All of the NRL games are available to watch for free on Australia’s Channel 9. Their online streaming platform, 9Now, doesn’t even require a subscription. You can just sign up, and start watching the game live! Unfortunately, the platform is only available in Australia.
Anyone outside Australia will be region-blocked from its free live streams and huge library of on-demand content.
If you’re not in Australia, you can use a VPN to change your IP address to one from Perth, Sydney, or Melbourne. This will route your traffic through Australia, changing your virtual location, and unblocking 9Now. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Get a VPN subscription. We recommend NordVPN thanks to its vast server network in Australia, and fast speeds.
- Download and install the VPN app.
- Select a VPN server in Australia.
- Create a free 9Now account and tune in during your favorite NRL game, and enjoy the show!
NordVPN is best pick for this thanks to its fast speeds, large server network (especially in Australia), and reliability in unblocking streaming platforms. If you want to watch the NRL lag-free, for free on 9Now — go for NordVPN today.
If you want to know more about the NRL, and how to watch it worldwide, read our full article below.
The National Rugby League (NRL) is the biggest league in Australasia. Rugby fans won’t find the same quality of games anywhere else, which is why millions of viewers tune into the NRL every year. Can the Panthers maintain their dominant run? Will the Broncos, or another team, dethrone them in 2024? NRL is the only place to find out.
Unfortunately, it’s not available to watch worldwide. Most international streaming platforms will ask for a hefty sum to let you watch NRL matches. Some countries don’t even have an official NRL broadcaster. Meanwhile, Aussies can just use 9Now without paying a dime.
So what can you do if you’re outside the country during the season? How will you tune into a big Panthers vs. Eels game?
Don’t fret. Just read our step-by-step guide on how to watch the NRL for free from anywhere. We’ll show you how to unblock free National Rugby League streams in a few minutes using a VPN (virtual private network).
How to Watch NRL for Free From Anywhere
The best way to watch the NRL from anywhere is to use a VPN (virtual private network). A VPN can change your IP address, making it look like you’re accessing sites from a different country. So wherever you are, just connect to an Australian VPN server, and you can browse the web as if you were in Sydney.
We did this to watch 9Now from Europe and Southeast Asia, so we know it works. To watch NRL online with a VPN follow these steps:
- Get a subscription with a VPN. We recommend NordVPN because it’s the fastest VPN we’ve tested, and it has over 190 reliable servers in Australia.
- Download and install the NordVPN app. Take your pick of devices, whether that’s your PC or Mac, iPhone or Android, or other mobile devices — however you prefer to stream your sports.
- Connect to a server in Australia. Perth and Sydney always work for us, but you can choose locations in Adelaide, Brisbane and Melbourne as well. Whichever is closer to your actual location should get you a little faster speeds.
- Open 9Now. You can use this streaming platform to watch Channel 9 for free. Not only will you get NRL, but you’ll find yourself with tons of live TV and on-demand movies.
- Create an account. You will be required to provide some basic information, an email, and any Australian postcode, which you can find on Google.
- Watch Channel 9 live whenever there’s a game in the NRL.
A lot of VPNs can technically help you with this, but we recommend NordVPN for several reasons. First, it has over 190 servers in Australia, which means you’ll find a reliable connection even if the servers are busy on game day.
Second, NordVPN is the fastest VPN out of all the options on the market right now. We tested hundreds of apps, and NordVPN always outperformed the competition.
Best of all, NordVPN is running a massive discount right now. If you use our link, you can get as much as 69% off on new subscriptions to stream NRL games live and for free.
2024 National Rugby League Schedule
The 2024 NRL season runs from March 2 through October 6, 2024 this year. There are currently 17 teams in the NRL — the same teams as last year following the Dolphins’ admission.
This 2024 NRL Season Schedule will kick off in unique fashion with a cross-country, split-round, doubleheader on March 2, 2024 — with the Sydney Roosters facing the Brisbane Broncos and the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles taking on the South Sydney Rabbitohs at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Throughout the United States, Australia, and New Zealand, they play matches over the course of 27 rounds throughout the year. Then, the finals series takes place over the course of 4 weeks. First, the top 4 teams compete for qualifying finals, while the next 4 teams fight in an elimination bracket.
Who won the NRL last year?
The premiership was awarded in the NRL grand final, which took place on October 1, 2023. The Perth Panthers had an amazing comeback against the Brisbane Broncos, winning for the third year in a row
Can they win for a fourth time? Find out with NordVPN and 9Now.
Why Is a VPN Important for Watching the NRL?
The NRL has a lot of broadcasters throughout the world, and it’s sometimes hard to find the best place to watch it in your country. In some places, it might not even be available at all. The WatchNRL streaming service is a good place to start, regardless of where you live.
