RTÉ and Virgin Media announce joint schedule for Six Nations 2026
Kenneth Fox
RTÉ and Virgin Media Television have announced details of their joint broadcast agreement for the 2026 Six Nations Championship.
Coverage includes all games of the Men’s, Women’s, and Under-20 tournaments available to watch live and free-to-air.
The action gets underway on Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at 7pm, when Virgin Media One , Virgin Media PLAY and RTÉ Radio 1 broadcast the opening fixture of the Men’s Championship as Ireland face France in Paris.
On Saturday, February 7th, viewers can enjoy back-to-back rugby across both broadcasters: Virgin Media One and Virgin Media PLAY show Italy v Scotland, followed by RTÉ 2 and RTÉ Player’s coverage of England v Wales.
The Underâ20 Six Nations kicks off on Friday, February 6th. The Ireland Under-20s begin their campaign on Saturday, February 7th at 8pm when they take on France, which will be shown live on RTÉ Player.
The Guinness Men's Six Nations culminates on Saturday, March 14th, as Ireland take on Scotland at 2.10pm on Virgin Media One, Virgin Media PLAY and on RTÉ Radio 1, followed by Wales v Italy at 4.40pm and France v England at 8.10pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player.
The Women’s Six Nations kicks off on Saturday, April 11th, with France v Italy at 12.25pm on RTÉ Player, followed by Ireland v England at 2.25pm live on RTÉ 2, RTÉ Player and RTÉ Radio 1, and Wales v Scotland at 4.40pm on Virgin Media Two and Virgin Media PLAY.
RTÉ’s television coverage will be led by Jacqui Hurley, joined by a panel including Jamie Heaslip, Simon Zebo, Stephen Ferris, Fiona Coghlan, Jim Hamilton, Bernard Jackman, and Donal Lenihan.
Fans can follow all three Six Nations competitions across RTÉ2, RTÉ Radio 1 and RTÉ Player, with live updates, analysis, news and interviews on RTÉ.ie/Sport and @RTErugby.
RTÉ Radio 1 has exclusive radio rights for the Six Nations Championships, with full match commentary for all Irish Men’s and Women’s games, as well as results and updates from the other fixtures across the Championship.
Virgin Media Television's coverage will be led by Joe Molloy and a refreshed panel of experts, Conor Murray, Rob Kearney, Andrew Trimble, and Ian Madigan, with Dave McIntyre and Alan Quinlan in the commentary box.
Speaking ahead of the tournament, Declan McBennett, Head of Sport, RTÉ, said: “The Six Nations remains one of the greatest annual events in Irish sport, and this year’s Championship promises to be as compelling as ever.
"RTÉ’s collaboration with Virgin Media ensures that audiences across the country can come together to follow all the action, from the intensity of Paris to the roar of Dublin.
"We are committed to delivering coverage that captures the passion, precision, and personality of this team, and we look forward to bringing the nation every moment of what promises to be a thrilling campaign.”
