How to watch Investec Champions Cup live streams when the round of 16 kicks off this weekend.
This article explains how to watch the Investec Champions Cup when the 2025-26 edition of the competition’s knockout stages get underway this weekend.
You’ll find a comprehensive guide to ways to watch the European Rugby Champions Cup below, with info on broadcasters in the UK, Ireland, South Africa and around the world.
We now know the line-up for the round-of-16. As pool winners, Bordeaux Bègles, Glasgow Warriors, Leinster and Bath are top seeds, with Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Toulon and Toulouse the runners-up.
The other eight teams in the mix are Bristol Bears, the Stormers, Sale Sharks, Castres, Saracens, Edinburgh, the Bulls and Leicester Tigers.
Don’t forget that if you’re travelling overseas during the competition, you can use a VPN to watch your usual Investec Champions Cup live stream from abroad. Read on to find out more. You’ll also find the round-of-16 fixtures at the bottom of the page.
Champions Cup rugby: Key information
– Dates: 5 December 2025 – 24 May 2026
– Watch every match: Premier Sports (UK/Ireland) / FloRugby (US) / SuperSport (South Africa) / EPCR TV (around the world)
– FREE STREAMS (selected matches only): S4C Clic / BBC iPlayer (UK), France TV (France)
– Watch from anywhere: Use NordVPN to access your usual stream from abroad
Are there any free Investec Champions Cup live streams?
Yes, European Champions Cup games will be available for free in both the UK and France over the course of the 2025-26 season.
In the UK
Free-to-air Welsh channel S4C often shows one match featuring a Welsh region in each round of the competition, across the S4C terrestrial channel, S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer and the S4C Chwaraeon YouTube channel – though with Scarlets now eliminated from the competition, we’d expect the Challenge Cup to take priority. Some options provide commentary in English as well as Welsh, though iPlayer is usually Welsh-only.
There are no free-to-air Champions Cup matches in the round-of-16.
In France
In France, two games per round are available for free via public broadcaster France TV. In the round-of-16 the free options are:
- Toulon v Stormers on France 2 (kick-off: 3.00pm BST, Saturday 4 April)
- Bordeaux Bègles v Leicester Tigers on France 2 (kick-off: 3.00pm BST, Sunday 5 April)
You can also watch every European Rugby Champions Cup game this season through subscription service beIN Sports.
If you’re away from home this weekend but want to watch your usual free European Champions Cup live stream, it’s best to check out NordVPN so you can watch from overseas. Read on to find out more.
Stream the Champions Cup from anywhere
Going away for business or pleasure over the course of the season doesn’t mean you have to miss out on watching your favourite team in European action. Fans who are travelling overseas can watch their usual service with the help of a VPN.
A VPN (or Virtual Private Network) is a clever piece of software that allows you to change the IP address of your smartphone, tablet or laptop. This means your device can appear to be back home, allowing you to watch your usual live or on-demand content as if you were back on your sofa – assuming it complies with the broadcaster’s T&Cs, of course.
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Where to watch Investec Champions Cup in the UK
As it was last season, the European Rugby Champions Cup’s UK home is Premier Sports, who have rights to air all 63 matches of this year’s tournament. Subscribers can also enjoy coverage of PREM Rugby, the European Challenge Cup, the French Top 14, US Major League Rugby and Japan Rugby One.
UK viewers can sign up to Premier Sports through the Sky, Virgin Media or Amazon platforms. It costs £17.99 per month to add Premier Sports to your existing package, and with Sky you also have the option to pay £12.99 per month if you sign up for the whole year, or £130 (£10.83 per month) if you pay for 12 months up front.
You can also get a standalone online streaming subscription to Premier Sports, which works across a variety of apps and devices. It costs £17.99 a month on a rolling basis, £12.99 a month on a year-long contract, or £130 a year (equivalent to £10.83 per month) if you pay up front.
Premier Sports is also available on your TV via Sky Q, Prime Video, STV Player and Virgin Media.
As previously mentioned, some matches will also be available for free on Welsh service S4C.
Watch the the Champions Cup in Ireland
Premier Sports is also your destination for European Rugby Champions Cup live streams in Ireland.
If you’re an existing Sky Sports customer, you can add Premier Sports Ireland to your subscription as part of the Sports Extra pack (which also includes TNT Sports). This costs €10 per month for the first six months, before rising to €25 per month for the next six months.