You’ll get to watch the 2023 NRL replays and watch live during the 2024 NRL season. But you’ll have to pay for a subscription.
Meanwhile, Australian rugby league fans have the option to watch the NRL for free on Channel 9. And that’s why a VPN is important to watch the NRL from anywhere. You can use it to change your IP address to one from Australia and watch NRL for free too.
PRO ADVICE:
Not all VPNs are good at unblocking streaming sites. Some can’t get around geo-restrictions, and others are too slow for streaming. Make sure you choose one of the VPNs we tested and outlined below.
The Best VPNs for Watching the NRL
There are more and more competitive VPNs on the market every year. It can be hard to figure out which is best, especially if you’ve never used a VPN before. So we tested dozens of apps to find the best VPN for watching the NRL. Here are our top 3 picks:
1. NordVPN: The best VPN for watching the NRL
- Over 190 high-speed and reliable servers in Australia
- The best speed test results out of all VPNs
- Proven capabilities of getting around geo-restrictions and working seamlessly with 9Now
- Military-grade encryption and security
If you need an Australian IP address, there’s no better choice than NordVPN. It has over 190 servers spread across Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, and Brisbane. Just get a subscription, and you can start watching NRL matches on Channel 9 in a matter of minutes.
Plus, NordVPN has the best connection speeds out of all VPNs. We tested dozens of apps and found that NordVPN was consistently faster than all of its competitors. If you want to stream anything lag-free, NordVPN is the best pick.
Best of all, NordVPN also has a large network of over 6000+ servers in 61 countries. This lets you watch the NRL, and other great sports leagues from anywhere in the world. You can use its US servers to watch the NFL, its UK servers for the Champions League, and plenty more.
If you subscribe now, you’ll also get a massive 69% off deal, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Try NordVPN risk-free:
If you want to find out more about this app, check out our full NordVPN review.
2. CyberGhost: Most servers in Oceania
- Most servers in Oceania, with over 210 in Australia alone
- Affordable pricing plans
- Some of the best speed test results
- Very easy to set up and use
CyberGhost has the most servers in Australia out of all premium VPNs. With over 210 in the country (and dozens more in nearby countries), Cyberghost can guarantee you’ll find a stable connection whenever you want to watch the NRL. Plus, the platform has dedicated servers for things like streaming or P2P file sharing, so your traffic is always optimized for what you’re doing.
CyberGhost is not as fast as NordVPN, which is why we ranked it lower. However, its test results aren’t bad. You may feel some drops in speed if you’re really far away from the server you’re connecting to. But in 9 out of 10 cases, CyberGhost will ensure lag-free streaming.
Plus, CyberGhost is very affordable. It’s only $ 2.03 per month, less than NordVPN, and much cheaper than a Watch NRL subscription. Plus, it has a 45-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it for a month and a half before committing to a long-term plan:
For all the details, read our CyberGhost review.
3. ExpressVPN: The best pick for live-streaming NRL games on smart TVs or consoles
- Proven track record of unblocking streaming sites from anywhere
- Over 14 servers spread across Australia
- Easy to install on routers, which is crucial for using a VPN on smart TVs or consoles
- Special deal for 49% off with our link
ExpressVPN is certainly fast. You shouldn’t struggle with buffering if you’re far from Australia, unless you have a weak internet connection. But in most cases, it works just fine. Its server network in Australia isn’t impressive either, but it’s still expansive enough for streaming NRL matches and has always paired well with 9Now.
What’s special about ExpressVPN is its router installation process. It’s one of the easiest VPNs to install on Wi-Fi routers, which is the only way to enable a VPN on your smart TV or game console. If you plan to watch the NRL directly on your TV, you might want to consider ExpressVPN.
Its only real downside is the price. ExpressVPN is one of the most expensive VPNs on the market. Luckily, it has a 30-day money-back guarantee, so you can try it before committing to a plan. Plus, you can use our link to get an exclusive 49% off deal:
If you want to find out more before subscribing, read our ExpressVPN review.
How We Chose the Best VPN for Streaming NRL
We tested dozens of VPNs before writing this list. Not all of them are equally good for getting around geo-restrictions, so we had strict criteria for the options we recommend:
- Servers in Australia: 9Now, the only free service to watch the NRL, only works with an Australian IP address. So we prioritized VPNs with a robust server network in the country.
- Speed and reliability: You don’t want to miss anything in a Bulldogs vs. Eels game, so a fast VPN is crucial for watching the NRL.
