2025-26 URC to start with a bang

The Stormers host Leinster while the Sharks travel to Glasgow in a blockbuster opening weekend of the 2025-26 Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) season.

In other round 1 matches involving SA teams, the Vodacom Bulls host Ospreys, with the Lions at Cardiff.

With the campaign set to kick off on September 26, this is the earliest-ever publication of league fixtures in competition history.

“Advance planning is critical to the success of the URC, and it is fantastic that we have continued to raise the bar in publishing our fixtures as early as possible,” said URC CEO Martin Anayi.

“For clubs and fans, planning their weekends and knowing where their teams are playing so far ahead of time makes a big difference. The drama and excitement of the URC is matched by the complexity of putting all of the pieces of the fixture list together, but it is made much easier thanks to the support of our teams and broadcasters to assist us in this process.

“For the moment, we look forward to the playoffs that kick off next week after another regular season full of surprises. The Race to the Eight provided huge jeopardy and now we move into the ultimate win or go home stage of the competition which will lift the intensity up to another level.”

URC QUARTER-FINALS: Stormers to tackle champs

2026-26 URC fixtures (SA times):

Round 1

Friday, September 26
Stormers vs Leinster (19:00)
Ulster vs Dragons (21:05)
Glasgow vs Sharks (21:05)

Saturday, September 27

Bulls vs Ospreys (14:00)
Zebre vs Edinburgh (16:05)
Scarlets vs Munster (18:30)
Cardiff vs Lions (20:45)
Connacht vs Benetton (20:45)

Round 2

Friday, October 3
Stormers vs Ospreys (19:00)
Connacht vs Scarlets (21:05)
Edinburgh vs Ulster (21:05)
Dragons vs Sharks (21:05)

Saturday, October 4
Benetton vs Glasgow (18:30)
Bulls vs Leinster (18:30)
Munster vs Cardiff (20:45)

Sunday, October 5

Zebre vs Lions (15:00)

Mark your calendars – the @URCOfficial_RSA 2025/26 fixtures are locked in!
Don’t miss a moment – sync the full Emirates Lions fixture list now:

https://t.co/tr89JjitmT#ForOurCity@Vodacom #URC#LionsPride pic.twitter.com/zRk77U8qcP

— Lions (@LionsRugbyCo) May 21, 2025

Round 3

Friday, October 10

Munster vs Edinburgh (20:45)
Scarlets vs Stormers (20:45)

Saturday, October 11

Benetton vs Lions (16:00)
Ospreys vs Zebre Parma (16:00)
Glasgow vs Dragons (18:30)
Leinster vs Sharks (18:30)
Ulster vs Bulls (20:45)
Cardiff vs Connacht (20:45)

The excitement is building! 2025/26 VURC fixtures are now confirmed!

Never miss a match, sync the full fixture list here: https://t.co/PqJkkCUoUm@vodacom #URC pic.twitter.com/ebe1rORzSg

— The Sharks (@SharksRugby) May 21, 2025

Round 4

Friday, October 17

Edinburgh vs Benetton (20:45)
Connacht vs Bulls (20:45)
Dragons vs Cardiff (20:45)

Saturday, October 18

Lions vs Scarlets (13:45)
Sharks vs Ulster (16:00)
Leinster vs Munster (18:15)
Zebre vs Stormers (20:45)
Ospreys vs Glasgow (20:45)

The 2025/26 @Vodacom #URC fixtures are out!

Put these dates in the calendar now https://t.co/cRTAEau0uY
All the details https://t.co/WDHhnVaraA pic.twitter.com/XfHEYzKOul

— DHL Stormers (@THESTORMERS) May 21, 2025

 

Round 5

Friday, October 24

Glasgow vs Bulls (20:45)

Saturday, October 25

Lions vs Ulster (13:45)
Sharks vs Scarlets (16:00)
Leinster vs Zebre (18:30)
Benetton vs Stormers (18:30)
Dragons vs Ospreys (18:30)
Munster vs Connacht (20:45)
Cardiff vs Edinburgh (20:45)

Round 6

Friday, November 28
Ulster vs Benetton (21:45)
Dragons vs Leinster (21:45)

Saturday, November 29
Bulls vs Lions (14:00)
Zebre vs Cardiff (15:00)
Munster vs Stormers (19:30)
Edinburgh vs Ospreys (19:30)
Connacht vs Sharks (21:45)
Scarlets vs Glasgow (21:45)