Premier Sports is also available with a Now Sports Extra membership (day and month memberships are available from €11.99 per month), and through Virgin Media (check their website for details).
Watch the Champions Cup live in South Africa
In South Africa? You can watch the Bulls and the Stormers in European Rugby Champions Cup action on SuperSport this season. There are various SuperSport packages available, whether you want to watch via DStv or stream.
Stream the Champions Cup in the US
FloRugby (also the US home of PREM Rugby) has the rights to the rest of this season’s matches. A monthly FloRugby subscription costs $39.99, though you can save money by grabbing an annual deal for $155.88 (which works out at £12.99 per month and also gives you access to other channels on the FloSports network).
Champions Cup coverage in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and more
In Australia, New Zealand, across Europe (including Italy) and in other countries where there’s no separate broadcast deal in place, EPCR TV should be your destination for European Rugby Champions Cup live streams. There are options to buy weekend and season passes – check prices where you are.
European Rugby Champions Cup round-of-16 fixtures
Here’s what’s coming up in the first knockout stage of European Rugby Champions Cup fixtures.
Friday 3 April 2026
- Northampton Saints v Castres
cinch Stadium @ Franklin’s Gardens, Northampton
Kick-off: 8.00pm BST
Saturday 4 April 2026
- Bath Rugby v Saracens
The Rec, Bath
Kick-off: 3.00pm BST - Toulon v Stormers
Stade Felix Mayol, Toulon
Kick-off: 3.00pm BST - Glasgow Warriors v Bulls
Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Kick-off: 5.30pm BST - Toulouse v Bristol Bears
Stadium de Toulouse, Toulouse
Kick-off: 5.30pm BST - Harlequins v Sale Sharks
Twickenham Stoop, London
Kick-off: 8.00pm BST
Sunday 5 April 2026
- Bordeaux Bègles v Leicester Tigers
Stade Chaban-Delmas, Bordeaux
Kick-off: 3.00pm BST - Leinster v Edinburgh
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 5.30pm BST
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Facts Only
The 2025-26 edition of the Investec Champions Cup's knockout stages are starting this weekend.
Bordeaux Bègles, Glasgow Warriors, Leinster, and Bath are top seeds, while Northampton Saints, Harlequins, Toulon, and Toulouse are runners-up.
Other teams include Bristol Bears, Stormers, Sale Sharks, Castres, Saracens, Edinburgh, Bulls, and Leicester Tigers.
Premier Sports is the UK/Ireland broadcaster for the tournament, FloRugby is the US broadcaster, SuperSport is the South African broadcaster, and EPCR TV is available worldwide.
In the UK, some matches will be available for free on S4C Clic, BBC iPlayer (Welsh-only), and France TV offers two games per round for free in France.
Executive Summary
Full Take
When evaluating this article, it is important to recognize that while the article provides valuable information about the Investec Champions Cup and its broadcasters, there are potential manipulation patterns to be aware of. The article may employ emotional exploitation techniques such as excitement and anticipation for sports fans to engage with the content. Additionally, false framing might occur when presenting multiple options for streaming the event without explicitly stating which ones require payment.
To critically analyze this piece, one could steelman the narrative by acknowledging that the article aims to inform viewers about various ways to watch the Investec Champions Cup. However, readers should be aware of potential manipulation patterns and seek out additional resources for a more comprehensive understanding of streaming options and associated costs.
Root cause analysis reveals that the primary driver behind this narrative is commercial: media companies promoting their broadcasting rights to attract viewers and generate revenue. It is essential to recognize that these companies have an interest in making it as easy as possible for viewers to access their content, but they also stand to benefit financially from doing so.
In terms of implications, this article offers sports fans the opportunity to watch their favorite teams compete in the Investec Champions Cup. However, readers should be mindful of potential manipulation techniques and seek out reliable sources for comprehensive information about streaming options and associated costs.
Bridge questions for further inquiry include: What are other reliable sources for accessing live streams of sports events? Are there any hidden fees or subscriptions required to watch the Investec Champions Cup through certain broadcasters? How do media companies determine which matches will be offered for free and which require payment?
Sentinel — Human
This analysis suggests the article is likely human-written. It displays irregular sentence length variance, expresses passion, and lacks indicators of being part of a coordinated synthetic production.