The 2025 National Rugby League (NRL) season is already well underway. Having kicked off on March 1, it runs until October 5. If you are a fan of this exciting Rugby League championship, you may be wondering how to watch it online. Unfortunately, streaming platforms that carry NRL matches are geo-restricted. This means you’ll need a VPN to watch the 2025 NRL season from abroad.
A Virtual Private Network (VPN) is an online privacy service. It works by encrypting your traffic to stop your ISP, local network administrators, government snoops, and eavesdroppers from being able to track what you do online. It also stops websites from tracking your home IP address.
A happy byproduct of how a VPN works, is that you can pretend to be in a different country. By connecting to a VPN server in Australia, for example, you can get a valid Australian IP address. This lets you stream NRL games live on Channel 9, Foxtel, or Kayo Sports – from anywhere in the world. Alternatively, you can connect to an IP address abroad to use the Watch NRL app in Australia.
If you want to watch the 2025 NRL season while traveling abroad, you’ll need the help of a VPN to access your usual home services. Below we will explain how to watch NRL from anywhere and recommend the best VPNs for the job.
How to watch NRL from anywhere with a VPN
Not all VPNs work to stream NRL abroad. This is because streaming platforms like Watch NRL, Foxtel, and Kayo Sports make every effort to block VPNs. They do this to stop consumers from bypassing their geo-restrictions to stream NRL abroad.
To help you out, we have pinpointed several VPNs that work to watch the 2025 NRL season on vacation. You can use the guide below to set up your VPN and start watching NRL from anywhere.
Here’s how to stream NRL online from anywhere:
- Get a fully functioning VPN for NRL. We recommend NordVPN because it has fast servers that work to watch NRL. Alternatively, Surfshark is the cheapest VPN for NRL and IPVanish is a fantastic all-rounder.
- Follow one of our links to subscribe. Our link will automatically engage a discount code; getting you the best NRL VPN at the lowest possible cost.
- Download the VPN app and install it. Our recommendations have apps for all popular devices to let you watch NRL on your phone, tablet, desktop, or laptop.
- Launch the VPN app and log in using your credentials.
- Pick a VPN server in Australia (or in another country that has a stream of the NRL) and click connect.
- Navigate to the streaming provider’s website and stream the game you’re interested in. As soon as your VPN connects you should be able to watch 2025 NRL games from anywhere.
If you have any issues streaming NRL with your VPN, try clearing the cookies and cache in your browser, as this may allow the stream to detect your real location. It’s well worth testing your VPN connection ahead of the match you want to stream so that if you encounter any issues, you’ll be able to troubleshoot them with your VPN’s support. This should stop you from missing any of the key action.
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How to watch NRL on Australian TV
As you would expect, Australians get the most choice when it comes to streaming NRL. This should come as no surprise because NRL is Australia’s professional rugby league. Broadcasts of the NRL Premiership are shared by the Nine Network and Fox Sports (this will continue through 2027).
This means you can watch some of the 2025 NRL season live online for free on Channel 9. It’s streaming three live matches per round (the Thursday night game, the second Friday night game, and the second Sunday afternoon game).
Channel 9 will also televise the final five Saturday 7:30 PM games of the year, the NRL Good Friday Game and Anzac Day Cup. From the finals series, Nine airs every game including the NRL Grand Final. All you need to do is go to 9Now and sign up for a free account.
As for Fox Sports, it’s showing every single match of the 2025 NRL season live. Existing subscribers can watch live online at no extra cost via the Foxtel website or app. Otherwise, it’s possible to stream the games via Foxtel Now. This requires the Starter Bundle coupled with Sports + Movies which totals AUD $84 a month.
Alternatively, Kayo Sports also includes Fox Sports and costs just $30 a month for HD streaming and one device or $40 for 4K streaming and two simultaneous devices. Whether you already have a Foxtel or Kayor Sports subscription and want to be able to watch games on vacation – or you want to access 9Now from abroad to stream NRL games for free – you will need a VPN for NRL.
All three Australian streaming providers mentioned above use geo-restrictions. This means they are only available with a valid Australian IP address. The good news is that all three of our recommended VPNs have servers in Australia that work to watch Rugby League. What’s more, NordVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can try it with these platforms risk-free and request a full refund if unhappy.
How to watch NRL in New Zealand
In New Zealand, NRL rugby is broadcast on Sky Sports. If you already have a Sky Sports subscription, you’ll be able to watch every NRL match at no additional cost. Alternatively, you can sign up for a Sky Sport Now pass. This costs NZD $29.99 for a day, $54.99 a month, or $549.99 for a year.
Both Sky Sport Now and Sky Go are geo-restricted to prevent viewers from accessing Sky’s TV service from abroad. This means that you will need an IP address in New Zealand to subscribe and watch NRL on Sky TV in New Zealand. The good news is that all three of our recommendations have servers in New Zealand.
How to watch NRL in the UK
Whether you live in or are visiting the UK, you may be wondering how to stream the 2025 NRL season online. The good news is that there are a couple of different options.
Firstly, you can watch the NRL on Sky Sports which broadcasts around three live matches each week. To watch, you can subscribe to Sky Sports directly to stream the NRL using the Sky GO app. This will cost you £57 per month in total (for a basic Sky plan plus Sky Sports).
Alternatively, you can watch NRL on Sky sports via the third-party streaming platform Now TV. Now TV allows you to access Sky Sports without an ongoing contract at a cost of GBP £34.99 a month. The service lets you stream all 12 Sky Sports channels on up to three devices simultaneously.
