'Landmark': Virgin Media win Irish rights to Nations Championship

Virgin Media will be the exclusive free-to-air broadcaster in Ireland for the Nations Championship, after securing rights to show all 42 matches from each edition of the new tournament in 2026 and 2028.

The new international competition was created by Six Nations Rugby and SANZAAR through a joint venture that links the July and November international windows into a single tournament, staged every two years.

It will feature 12 international teams and will pit Northern Hemisphere sides against Southern Hemisphere opposition, with Ireland scheduled to play seven fixtures against their southern rivals.

It’s another major coup for Virgin Media, which has become an increasingly major player in the Irish rugby rights market in recent years, a sport previously dominated by RTÉ.

The deal will obviously complement their existing coverage of the Guinness Men’s Six Nations and means that, from 2026, every major Ireland international in the summer and autumn will be available free-to-air on its channels.

Outside Nations Championship years, Virgin will also show games from the Summer Nations Series and the Autumn Nations Series as teams build towards the Rugby World Cup 2027.

Virgin Media Television’s Mick McCaffrey said the deal was “hugely significant” and “brilliant news”, adding it meant “every Irish rugby international” would be shown free to air for “the next four years”.

Six Nations Rugby CEO Tom Harrison said the deal was “a hugely significant moment for the sport”, while IRFU CEO Kevin Potts called it a “landmark agreement”.

Virgin Media will join a group of exclusive broadcast partners already announced for other markets, including ITV, TF1 and Sky Italia.