How to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse: live stream Champions Cup final from anywhere
French sides battle it out for the biggest prize in European rugby
It's an all-French affair at Twickenham today for the European Champions Cup final as Ronan O’Gara’s debutants battle it out against the strong favourites in red and black. Read on as we explain how to watch a La Rochelle vs Toulouse live stream today and catch all the rugby union action online from wherever you are - the great news is that there are FREE live stream option available.
Date: Saturday, May 22
Time: 4.45pm BST / 5.45pm CET / 11.45am ET / 8.45am PT / 1.45am AEST / 3.45am NZST
Venue: Twickenham, London, England
FREE live stream: Channel 4 (UK) | France 2 (FRA)
Other stream: Kayo Sports FREE trial (AUS) | NBC (US) | Sky Sports (NZ)
Watch anywhere: try a world-class VPN 100% risk-free
Having originally been scheduled to be played in Marseille, Covid-19 precautions mean the match will this afternoon take place at Twickenham in front of 10,000 spectators.
Toulouse come into the clash looking to secure their fifth Champions Cup title and their first since 2010. While a win for La Rochelle would mark their first ever triumph in the tournament, having only previously made it as far as the quarter-finals.
O'Gara's underdogs made it to today's final via an at times tense 32-23 victory over Leinster in the semi-final, while Toulouse were too good for Bordeaux in their last-four clash at the State Ernest-Wallon with tries from Matthis Lebel and Antoine Duport sealing their place in this showdown in London.
The two sides have battled it out at the top of their domestic table all season long, with just one point separating Toulouse in first place with La Rochelle in second, meaning this cup final could provide an intriguing potential precursor to the play-off finals in France.
Read on as we explain how to watch a La Rochelle vs Toulouse live stream and watch the Champions Cup final - no matter where you are, and for free in some regions around the world.
FREE La Rochelle vs Toulouse live stream
All eyes in France will be watching this game, and they can do so absolutely free thanks to free-to-air station France 2. It's got the whole game being broadcast live on TV and its website, with kick-off at 5.45pm CET.
And unlike for Leicester Tigers' Challenge Cup final last night, rugger nuts across The Channel also have a free stream option. Channel 4 (or All4 online and apps) has the game live, with coverage starting half an hour before kick-off at 4.15pm.
If you're a French (or English) rugby fan who's out of the country today but desperately wants to watch that usual domestic coverage, then using the best VPN you can as described below is the way to get around the geo-blocking you'll face.
How to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse live stream from outside your country
We've recommended some of the best places to live stream La Rochelle vs Toulouse below. But you might run into a problem trying to access them if you're outside of your country - even if you're fully registered and in all likelihood paying a subscription fee. This is because of something called geo-blocking - best thought of as a kind of digital border. But it's not nearly as scary as it sounds and we can help you get back to your preferred rugby live stream in no time at all.
Simply follow our VPN advice below and you'll soon be up and running with a great bit of software that allows you to relocate your device back to your country of residence - thereby regaining access to all the streaming services you normally enjoy at home.
Use a VPN to live stream Champions Cup rugby anywhere
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We've taken the time to try out all the biggest VPN providers and we found ExpressVPN to be the pick of the bunch. It works with lots of devices and offers super fast connections across its many servers.
Throw in its robust set of security features and ExpressVPN is the best all-round VPN for streaming - and perhaps best of all, it has a 30-day money back guarantee plus 3 months FREE when you subscribe for a year.
Access ExpressVPN via your laptop, iPhone, tablet, Android phone, PlayStation, Xbox and plenty more. Express is a do-it-all service that also benefits from 24/7 customer support.
Remember, there are loads of benefits to using a VPN beyond just helping you regain access to streaming services and content from abroad. One of the biggest is security: by using encrypted tunnels, VPNs give you a robust first-line of defense against cybercriminals and government snooping. This makes everyday tasks like online shopping and banking much safer, and many people choose to use one for that reason alone.
How to live stream La Rochelle vs Toulouse in the UK for free
There's a couple of options for rugby fans looking to watch today's big final.
For most folk, Channel 4's free-to-air coverage will fit the bill. Coverage starts at 4.15pm BST on the terrestrial broadcaster ahead of the 4.45pm BST kick-off, and the game can be streamed via the All 4 on demand service.
