The 2026-27 URC kicks off this week with the Stormers and Bulls overseas and the Sharks and Lions at home, the latter hosting the defending champions at Ellis Park.
After a blockbuster Rugby’s Greatest Rivalry series, all four South African clubs have several Springboks rested or involved in Rassie Erasmus’ plans for a one-off Test against the Wallabies in Perth on Sunday.
The STORMERS face Connacht in round one on Friday night at Galway’s Sportsground, where captain Ruhan Nel wants to avenge last season’s league loss to the Irish province in Cape Town.
John Dobson’s men finished third with 12 wins, five losses and a draw, beating Cardiff in the last eight before losing the semi-final to Leinster in Dublin.
The Capetonians travel to Ireland on the back of a pre-season defeat to the Bulls in Paarl, which followed a 38-21 loss to the All Blacks at Cape Town Stadium on 7 August.
The LIONS finally reached the playoffs last term, finishing eighth before a 59-10 quarter-final exit at Leinster, and will host the back-to-back title winners on Saturday afternoon.
Van Rooyen’s Pride beat Leinster 44-12 at Ellis Park in April 2024, and led New Zealand at half-time there last month before losing 41-35.
The SHARKS tackle the Ospreys at Kings Park after warm-up wins over the SWD Eagles and Lions, but will want to forget a 54-0 hiding to the Kiwis in their second tour match of the Greatest Rivalry.
The Durban-based outfit finished 10th and missed the playoffs in 2025-26, having been 14th with one win from six matches when JP Pietersen replaced John Plumtree as head coach in December.
Against the Ospreys, the Sharks were victorious in 2022 and 2023, lost in May 2025 and lost the latest meeting 21-17.
The BULLS visit last season’s wooden spoonists Zebre at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi in Parma on Saturday evening, having won each of the first four URC meetings by 240 points to 72, including a record 78-12 in Pretoria.
Head coach Johan Ackermann, whose side finished fourth and lost a second successive decider in the Irish capital, will be desperate for a bright start. The Herd were bulldozed 50-19 in the Greatest Rivalry at Loftus Versfeld, conceding eight tries to three.
Round one fixtures:
Friday, 25 September
Benetton vs Dragons (8:45pm)
Connacht vs Stormers (8:45pm)
Ulster vs Edinburgh (8:45pm)
Saturday, 26 September
Lions vs Leinster (1:30pm)
Sharks vs Ospreys (4pm)
Munster vs Glasgow (6:30pm)
Zebre vs Bulls (6:30pm)
Scarlets vs Cardiff (8:45pm)
Photo: Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images
