Premier Sports Rugby: Watch live rugby union on Virgin TV at no extra cost

Virgin TV brilliantly brings together the stuff you love, so here’s a real treat for rugby fans to kick-start 2026: Premier Sports Rugby, the dedicated 24/7 rugby union channel, is now available to all Virgin Media TV customers at no extra cost.

From Friday 9 January, all our TV customers can tune in to Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553) and enjoy extensive coverage of this explosive sport, featuring hundreds of matches each season – including some of the world’s best club competitions – all on us.

Let’s dive into what you can watch on your new channel and how to access it.

Premier Sports Rugby brings you action from the Investec Champions Cup, the elite competition featuring the top sides from England’s Gallagher PREM, France’s Top 14 and the United Rugby Championship, giving you a chance to watch many of the world’s top players going head to head.

Premier Sports Rugby will also be showing every single match from the United Rugby Championship (URC), bringing together the best players and teams from Ireland, Scotland, Wales, South Africa and Italy to play in one of the most competitive and entertaining leagues in rugby union. That’s a whopping 151 matches across the season.

Premier Sports Rugby is also the place to watch the EPCR Challenge Cup, a high-class tournament contested by teams from the top leagues across Europe and South Africa, including sides from England’s Gallagher PREM. You’ll be able to watch two EPCR Challenge Cup pool matches per round, two round of 16 ties and all matches in the quarter-finals, semi-finals and final. 

And that’s not all. You’ll also find more than 100 matches from the French Top 14 league, which involves many of the planet’s finest players, and two games from each round of fixtures from both the US’s Major League Rugby and Japan’s Rugby League One.

Add all that together, and what do you have? A slice of sporting heaven for rugby fans.

Investec Champions Cup: Pau v Bulls*
Friday 16 January, 7.55pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Japan Rugby One: Saitama Wild Knights v Yokohama Eagles*
Saturday 17 January, 3am, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Japan Rugby One: Tokyo Sungoliath v Mie Heat*
Saturday 17 January, 5.05am, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

EPCR Challenge Cup: Connacht v Montauban*
Saturday 17 January, 7.45pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

EPCR Challenge Cup: Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff
Sunday 18 January, 12.45pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

United Rugby Championship: Ospreys v Lions
Friday 23 January, 7.45pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Top 14: Bordeaux-Bègles v Stade Français
Saturday 24 January, 1.30pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Top 14: Toulon v Montpellier
Saturday 24 January, 3.35pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Top 14: Toulouse v Pau
Saturday 24 January, 8pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Japan Rugby One: Shizuoka Blue Revs v Toyota Verblitz*
Sunday 25 January, 5am, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

Top 14: Clermont Auvergne v La Rochelle
Sunday 25 January, 8pm, Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553)

*Match is exclusive to Premier Sports Rugby

It couldn’t be easier for rugby fans to find the best action, with all these matches in one place: simply tune in to Premier Sports Rugby HD (CH 553). 

This dedicated rugby channel is available at no extra cost to all Virgin Media TV customers, so if you want to catch all the action on the channel with the most comprehensive rugby union coverage in the UK, it’s the place to be.

Looking for even more rugby union? Add Premier Sports to your package to access all 63 games from the Investec Champions Cup, exclusive to Premier Sports. It’s your one-stop shop for this elite-level tournament featuring the best club sides in the world, including England’s top teams. You’ll also get access to Scottish and Spanish football, NHL ice hockey, NASCAR racing and more.

You can add Premier Sports 1 HD and Premier Sports 2 HD to your TV bundle for £16.99 a month. To do so, simply add Premier Sports to your package or go to Apps > Subscriptions on your Virgin TV Box and follow the instructions.