All the details on how to watch a crucial game in Premiership Women's Rugby
Watch Harlequins v Bristol Bears on Friday February 14 as World Player of the Year Ellie Kildunne and US sensation Ilona Maher face off in a crucial clash in the Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign.
Maher’s Bears are the team with the most at stake, with this their final game of the regular season and victory needed – realistically, if not quite mathematically – to scrape into the play-offs.
Kildunne’s Quins, by contrast, have two games remaining and are already assured of a play-off place, though they are still out to try and top the table or, if not, earn a home tie in the play-offs by securing second place.
The big news from a viewing perspective is that the BBC announced on Wednesday that it had acquired the rights to show Harlequins v Bristol Bears along with three more games from the finale of the Premiership Women’s Rugby season. That means free-to-air coverage from a major broadcaster, even if it’s online streaming only rather than on TV.
Read on for all the information on how to watch Harlequins v Bristol Bears live streams and TV broadcasts wherever you are in the world.
Key information
– Harlequins v Bristol Bears date: Friday, February 14, 2025
– Harlequins v Bristol Bears kick-off time: 7.45pm GMT / 2.45pm ET / 11.45am PT / 9.45pm SAST
– Harlequins v Bristol Bears FREE stream: BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website
– Harlequins v Bristol Bears pay streams: Discovery+ (UK) | The Rugby Network (US)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
Harlequins v Bristol Bears FREE live stream on the BBC
Fans in the UK can watch Harlequins v Bristol Bears for free on the BBC, with the chance to see the likes of Ellie Kildunne and Ilona Maher in action on a free-to-air major broadcaster.
Select PWR games had been given free streaming on YouTube or RugbyPassTV but the new BBC deal marks a new milestone for coverage and exposure ahead of the 2025 Women’s Rugby World Cup.
Harlequins v Bristol Bears will not go out on BBC television but instead online, with streaming delivered across BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website, and the BBC Sport app. You need to register with your email address but they’re all free to use (though don’t forget to have your TV licence up to date).
Not in the UK right now? BBC streaming is geo-restricted but you can still get access while abroad by using a VPN – more on that below.
Watch Harlequins v Bristol Bears from anywhere
Abroad right now? Fear not, you can still watch your usual stream outside your home country thanks to a handy piece of software called a VPN.
A Virtual Private Network – to give it its full name – can set your device’s IP address to make it appear to be in another country, bypassing geo-restrictions and unblocking the streaming services you usually use back home. Provided it complies with your broadcaster’s T&Cs, you can use a VPN to watch your usual rugby streams on the move, all with an added boost to your internet security.
Our expert colleagues at TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPNs, and they rate NordVPN as the best VPN provider. It comes at a huge discount right now, with a money-back guarantee.
Harlequins v Bristol Bears is also on TNT Sports and Discovery+ in the UK
The BBC have come along with free-to-air coverage, but TNT Sports, the main broadcaster for PWR this season, will still have live coverage of Harlequins v Bristol Bears on Friday night.
The game will go out on the TNT Sports 1 TV channel and will also be streamed online at TNT’s streaming platform, Discovery+. Subscriptions to Discovery+ cost £30.99 per month.
Coverage of Harlequins v Bristol Bears on TNT sports 1 and Discovery+ starts at 7.30pm GMT, quarter of an hour ahead of kick-off.
Watch Harlequins v Bristol Bears in the US
Premiership Women’s Rugby has seen a surge of interest from across the Atlantic thanks to the arrival of Ilona Maher last month, and fans in the US can watch their star in action, with Harlequins v Bristol Bears to be broadcast on The Rugby Network.
Subscriptions to The Rugby Network start from $6.99 per month, with a reduction in the rate if you take out an annual pass at $59.99.
Coverage starts at 2.25pm ET / 11.25am PT on Friday February 14, 20 minutes prior to kick-off.
UK-based viewers currently in the US can still get their free BBC coverage by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.
Why is the BBC suddenly showing Premiership Women’s Rugby?
It’s something of a strange move to see a broadcaster as big as the BBC jump into Premiership Women’s Rugby so deep into the campaign.
Ilona Maher’s arrival has certainly created a buzz around the competition and brought a surge of new eyeballs from all over the world, with record attendances in stadiums and a host of TV viewers from the US and beyond. However, beyond the Maher effect, the BBC is gearing up for the Women’s Rugby World Cup in the summer.
The broadcaster clearly sees this as an opportunity to capitalise on the rising tide of interest in a bid to maximise audiences comes the summer.
“As the Women’s Rugby World Cup 2025 kicks off later this year, there’s never been a better time for fans to follow the top players in Premiership Women’s Rugby,” said Alex Kay-Jelski, Director of BBC Sport, in a statement.
“The season has delivered so much already, and with so much still at stake, these games across BBC Sport will put fans right in the heart of the action. 2025 is set to be a landmark year for women’s sport, and we’re proud to bring these pivotal moments to audiences.”
Darren Hanley, PWR Head of Marketing, added: “This year presents women’s rugby with a unique opportunity to grow and we are delighted to have broadcast partners like the BBC and TNT Sports to help us take the sport to new audiences. When the RWC kicks off this August a big proportion of the athletes involved will also be PWR players and this is a great opportunity for a huge TV audience to get to know these brilliant role models.”
Premiership Women’s Rugby games on the BBC
- Harlequins v Bristol Bears – 14 February
- Gloucester-Hartpury v Harlequins – 21 February
- One PWR Semi-final (tbc)
- PWR Final – 16 March
Harlequins v Bristol Bears team news: Confirmed line-ups
Harlequins
Starting XV
15. Ellie Kildunne
14. Beth Wilcock
13. Clàudia Pẽna
12. Lagi Tuima
11. Lisa Neumann
10. Kayleigh Powell
9. Lucy Packer
1. Silva Turani
2. Connie Powell
3. Lizzie Hanlon
4. Abbie Fleming
5. Danelle Lochner
6. Sarah Bonar
7. Maddy Grant
8. Jade Konkel ©
Replacements
16. Carys Phillips
17. Jessie Spurrier
18. Laura Delgado
19. Tyla Shirley
20. Maja Mueller
21. Freya Aucken
22. Sarah Parry
23. Isa Prins
Bristol Bears
Starting XV
15. Courtney Keight
14. Reneeqa Bonner
13. Phoebe Murray
12. Amber Reed (cc)
11. Ilona Maher
10. Holly Aitchison
9. Keira Bevan
1. Hannah Botterman
2. Lark Atkin-Davies
3. Sarah Bern
4. Hollie Cunningham
5. Abbie Ward (cc)
6. Alisha Joyce-Butchers
7. Christiana Balogun
8. Evie Gallagher
Replacements
16. Holly Phillips
17. Simi Pam
18. Elliann Clarke
19. Delaney Burns
20. Gabriella Nigrelli
21. Ffion Lewis
22. Meg Varley
23. Millie David
Download the digital edition of Rugby World straight to your tablet or subscribe to the print edition to get the magazine delivered to your door.
Follow Rugby World on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example:
- Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service)
- Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad
We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing.