appear to be in any country in the world. This means you can avoid geo-restrictions that might otherwise prevent you from watching your usual subscription services when you’re abroad. So, aside from the fact you won’t be sitting on your own sofa – that’s one thing a VPN can’t help with – it’ll feel like you’re watching in your living room at home.
A good VPN also improves your internet security when you’re online, which is a result.
The tech experts at TechRadar test hundreds of VPNs for a living, and right now they reckon NordVPN is the leader of the pack.
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In the UK or Ireland? Watch on Sky Sports
Sky Sports has the rights to every Lions game in the UK and Ireland.
The NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions live stream starts at 10.00am BST, ahead of the 11.00am kick-off. The game is available on both Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Action.
Sky Sports subscribers can watch the game via the Sky Go app for desktop, iOS, Android, PlayStation and Xbox. Visit the Sky website for more information.
Stream the British & Irish Lions in Australia
Aussie rugby lovers can watch every British & Irish Lions match this winter – including Waratahs v Lions – ad-free on Stan Sport. It’ll cost you $15 per month to add Stan Sport to your usual Stan plan.
The game kicks off in Sydney at 8.00pm AEST this evening.
You won’t have to pay for the Wallabies’ three Test matches against the Lions, however, because they’ll all be free-to-air on Nine and its 9Now streaming service.
Live stream Waratahs v Lions in New Zealand
Subscription service Sky Sport NZ is the place to go for the NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions live stream in New Zealand. As with every game of the tour, today’s match kicks off at 10.00pm NZST.
A subscription to streaming service Sky Sport Now costs $54.99 per month or $549.99 per year (equivalent to $45.83 per month). Day passes are also available for $29.99.
Watch the Lions in South Africa
In South Africa? SuperSport has the rights to every Lions game this year, including NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions. The latest match kicks off at 12.00pm SAST today.
There are various SuperSport packages available, covering traditional TV on DStv and direct live streaming.
NSW Waratahs v British & Irish Lions preview
This fact may have been lost during the media frenzy that’s surrounded Owen Farrell’s late call-up for dad Andy’s British & Irish Lions squad, but the team have a match to play today. The opponents are Super Rugby franchise the NSW Waratahs and – after the Western Force and Queensland Reds both conceded over 50 points – the hosts may be in for a tricky day at the office.
As expected, head coach Andy Farrell has made plenty of changes to the side that started on Wednesday, with centre Huw Jones the only player to retain his place in the starting XV. There are also first starts for Hugo Keenan (who missed the Reds game with illness) and Blair Kinghorn (a late arrival after winning the Top 14 with Toulouse), while Ben White (who’s come into the squad for the injured Tomos Williams) is a substitute.
Elsewhere, every player will be looking to seize their moment, with chances to impress the Lions coaching staff running out ahead of the first Wallabies Test in two weeks time.
Henry Pollock, who has a tight calf, is a last-minute omission from the 23. Scott Cummings comes into the second row, with today’s captain Tadhg Beirne shifting from the second row to take Pollock’s place at blindside flanker.
The front row consists of Pierre Schoeman, Luke Cowan-Dickie and Finlay Bealham, in front of Cummings and James Ryan at lock. Beirne, Josh van der Flier and Ben Earl comprise the back row.
Farrell Jr’s impending arrival means that competition will be particular fierce in the backs, especially for the fly-halves and centres. There’s an all-Northampton Saints half-back pairing of Alex Mitchell and Fin Smith, and a familiar Scotland centre partnership of Jones and Sione Tuipulotu. Kinghorn and Mack Hansen start on the wings, with Hugo Keenan at full-back.
Pollock dropping out of the 23 has prompted Farrell to shift from a 6-2 bench to the 5-3 split he’s been deploying so far on tour – with Wednesday’s player of the match Jac Morgan (the sole remaining Welshman in the squad) among them. He’ll be joined by Dan Sheehan, Ellis Genge, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Ben White, Marcus Smith and new addition Duhan van der Merwe.
Teams and officials
NSW Waratahs:
Lawson Creighton, Andrew Kellaway, Lalakai Foketi, Joey Walton, Darby Lancaster, Jack Bowen, Teddy Wilson; Tom Lambert, Ethan Dobbins, Taniela Tupou, Fergus Lee-Warner, Miles Amatosero, Rob Leota, Charlie Gamble, Hugh Sinclair (captain)
Replacements:
Mahe Vailanu, Jack Barrett, Daniel Botha, Matt Philip, Jamie Adamson, Jack Grant, Tane Edmed, Henry O’Donnell
British and Irish Lions:
Hugo Keenan, Mack Hansen, Huw Jones, Sione Tuipulotu, Blair Kinghorn, Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell; Pierre Schoeman, Luke Cowan-Dickie, Finlay Bealham, Scott Cummings, James Ryan, Tadhg Beirne (captain), Josh van der Flier, Ben Earl
Replacements:
Dan Sheehan, Ellis Genge, Tadhg Furlong, Joe McCarthy, Duhan van der Merwe, Jac Morgan, Ben White, Marcus Smith
There’s an all-Kiwi team of on-field officials for today’s match: Paul Williams is the referee, assisted by James Doleman and Angus Mabey. Another New Zealander, Richard Kelly, is the TMO.
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