Japan vs Italy rugby arrives in Tokyo with free live streams in the UK, Ireland and France, and the opening-weekend Nations Championship 2026 kick-off is set for 9.40am BST. Viewers in the UK can use ITVX, while Ireland and France have Virgin Media Play and TF1+.
Eddie Jones and Ryunosuke Ito
Japan’s listed starting XV includes Ryunosuke Ito at fly-half, with Eddie Jones in charge and Warner Dearns named as captain. That gives the hosts a clear structure on paper before the match begins, with the backline built around Ito’s first-start role and Dearns leading from the same lineup.
Michele Lamaro in Tokyo
Italy bring Michele Lamaro as captain, with Malik Faissal and Danilo Fischetti both listed in the starting lineup. The preview adds a complication to the fixture: Italy won comfortably the last time the teams played on Italian turf, yet the two sides are described as closely matched in the world rankings.
The broadcast times stretch well beyond Europe. The match kicks off at 10.40am CET, 10.40am SAST, 6.40pm AEST, 8.40pm NZST and 4.40am EDT, so the same game lands in daylight, evening and early-morning slots depending on where viewers are watching.
For readers choosing a stream, the practical split is simple: ITVX in the UK, Virgin Media Play in Ireland and TF1+ in France. That makes the fixture accessible without a paywall in those three markets, and it gives supporters a fixed time to plan around rather than waiting for a delayed window.
