How to watch South Africa vs. Australia: Live stream the 2025 Rugby Championship anywhere
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The 2025 Rugby Championship kicks off with champions South Africa taking on wooden spoon holders Australia at Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, and we have all the info that you need to watch South Africa vs. Australia, whatever hemisphere you're in.
As well as the reigning Rugby Championship victors, the Springboks also hold the World Cup and the top spot in the international rugby rankings. With an 88% winning record, Rassie Erasmus is building a dynasty and is now seeking the country's first back-to-back titles in this tournament. It's been almost three years since they've lost to the Wallabies, so his side will start as heavy favorites as the likes of Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth, and Pieter-Steph du Toit all start in a very experienced XV.
They may have ultimately lost the series, but the Lions tour of Australia suggested the health of the hosts may be in a better state than previously feared. After losing the second game to a controversial last minute try, the Wallabies powered their way to a win in the third and final fixture to provide some sense of optimism heading into the Rugby Championship. Heading across the Indian Ocean for a double header to begin won't make things easy, but experienced coach Joe Schmidt will have taken heart from their performances and will be buoyed by the return of veteran fly-half James O'Connor.
Can the Wallabies out-jump the Springboks? You'll find international broadcasters on which to watch South Africa vs. Australia below, together with details on the kick-off time, streaming platforms, and how to use a VPN to access your live stream if you're overseas this weekend.
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How to watch South Africa vs. Australia in the UK
You can watch South Africa vs. Australia on Sky Sports in the UK; it's the official Rugby Championship 2025 broadcaster. Sky TV plans that include Sky Sports start from £35/month, and you can customize your plan to make sure you get all the channels you need. Or, if you already have Sky, you can add its nine sports channels for an extra £22/month. You can learn more about it in our guide to the best Sky TV deals and plans guide.
If you don't want to sign up to a lengthy Sky TV package, then you can opt for a more flexible Now Sports Membership, which starts from as little as £15/day or costs £35 on a rolling monthly basis.
How to watch South Africa vs. Australia in the US
If you're a big US-based rugby union fan, you're probably already aware of FloRugby. The specialist streamer features loads of live matches in North America and has exclusive rights to show Rugby Championship games — including South Africa vs. Australia — stateside this season. A rolling monthly subscription costs $30, or go for a whole year for $150 to watch every game of the 2025 Rugby Championship along with matches from the Super Rugby, Top 14, and URC.
How to watch South Africa vs. Australia in Australia
While free-to-air Channel 9 and its 9Now streaming platform have the rights to show the Wallabies' home games and those against New Zealand in this year's Rugby Championship, you can't watch South Africa vs. Australia there. Instead, you'll need a subscription to Stan Sport. The streaming service covers an ever-expanding array of live sports and costs from $32/month (combining a base Stan subscription of $12 with the Sport add-on for $20).
How to watch South Africa vs. Australia from anywhere
Your domestic coverage of the Rugby Championship won't be available to stream if you're overseas during the South Africa vs. Australia game. It will be blocked due to geographical restrictions, stopping you from watching on FloRugby, Sky Go, or any other platform. Thankfully, there's a way around this so that you still get access to the service you pay for… a VPN.
VPNs (or Virtual Private Networks) spoof the IP address on your laptop, smartphone or streaming device so that they think they're in a different country entirely. The very best available is NordVPN, which has a great track record for unblocking streaming platforms and other blocked apps. It's also easy to use, has servers in more than 100 countries, and gives you an extra layer of encrypted cybersecurity when turned on, too. Give it a try risk free for 30 days or, if you're still not convinced, check out our full NordVPN review for more information.
What is the South Africa vs. Australia head-to-head record?
These two rugby union superpowers have played 95 times since their first fixture back in 1933. The Springboks are currently edging the head-to-head, having won 52 of their encounters compared to the Wallabies' 40. They've drawn three times.
South Africa have won their last four clashes, with Australia's drought going back to August 2022. Even more foreboding for the Aussies is that they haven't beaten the Springboks on their turf for more than a decade — a win in Durban back in 2011 when this tournament was still the Tri Nations.
What is the venue for South Africa vs. Australia?
This Rugby Championship 2025 opener between South Africa vs. Australia will take place at the 62,000-capacity Ellis Park Stadium in Johannesburg, where international rugby union has been played for more than a century. The 1995 Rugby World Cup final — after which Nelson Mandela memorably presented the Webb Ellis Cup to the successful Springboks — was played at Ellis Park, as were seven games of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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