Astronaut Will Watch South Africa vs Italy Rugby World Cup Match From Space

TOKYO – While South African expats will be passionately supporting the Springboks and watching their Rugby World Cup match against Italy tomorrow from countries all over the world, there’s an Italian fan who’ll be cheering on his team from space!

Friday’s Pool B match is a pivotal Rugby World Cup clash in Tokyo tomorrow, and most fans won’t want to miss it for anything.

Italian astronaut Luca Parmitano will be watching from the International Space Station (ISS) as it orbits some 400 km above the earth.

Italy will be hoping to upset the Springboks and reach the knockout stages for the first time.

Parmitano, who has been in space since July, had a message for the Italian team.

“You are a team and have to work all together to reach your goal, which is that of winning,” he said in a video posted by the European Space Agency and the Italian Rugby Federation.

It is not the first time Parmitano has broken new ground in space.

In August he became the first person to DJ in space when he played a set from the ISS for a club in Ibiza.

How to Watch the Rugby World Cup from South Africa

If you’re not in space, and are in South Africa, DStv Premium subscribers are able to sign up for DStv Now for free, go to Live TV, select SS1 (channel 201) and stream the matches on their laptops. Or, after the match, download the highlights from Showmax (it’s only R99 p/m with a 14-day free trial, and even less if you’re a DStv subscriber).

(Reporting by Jack Tarrant; Editing by Alison Williams/Reuters and Jenni Baxter/SAPeople)

An out of this world good luck message from @esa astronaut @astro_luca to @Federugby team.

The rugby mad Italian fan will get to watch #RSAvITA from the International Space Station thanks to a special broadcast feed produced by World Rugby on Friday. #RWC2019 pic.twitter.com/E5NjGOYz3R

— Rugby World Cup (@rugbyworldcup) October 3, 2019

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