Pay TV broadcaster BT Sport will also be showing the game, however you'll unsurprisingly need a subscription in order to watch their coverage. Coverage begins at 4pm on BT Sport 2, with the BT Sport app letting subscribers watch the match on any number of devices, including mobiles, tablets, consoles and smart TVs.
If you find yourself outside the UK and want to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse like you would at home, don't worry about geo-blocks on your account – simply grab a VPN and follow the instructions above to live stream the action.
- Related: how to watch a Premiership rugby live stream
How to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse: live stream rugby in Ireland
Alongside being able to watch via BT Sport and Channel 4, rugby fans in Ireland have a third option for watching the game, with Virgin Media Two’s broadcasting the game from 4pm IST on Saturday afternoon.
The free-to-air broadcaster's coverage can also be watched via the Virgin Media player website as well as the network's dedicated Android and iOS apps.
Outside of Ireland? Watch European Champions Cup final rugby online just like you would at home with the help of a quality VPN.
How to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse FREE: live stream European Champions Cup final rugby in Australia
You'll need to be up late to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse in Australia, with kick-off set for 1.45am AEST in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The good news, however, is that you can live stream the game without paying a thing, via Kayo Sports. That's because the sports streaming service offers a FREE 14-day Kayo Sports trial.
After that, the Basic plan costs just $25 a month and lets you stream on two screens, while Premium is a mere $35 a month for simultaneous viewing on up to three devices.
beIN Sports is also showing the European Champions Cup rugby match Down Under, and if you're a Foxtel customer, you can add beIN to your package for an extra fee. No worries if you aren't though as you can also subscribe to beIN as a standalone subscription that can be watched on your laptop, desktop computer or mobile device. That costs $19.99 per month after you've taken advantage of a FREE two-week trial.
And remember, if you're out of Australia right now you can use a VPN to watch your preferred rugby live stream from anywhere.
How to live stream La Rochelle vs Toulouse in New Zealand
New Zealanders can watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse on Sky Sport, which is available as part of a range of pay TV packages.
Prepare for a late night though, as the game kicks off at 3.45am NZST on Sunday morning. Sky Sport 1's coverage gets underway just ahead of kick-off at 3.40am.
Subscribers are able to watch online using the country's Sky Go service, while cord-cutters and anyone else can try the Sky Sport Now streaming-only platform - where a weekly pass costs just $19.99.
If you're away from New Zealand right now, use a VPN and you'll be streaming the rugger in no time at all.
- Related: how to watch a Champions League live stream
How to watch La Rochelle vs Toulouse FREE: live stream rugby in the US
Rugby fans based in the US can watch the La Rochelle vs Toulouse final on NBC's excellent new streaming platform, Peacock TV, which offers a free 7-day trial so you can tune in without paying a cent. After the free trial, Peacock costs just $4.99 a month for an ad-supported service that also features Premiership Rugby, plus loads more premium sports coverage, TV shows, and movies.
If you want more from your streaming service than just the NBC content that Peacock offers, we have two solid recommendations for cord cutters that are flexible and can be cancelled at any time.
The first is Sling TV, which is probably the cheapest option around for people wanting to watch rugby without cable - the Sling Blue package carries NBC among its 30+ channels (also including the likes of CNN, TNT, Fox and Comedy Central). The normal monthly cost is $35, but you can currently get your first month for only $10.
Another great option is fuboTV, which has over 100 channels but packages start from $64.99 a month. There's a FREE fuboTV trial you can try to see if it's right for you.
The game kicks off at 11.45am ET / 8.45am PT on Saturday morning.
Outside of the US? Don't forget that US residents abroad can still tune in just like they would at home with the help of a good VPN.
- Related: how to watch Peacock from outside the US with a VPN
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Kevin Lynch is a London-born, Dublin-based writer and journalist. The author of Steve Jobs: A Biographic Portrait, Kevin is a regular feature writer for a number of tech sites and the former Technology Editor for the Daily Mirror. He has also served as editor of GuinnessWorldRecords.com and has been a member of the judging panel for the BAFTA British Academy Video Game Awards. Alongside reviewing the latest AV gear, smartphones and computers, Kevin also specialises in music tech and can often be found putting the latest DAWs, MIDI controllers and guitar modellers through their paces. Born within the sound of Bow Bells, Kevin is also a lifelong West Ham fan for his troubles.