Overview
- The Nations Championship opener is scheduled for Saturday 4 July 2026 with kick-off at 4.40pm BST / 5.40pm SAST and is being shown free in key markets.
- Fans in the UK can watch on ITVX, viewers in Ireland on Virgin Media Play, and US viewers on RugbyPass TV, while SuperSport, Stan Sport, Sky Sport and Premier Sports hold rights in other territories.
- Springboks coach Rassie Erasmus has named a powerful, experienced starting XV that includes Siya Kolisi, Eben Etzebeth and Pieter‑Steph du Toit and awards Cheslin Kolbe and Damian Willemse their 50th caps.
- England arrive with recent poor form from the Six Nations and selection gaps, with Maro Itoje on leave and Sam Underhill and Elliot Daly unavailable for the trip to Johannesburg.
- Ellis Park sits about 1,753m above sea level and has been a difficult venue for England historically, and guides note that overseas viewers often use VPNs to access home streams though users must follow their service terms.