Note that Sky GO and Now TV are geo-restricted for viewers in the UK. This means that you will need to connect to a server in England to stream the matches. Thankfully, all three best VPNs for NRL have UK IPs that work to access all three platforms. This means you can easily watch your account on vacation, or even subscribe from elsewhere.
How to watch NRL in the US
If you are an Australian visiting or living in the US – or are just an insatiable rugby fan stuck in the land of American football – we have some good news! You can watch three regular season games each week on Fox Sports. It will also air all matches of the Final Series. Existing Fox Sports subscribers can stream these games without having to pay a single cent extra.
Don’t have Fox Sports? The good news is that you can stream Fox in the US via various different streaming platforms. This includes:
- FuboTV: USD $84.99/month but $20 off your first month after a one week free trial
- Hulu with Live TV: $82.99/month after a 3-day free trial
- Sling TV: $45.99/month but only $23/month for the first month
- YouTube TV: $82.99/month but $59.99/month for the first two months and currently includes a 10-day free trial
Just remember that all the American streaming services mentioned above are region locked. So, if you leave the US on vacation you will need to use a VPN to get a valid US IP address.
Other streaming options
In addition to the options above, it is worth noting that the Watch NRL app is available in most countries around the world. We have explained which countries it is blocked in below. This means that you should be able to download the app and start watching NRL live throughout the EU, and in many other locations around the globe.
With it, you get complete access to every NRL game, highlights, and replays of all matches from the last three years. A single week subscription costs USD $20 for a week, $39 for a month, or $182 for a year.
In which countries is the Watch NRL app blocked?
Watch NRL is the international streaming platform powered by Fox Sports. It is designed to give rugby league fans around the world the opportunity to stream the entire NRL championship.
Unfortunately, due to the broadcasting rights held by countries in the Asia Pacific region, this service is not available in many places. To help you out, below we have included a list of countries where Watch NRL is blocked:
- Australia
- New Zealand
- Fiji
- Samoa
- Tonga
- The Cook Islands
- East Timor
- Solomon Islands
- Niue
- Nauru
- Vanuatu
- Kiribati
- Northern Marianas
- Tokelau
- Tahiti
- Tuvalu
- New Caledonia
- American Samoa
- Marshall Islands
- Palau
- Federated States of Micronesia
- Papua New Guinea
- Wallis and Futuna
- Iles Eparses
- Polynese-Franca
The good news is that anybody living in these countries can still use the Watch NRL app if they want to. To watch the NRL app in any restricted country, simply connect to a VPN server outside of the regions listed above. This will give you full access to the app and all its features.
Just remember that if you subscribe to Watch NRL in a restricted region, you will need to connect to a VPN server every time you use the app.
How to use the Watch NRL app in Australia and New Zealand
If you are a massive fan of the National Rugby League and don’t want to subscribe to Foxtel, Kayo Sports, or Sky Sports, you may be pulling your hair out due to the unavailability of the Watch NRL App.
The good news is that you can regain access to the Watch NRL app in Australia, New Zealand, or anywhere else. All you need to do is to connect to a VPN server in a country such as the UK, the US, Canada, or the EU. This will allow you to bypass the local geo-restrictions imposed by Fox.
To help you out further, we have included a guide that explains how to use the Watch NRL app in Australia or New Zealand below:
- Subscribe to a recommended VPN from this guide. We recommend NordVPN because it is super fast for streaming rugby.
- Download and install the VPN onto your streaming device
- Select a server in a country where Watch NRL is available. We have included a list of blocked countries above; you can connect to just about any other country to use the app.
- Stream games on Watch NRL from anywhere in the world
How many NRL teams will there be in 2025?
There are 17 teams participating in the 2025 NRL season:
- Brisbane Broncos
- Canberra Raiders
- Canterbury Bulldogs
- Cronulla Sharks
- Dolphins
- Gold Coast Titans
- Manly Sea Eagles
- Melbourne Storm
- New Zealand Warriors
- Newcastle Knights
- North Queensland Cowboys
- Parramatta Eels
- Penrith Panthers
- South Sydney Rabbitohs
- St George Illawarra Dragons
- Sydney Roosters
- Wests Tigers
Is it illegal to use a VPN to watch NRL overseas?
Fortunately, it’s not illegal to use a VPN to watch NRL overseas. However, it may go against the terms and conditions of the streaming platform you’re using. Even if this is the case, it’s highly unlikely any action will be taken against your account. The worst case scenario is that Foxtel or Kayo Sports blocks the VPN IP address you’re using. You can quickly and easily get around this by switching servers and changing your IP address.
Can I use a free VPN to watch the 2025 NRL season?
Free VPNs aren’t known for their unblocking prowess, as evidenced by the fact that so few of them work with the streaming platforms covered in this post. Free VPNs rarely unblock Foxtel or Sky Sports, and their aggressive bandwidth throttling makes speeds far too slow for streaming. In fact, you’re likely to contend with low resolution streams as well as a lot of lag and buffering.
Of course, it doesn’t help that free VPNs have very few servers or locations, making it that much more difficult to navigate geographic restrictions. Note also that free VPNs may make money by logging and sharing your data. This may even include your browsing history. Add to this weak encryption and a lack of leak protection and free VPNs can easily put your security and online privacy at risk.
