Premier Sports expands Rugby coverage with Japan Rugby League One and USA Major League Rugby

The channel is currently available via the Premier Sports streaming platform, with plans to launch soon on Sky Glass, Sky Stream, Virgin, and Amazon in the UK.

These additions further cement Premier Sports as a leading rugby broadcaster, offering fans premium competitions from 11 rugby nations. UK rugby fans can watch two live pool stage games from both JRL1 and MLR every weekend, along with playoff matches in 2025 and the 2026/27 season. The broadcaster also retains coverage of major competitions such as the BKT United Rugby Championship, Investec Champions Cup/EPCR Challenge Cup, and France’s Top 14.

Premier Sports Chief Executive Richard Sweeney expressed his excitement about the expanded coverage:

“We are very excited and delighted to be able to bring our UK rugby fans even more premium rugby from around the globe as part of our new rugby channel, Premier Sports Rugby.

“We hope adding these two international rugby competitions to our rugby family will really excite UK rugby fans. We now offer five premium rugby competitions under one roof in an easy-to-access one-stop shop platform, which is something that rugby fans have been asking for and gives our customers even more value for money.”

Sweeney highlighted the significance of Japanese Rugby League One, which boasts some of the sport’s top stars, including Richie Mo’unga, Cheslin Kolbe, and Damian de Allende. Meanwhile, Major League Rugby continues to grow in popularity, bringing fresh competition from the USA.

“The addition of top-flight Japanese pro rugby and the chance to watch its host of world rugby stars plus the hugely popular MLR from the USA live every weekend, gives fresh and intriguing new rugby viewing for our customers.

“As we have done with Top 14 - which has seen huge growth with viewing numbers increase significantly over the past year - we want to give fans access to the best club rugby from across the globe.”

Premier Sports Rugby aims to be more than just a broadcasting platform, with plans to showcase emerging talent, highlight different rugby cultures, and grow the sport’s audience.

“To create UK rugby’s first ever dedicated rugby channel is an exciting step forward for us. Securing a new partnership with EPCR last summer for three years for Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup gave real energy to our plans to showcase exciting rugby competitions and players from around the world - as well as shining a spotlight on emerging players and leagues as well and the heritage of the game. The channel gives us the depth to cover even more rugby.”

Sweeney also emphasized the channel’s long-term vision: “Like all those involved in the game, we want to be part of the drive to engage and attract new audiences, younger rugby fans and keep giving our customers more diverse and fresh rugby to watch. This is just the start of the journey for our new rugby channel. We will continue to evolve it over time.”

Premier Sports Rugby will kick off its JRL1 coverage with a thrilling rematch of last season’s final between Toshiba Brave Lupus Tokyo and Saitama Panasonic Wild Knights, featuring stars such as Damian de Allende. The first weekend of action also includes MLR matchups such as Old Glory DC vs. New England Free Jacks and NOLA Gold vs. RFC Los Angeles.

With an extensive lineup that includes the best European and global club rugby, Premier Sports is quickly becoming the go-to destination for rugby fans in the UK and Ireland. Rugby enthusiasts can subscribe and view the full schedule at www.premiersports.com.