Round 7

Friday, December 19

Cardiff vs Scarlets (21:45)
Leinster vs Ulster (21:45)
Saturday, 20 December
Stormers vs Lions (15:30)
Benetton vs Zebre Parma (16:00)
Glasgow vs Edinburgh (17:00)
Sharks vs Bulls (18:00)
Ospreys vs Munster (19:30)
Dragons vs Connacht (21:45)

Round 8

Friday, December 26

Scarlets vs Ospreys (19:30)
Cardiff vs Dragons (17:00)

Saturday, December 27

Zebre vs Benetton (16:30)
Edinburgh vs Glasgow (17:00)
Connacht vs Ulster (19:30)
Munster vs Leinster (21:45)

TBC

Bulls vs Stormers (TBC)
Lions vs Sharks (TBC)

Round 9

Thursday, January 1

Dragons vs Scarlets (17:00)
Ospreys vs Cardiff (19:30)

Friday, January 2

Ulster vs Munster (21:45)

Saturday, January 3

Stormers vs Bulls (18:00)
Benetton vs Edinburgh (19:30)
Glasgow vs Zebre (21:45)
Sharks vs Lions (15:30)
Leinster vs Connacht (19:30)

Round 10

Friday, January 23

Ospreys vs Emirates Lions (21:45)
Edinburgh vs Bulls (21:45)
Munster vs Dragons (21:45)

Saturday, January 24

Scarlets vs Ulster (17:00)
Connacht vs Leinster (19:30)
Stormers vs Sharks (19:30)
Zebre vs Glasgow (21:45)
Cardiff vs Benetton (21:45)

Round 11

Friday, January 30

Benetton vs Scarlets (21:45)
Glasgow vs Munster (21:45)

Saturday, January 31

Lions vs Bulls (14:30)
Sharks vs Stormers (17:00)
Zebre vs Connacht (17:00)
Leinster vs Edinburgh (19:30)
Ospreys vs Dragons (21:45)
Ulster vs Cardiff (21:45)

Round 12

Friday, February 27

Edinburgh v Scarlets (21:45)
Cardiff vs Leinster (21:45)

Saturday, February 28

Lions vs Stormers (14:30)
Bulls vs Sharks (17:00)
Connacht vs Glasgow (17:00)
Munster vs Zebre (19:30)
Dragons vs Benetton (19:30)
Ospreys vs Ulster (21:45)

Round 13

Friday, March 20

Bulls vs Cardiff (19:00)
Scarlets vs Zebre (21:45)
Ulster vs Connacht (21:45)

Saturday, March 21

Lions vs Edinburgh (14:45)
Sharks vs Munster (17:00)
Benetton vs Ospreys (17:00)
Glasgow vs Leinster (19:30)
Stormers vs Dragons (19:30)

Round 14

Friday, March 27

Sharks vs Cardiff (19:00)
Glasgow vs Benetton (21:45)

Saturday, March 28

Bulls vs Munster (14:00)
Connacht vs Ospreys (16:15)
Lions vs Dragons (16:30)
Stormers vs Edinburgh (19:00)
Leinster vs Scarlets (19:30)
Zebre vs Ulster (21:45)

Round 15

Friday, April 17

Edinburgh vs Zebre (20:45)
Ulster vs Leinster (20:45)
Dragons vs Bulls (20:45)

Saturday, April 18

Lions vs Glasgow (15:45)
Scarlets vs Cardiff (18:30)
Benetton vs Munster (20:45)
Ospreys vs Sharks (20:45)

Round 16

Friday, April 24
Edinburgh vs Sharks (20:45)
Zebre vs Dragons (20:45)
Cardiff vs Ospreys (20:45)

Saturday, April 25

Lions vs Connacht (16:00)
Stormers vs Glasgow (18:30)
Munster vs Ulster (18:30)
Scarlets vs Bulls (20:45)
Benetton vs Leinster (20:45)

Round 17

Friday, May 8

Glasgow vs Cardiff (20:45)
Ulster vs Stormers (20:45)

Saturday, May 9

Bulls vs Zebre (13:45)
Sharks vs Benetton (16:00)
Ospreys vs Scarlets (18:30)
Leinster vs Lions (18:30)
Dragons vs Edinburgh (20:45)
Connacht vs Munster (20:45)

Round 18

Friday, May 15

Cardiff vs Stormers (20:45)
Ulster vs Glasgow (20:45)
Edinburgh vs Connacht (20:45)

Saturday, May 16

Sharks vs Zebre (13:45)
Bulls vs Benetton (16:00)
Leinster vs Ospreys (18:15)
Scarlets vs Dragons (18:15)
Munster vs Lions (20:45)

The post 2025-26 URC to start with a bang appeared first on SA Rugby magazine.

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