The Scots face the most daunting assignment in world rugby – playing the Springboks in their own back yard.
Watch South Africa v Scotland as Gregor Townsend’s team look to build on last weekend’s impressive Nations Championship win in Argentina.
The problem? They’re facing the undisputed best side on the planet, who possess a intimidating forward pack, a lethal back decision, and very few obvious weaknesses. Scotland haven’t beaten the Springboks since 2010, and they’ll have to play the game of their lives if they’re going to bring that losing streak to an end.
The match gets underway at 4.40pm BST in Pretoria. The good news is that you can watch Springboks v Scotland live streams for free in the UK, Ireland and France – so read on to find out how you can use a VPN to tune in wherever you are in the world.
You’ll find a match preview at the end of the page.
Key information
– South Africa v Scotland date: Saturday 11 July 2026
– South Africa v Scotland kick-off time: 4.40pm BST / 5.40pm CET / 5.40pm SAST (local) / 1.40am AEST (Sunday) / 3.40am NZST (Sunday) / 11.40am EDT / 8.40am PDT
– South Africa v Scotland venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
– South Africa v Scotland free streams: ITVX (UK), Virgin Media Play (Ireland), TF1+ (France)
– Watch from anywhere: Try NordVPN 100% risk-free
How to watch South Africa v Scotland live streams in the UK
South Africa v Scotland live streams are available for free on streaming service ITVX in the UK. The match is also on terrestrial channel ITV1.
Pundits will be talking about the match from 4.20pm BST, with kick-off scheduled for 4.40pm.
ITVX is free to use, but you do need to complete a simple sign-up process to access the service. You also need an up-to-date TV Licence to stream live TV in the UK.
Stream South Africa v Scotland from anywhere
Being overseas this weekend doesn’t mean you have to miss any of the Nations Championship action. By using a VPN (Virtual Private Network) to change your IP address, you can avoid geo-blocking restrictions and stream Springboks v Scotland as if you were relaxing on the sofa back home.
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How to watch South Africa v Scotland in Ireland – live stream the game for free
Virgin Media Television is the place to watch Springboks v Scotland for free in Ireland. You can tune in for free on the Virgin Media Play streaming service or terrestrial channel Virgin Media One.
Pre-match build-up starts at 4.20pm IST, before the game gets underway at 4.40pm.
South Africa v Scotland free streams in France
French fans can tune in for free on both TMC and the TF1+ streaming service.
Coverage of Springboks v Scotland starts at 5.30pm CET, just 10 minutes before the 5.40pm kick-off.
French fans who are away from home but want to tune in with their usual French language commentary can still access their TF1/TMC coverage from overseas by using a VPN, such as NordVPN.
More ways to watch South Africa v Scotland live streams
South Africa: If you’re in South Africa you need to head to SuperSport to watch South Africa v Scotland. The match gets underway at 5.40pm SAST this evening.
United States: In the US you can watch South Africa v Scotland, along with all the Nations Championship games, on World Rugby’s RugbyPass TV. It’s free to use, though you do need to register before you can start streaming the action. Kick-off is at 11.40am EDT/8.40am PDT this morning.
Australia: If you’re down under you can watch Springboks v Scotland ad-free on Stan Sport. You’ll need a base Stan subscription (monthly fees start at $12 per month) plus a Stan Sport add-on (which will cost you $20 per month, and also gives you access to Premier League soccer). Kick-off is at 1.40am AEST on Sunday morning.
New Zealand: In New Zealand, South Africa v Scotland is on Sky Sport, which costs $54.99 per month for a streaming subscription ($29.99 day options are also available). Kick-off is at 3.40pm NZST in the very small hours of Sunday morning.
South Africa v Scotland match preview
Any away victory against a Rugby Championship side is something to be celebrated. Scotland scored seven tries in their 47-38 win over Argentina last weekend, going some way to making amends for letting 21-0 lead slip against the Pumas in November. Not all trips to the southern hemisphere are equal, however, and assignments don’t come any harder than the Springboks on their own turf – especially as the Scots haven’t beaten their opponents since 2010.
Normally a rival coach making 10 changes to their starting line-up would be cause for optimism, but Rassie Erasmus has such riches at his disposal that even a supposedly second-string Springboks line-up has the skill and power to put the fear into opposition teams. Only Damian Willemse, Jesse Kriel, Ruan Nortje, Paul de Villiers and skipper Pieter-Steph du Toit return from the XV that comprehensively beat England last Saturday.
In a last-minute change, Ethan Hooker has replaced Canan Moodie on the wing.
Scotland’s three changes seem minimal in comparison, but one of them is a bona fide headline grabber. Star fly-half Finn Russell has now recovered from the calf problem that kept him out of Bath’s Gallagher PREM run-in to take his place alongside Ben White. Meanwhile, after coming on off the bench last week, Zander Fagerson returns to the front row, and Gregor Brown starts at lock.
Springboks v Scotland line-ups and officials
South Africa
15. Aphelele Fassi
14. Edwill van der Merwe
13. Jesse Kriel
12. Damian Willemse
11. Ethan Hooker
10. Handré Pollard
9. Embrose Papier
1. Boan Venter
2. Johan Grobbelaar
3. Wilco Louw
4. Cobus Wiese
5. Ruan Nortje
6. Paul de Villiers
7. Pieter-Steph du Toit (captain)
8. Evan Roos
Replacements:
16. Jan-Hendrik Wessels
17. Ntuthuko Mchunu
18. Zach Porthen
19. Ben-Jason Dixon
20. Vincent Tshituka
21. Elrigh Louw
22. Grant Williams
23. Quan Horn
Scotland
15. Kyle Rowe
14. Kyle Steyn
13. Rory Hutchinson
12. Sione Tuipulotu (captain)
11. Jamie Dobie
10. Finn Russell
9. Ben White
1. Pierre Schoeman
2. Ewan Ashman
3. Zander Fagerson
4. Gregor Brown
5. Scott Cummings
6. Matt Fagerson
7. Rory Darge
8. Jack Dempsey
Replacements:
16. Gregor Hiddleston
17. Rory Sutherland
18. Will Hurd
19. Alex Samuel
20. Josh Bayliss
21. Magnus Bradbury
22. Tom Jordan
23. Stafford McDowall
Pierre Brousset (France) has the whistle for this one, with James Doleman (New Zealand) and Andrew Brace (Ireland) as his assistants. The TMO is Richard Kelly (New Zealand).
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