How to Watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland [2023]

1 year ago

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The 29th edition of the SPAR European Cross Country Championships, the premier European racing event is set to commence on 10th December 2023 at Laeken Park in Brussels, Belgium.

Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal aims for her 3rd senior women’s race title, with Belgium’s Isaac Kimeli also having a strong chance in the senior men’s race. UK showcases promising talent in the U23 race, with Megan Keith being a top contender for gold.

You can watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland on the RTE Player and BBC Sports. You can enjoy live streaming, highlights, full replays, and more on these platforms for free.

However, BBC Sports faces geo-restrictions in Ireland. To access live matches on BBC Sports, a trusted VPN such as ExpressVPN is recommended.

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When and Where is the Watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland Happening?

Here’s all you need to know about one of the most exciting racing championships:

Total no. of Participating Countries: 70 countries

Total no. of Runners: Upto 30,000

Location: Laeken Park in Brussels, Belgium

Date: 10th December 2023

Where to Watch: RTE Player (Ireland and UK) and BBC Sports (UK)

How to Watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland for Free

You can watch the European Cross Country Championship 2023 in Ireland on BBC Sports for free. However, you will need a trusted VPN to watch live matches on the BBC website as it is only available in the UK.

Follow these steps to watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland:

Step 1: Subscribe to a safe VPN service (ExpressVPN).

Step 2: Download and install the ExpressVPN app on your device.

Step 3: Open the VPN app and connect to the UK Server (i.e., London)

Step 4: Go to the BBC website and click on the search bar

Step 5: Search for the European Cross Country Championships

Step 6: Enjoy streaming European Cross Country Championships when it is live

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2 Ways to Watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland:

Besides the RTE, several official websites offer the European Cross Country Championship. Due to international licensing laws, some services are geo-blocked in Ireland, so you must use a premium VPN.

Below are our recommended official ways to watch European Cross Country Championship in Ireland:

1. RTE Player

RTE Player is a free Irish streaming service. It is the official European Cross Country Championships broadcaster. You can watch the European Cross Country Championships live on RTE 2.

The service offers live and recorded RTÉ TV shows, RTE original content, and content from other foreign broadcasters for free. The platform has two versions: RTE Player for Ireland and RTE Player International.

But if you are travelling and want to watch the racing tournament on RTE Player, you must connect to a VPN, like ExpressVPN. It is because RTE International doesn’t air the tournament.

2. BBC Sports

BBC owns the broadcasting rights to various sports in the United Kingdom, airing them live or with popular analysis programs like Match of the Day, Test Match Special, Ski Sunday, Today at Wimbledon, and more.

You can watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland live on BBC Sports. If you want to stream the highlights, replays, and more, you can watch it on BBC’s free streaming service, BBC iPlayer.

You can watch the live races on BBC using a VPN, like ExpressVPN, by connecting to the UK server. VPN is necessary while streaming on BBC iPlayer to bypass the geo-restrictions.

How to Watch European Cross Country Championship in Ireland on Android Phones/TVs

You can live stream the European Cross Country Championship on the RTE Player’s app. The app is available on the Google Play Store and doesn’t require any registration.

It will let you stream the races in four easy steps. Follow these steps to watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland on Android Phones/TVs:

Step 1: Go to the Google Play store and install RTE Player App

Step 2: Open the app and click on Live

Step 3: Select the channel, i.e., RTE 2

Step 4: Enjoy watching the European Cross Country Championships when it is live

Schedule of European Cross Country Championships 2023

The following is the schedule for the European Cross Country Championships 2023:

Date and Day	Time	Category and Race length
Sunday, 10th December	11:25 AM	Women U20 5 km
	11:50 AM	Men U20 5 km
	16:10 PM	Mixed relay 4 x 1,5 km
	12:35 PM	Women U23 7 km
	13:05 PM	Men U23 7 km
	13:35 PM	Women 9 km
	14:15 PM	Men 9 km

Other Sports to Watch in Ireland

If you enjoy watching sports, we recommend some sports, including racing:

FAQs – European Cross Country Championships

What are the main streaming platforms for the Championships?

The Championships will be broadcast live on RTE2 for the senior races from 1 pm, and it will also be available on the RTE Player. Additionally, the event will be streamed live on the European Athletics All TV Platform in partnership with RTE

How many runners are on each cross-country team?

There are seven runners in each European Cross-Country team.

Are there any other channels broadcasting the event?

Yes, the Championships will also be shown on BBC Red Button and BBC Sport Online, providing additional options for viewers to catch the action.

Conclusion

The 29th SPAR European Cross Country Championships will be held on December 10th, 2023, in Brussels, Belgium. The prominent competitors include Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grøvdal, Italy’s Nadia Battocletti, Isaac Kimeli, and Great Britain’s Megan Keith for the U23 race.

You can watch European Cross Country Championships in Ireland on free live-streaming services, like RTE Player and BBC Sports.

However, BBC Sports is unavailable in Ireland due to geo-restrictions. Therefore, you must use a trusted VPN, like ExpressVPN.

Paul Adair

Passionate writer and avid streamer, I try and test streaming services and cord cutting options. By combining my love for writing with the thrill of discovering new media platforms, I like to guide and enlighten Irish audiences on the best ways to enjoy content without the cords.