The women’s championship returns with this fixture at Energia Park
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch
The 2020 Women’s Six Nations returns after a seven-month hiatus tonight when Ireland and Italy meet at Energia Park in Dublin (kick-off 6.30pm).
When the two sides met last year, the Italians achieved a famous 29-27 victory in Parma, but can they do the same on Irish soil?
Italy haven’t played since February as three of their Six Nations matches got postponed due to Covid, but they did beat Wales 19-15 in Cardiff before losing to France. Plus, they have been boosted by the return of captain and full-back Manuela Furlan, who is back in the Test arena for the first time in 18 months following a long-term shoulder injury.
Welcome back: Italy’s Manuela Furlan breaks against France (Getty Images)
Ireland beat both Scotland and Wales before suffering a defeat by England earlier in the year, but their preparation has been disrupted this week by some inconclusive Covid tests, which meant Adam Griggs had to make two changes to his match-day squad.
Claire Molloy took a sabbatical from international rugby last year to focus on her medical career, but returns tonight to win her 70th Ireland cap after being picked in the back row. Her and Ireland will be looking to generate momentum in these postponed Six Nations games ahead of the World Cup qualifiers later in the year.
Ireland: Lauren Delany; Laura Sheehan, Enya Breen, Sene Naoupu, Béibhinn Parsons; Hannah Tyrrell, Kathryn Dane; Lindsay Peat, Cliodhna Moloney, Linda Djougang, Nichola Fryday, Ciara Cooney, Dorothy Wall, Claire Molloy, Ciara Griffin (captain).
Replacements: Neve Jones, Katie O’Dwyer, Leah Lyons, Brittany Hogan, Hannah O’Connor, Alisa Hughes, Larissa Muldoon, Katie Fitzhenry.
Italy: Manuela Furlan (captain); Vittoria Ostuni Minuzzi, Michela Sillari, Beatrice Rigoni, Aura Muzzo; Veronica Madia, Sofia Stefan; Silvia Turani, Melissa Bettoni, Lucia Gai, Sara Tounesi, Giordana Duca, Francesca Sgorbini, Giada Franco, Elisa Giordano.
Replacements: Giulia Cerato, Erika Skofca, Michela Merlo, Valeria Fedrighi, Francesca Sberna, Sara Barattin, Beatrice Capomaggi, Benedetta Mancini.
Here’s how you can watch Ireland v Italy in the Women’s Six Nations…
How to watch Ireland v Italy in the Women’s Six Nations when abroad
If you’re abroad, but still want to watch your local Women’s Six Nations coverage, like Ireland v Italy, you can do so by using a VPN – Virtual Private Network.
Our friends at TechRadar have tested hundreds of VPN and recommend ExpressVPN, which is easy to use, has strong security features and allows you to watch on several devices at once, including smart TVs and phones, iPads, tablets, PCs and Macs.
Plus, ExpressVPN comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can try it out for a month for free or sign up for an annual plan and get three months free.
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch from the UK
The good news is that the BBC is showing five of the six remaining Women’s Six Nations matches, with Ireland v Italy available to watch live via the red button, BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website. The match kicks off at 6.30pm, with coverage starting at 6.20pm.
Fans in the UK can also watch a stream of the game on the official Women’s Six Nations YouTube channel or the Women’s Six Nations Facebook page.
If you’re from the UK but are overseas when Ireland v Italy takes place, you can get your normal live stream but you’ll need a VPN – see above.
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch from Ireland
Ireland’s Women’s Six Nations matches are all being aired live on free-to-air RTE in Ireland. Their match against Italy kicks off at 6.30pm tonight and will be shown live on RTE2, with coverage presented by Daire O’Brien and starting at 6pm.
If you’re from Ireland but are overseas when this match takes place, you can get your normal live stream but you’ll need a VPN – see the information above.
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch from Europe
Eurosport Italia has the rights to broadcast Ireland v Italy (kick-off 7.30pm) in the Women’s Six Nations in Italy, with coverage starting at 7.25pm on Eurosport 1.
Fans in France can watch a stream of the game on the official Women’s Six Nations YouTube channel or the Women’s Six Nations Facebook page.
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch from New Zealand
If you want to tune in to this Women’s Six Nations from the Land of the Long White Cloud, Ireland v Italy kicks off at 6.30am on Sunday morning on Sky Sport NZ 9.
It costs $31.99 a month to add Sky Sport to your Sky Starter pack ($25.99) but if you sign up for 12 months before 31 January 2021 you’ll get your first month free. Plus, you’ll get Sky Go, which allows you to watch live rugby wherever you are.
Ireland v Italy Women’s Six Nations live stream: How to watch from South Africa
If you want to watch Ireland v Italy play in the Women’s Six Nations from South Africa, SuperSport is the place to go. The match kicks off at 7.30pm, with coverage starting at 7.20pm on SuperSport Variety 2.
There are various DStv packages available that give access to SuperSport, ranging from Access, which has the Blitz and Variety 4 channels, to Premium, which includes all 18 sports channels.
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.
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