- Unblocking history: Streaming platforms can still see your actual location if you’re using a VPN that leaks your IP address. We only recommend VPNs with a good track record in unblocking streaming sites.
- Price: There’s no reason to shell out your savings for a VPN. We prioritized efficient apps that also have a good price. There are plenty of decent VPNs that can get the job done, but they’re priced twice or three times as high as the best VPNs available.
How to Watch NRL In Germany
You can watch NRL in Germany with the Watch NRL app, which will cost you AUD $24 (€14.50) for a weekly subscription. That can get pretty costly for an entire season, so we recommend using a VPN to live stream the NRL on 9Now for free.
Here’s how to do it:
- Get NordVPN and install the app on your device.
- Connect to a server in Australia. Perth is the best option when you’re watching from the EU.
- Access 9Now, create an account, and tune into the next NRL match on Channel 9 online!
We recommend NordVPN for watching the NRL in Germany because it’s the fastest option. Your traffic has a long way to go from Frankfurt to Sydney, so it’s best to invest in the fastest VPN. With our deal, you can get NordVPN for $ 2.99 a month, which is much cheaper than WatchNRL.
How to Watch NRL In the UK
The NRL is streaming exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK. If you don’t have cable, you can also watch NRL games on Sky Sports from any live TV streaming service, like NOW TV. Unfortunately, that will cost you upwards of £11.98 per day (although there are much cheaper plans).
If you’d like to watch the NRL for free, you can use a VPN. Here’s how:
Just to be clear:
The VPN itself isn’t free. However, if you follow this guide, you won’t have to pay for any streaming subscriptions.
- Get NordVPN and install it on whatever device you use.
- Connect to a server in Australia, ideally on the eastern coast.
- Open 9Now, create an account, and enjoy NRL matches for free!
How to Watch NRL In the US
FOX Sports is the official broadcaster for the NRL in the US. If you don’t have cable, you can also use one of the many streaming platforms that offer access to live TV channels, like Fubo TV, YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, or Sling TV.
Alternatively, you can use the WatchNRL app in the US. But it will cost you AUD $24 for a weekly subscription. If you’d rather watch NRL matches on a free streaming platform, here’s what you’ll have to do:
- Subscribe to NordVPN and install it on your device.
- Connect to a server in Australia, ideally on the western coast.
- Go to 9Now, create an account, and enjoy free NRL streams!
Optional: Other Streams
If you’re in Europe, and you don’t have a good internet connection, 9Now might not be the best alternative. Australia is really far away, so your stream might be buffering at times. Luckily, you can use your VPN to access other NRL streaming platforms. Here are some popular regions, and their official broadcaster for the NRL:
| Region | Streaming Platform |
|---|---|
| United Kingdom | Sky Sports, NOW TV |
| United States | Hulu + Live TV Sling TV Fubo YouTube TV DirectTV STREAM |
| Canada | Roger Sports Net |
| Netherlands | ESPN |
| France | BeIN Sports |
| Singapore, Brunei, Malaysia | Fox Sports Asia |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | ESPN Africa |
| Australia | Fox League channel |
| Worldwide (with some exceptions) | WatchNRL |
How to Stream the National Rugby League From Anywhere
The NRL is a must-watch for all fans of rugby. But it can be hard or expensive to tune into all games if you’re outside of Australia. Streaming platforms like WatchNRL will cost you as much as AUD $24 for a weekly subscription, while some countries don’t even have an official broadcaster.
If you want to access free streams of the NRL, you can use a VPN to change your IP address. If you pick an Australian server, this will make sites think you’re inside the country, and you’ll get access to free streams like 9Now. We recommend NordVPN thanks to its fast speeds, and extensive server network inside Australia.
If you’re a fan of sports, you can also use NordVPN to watch other famous leagues, like:
- How to Watch Six Nations Online Free from Anywhere
- How to Watch the FIFA World Cup Online
- How to Watch the Super Bowl Online for Free
- Watch Boxing Online for Free
- How to Watch NBA Games Online
Still not sure how to watch the NRL? Here are some FAQs about the league, and our answers.
Yes, the NRL is available to watch for free on 9Now, in Australia. If you’re not in Australia, you can only access the stream if you change your IP address with a VPN.
You can watch the NRL in the US on FOX Sports, or any online streaming platform that carries FOX Sports, like Fubo TV or Sling TV. Alternatively, you can use the WatchNRL app, or get a VPN, connect to a server in Australia, and use the free 9Now stream.
The NRL has its dedicated streaming service, WatchNRL. However, depending on where you’re watching from, it can be pretty expensive. 9Now is a good alternative, but it’s only available in Australia. If you want to access the site from anywhere, you’ll need a VPN.
