United Rugby Championship unveil 2026-27 fixtures

The United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures for the 2026-27 season have been released more than a month before the current season finishes.

It is the earliest occasion the calendar has been issued and is 129 days before the tournament begins on Friday, 25 September.

The fixture list has been designed to provide greater balance across the regular season with more of a spread of home and away fixtures.

The South African teams will each complete three two-game URC tours during the campaign.

The format remains unchanged with the top eight still qualifying for the play-offs at the end of May and the 2026-2027 Grand Final scheduled for Saturday, 19 June.

"Publishing our fixtures earlier than ever before is a major achievement and an important step for our clubs, supporters, broadcasters and venues," said URC chief executive Martin Anayi.

"Fan certainty is important to us. The more notice we can provide around fixtures and kick-off times, the easier it becomes for supporters to plan their weekends, travel to games and follow their teams throughout the season."

Ospreys will play their first home league game at the new redeveloped St Helen's stadium in Swansea against Dragons on Saturday, 24 October.

Ospreys are away in the first three games, with a two-match trip to South Africa against Sharks and Lions and a Welsh derby at Rodney Parade against Dragons.

Ospreys are moving to the ground next season after playing at the Brewery Field in Bridgend in the 2024-25 season.

Whether the derby against the Dragons is the first game at St Helen's remains to be seen, because the opening round of European matches are scheduled the weekend before with those fixtures yet to be released.

The opening round will see fixtures across Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Wales, while Scottish duo Glasgow and Edinburgh are away at Munster and Ulster respectively.

There is also a Welsh derby to kick-off the season between Scarlets and Cardiff in Llanelli on Saturday, 26 September.

Round one (all times in BST or GMT)

Friday, 25 September

Benetton v Dragons (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Connacht v Stormers (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Ulster v Edinburgh (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

September, 26 September

Lions v Leinster (12:30) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Sharks v Ospreys (15:00) Kings Park, Durban

Munster v Glasgow Warriors (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick

Zebre v Bulls (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Scarlets v Cardiff (19:45) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Round two

Friday, 2 October

Cardiff v Zebre (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Edinburgh v Stormers (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Benetton v Connacht (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Saturday, 3 October

Lions v Ospreys (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Dragons v Scarlets (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport

Sharks v Leinster (17:30) Kings Park, Durban

Munster v Bulls (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Round three

Friday, 9 October

Glasgow Warriors v Connacht (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Dragons v Ospreys (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Saturday, 10 October

Bulls v Lions (12:30) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Stormers v Sharks (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Zebre v Edinburgh (15:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Scarlets v Benetton (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Ulster v Munster (17:30) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Leinster v Cardiff (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Round four

Friday, 23 October

Cardiff v Sharks (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Connacht v Zebre (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Edinburgh v Lions (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 24 October

Bulls v Ulster (12:45) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Stormers v Scarlets (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Benetton v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Leinster v Munster (18:00) TBC, Dublin

Ospreys v Dragons (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Round five

Friday, 30 October

Connacht v Leinster (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Glasgow Warriors v Lions (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Saturday, 31 October

Stormers v Ulster (12:45) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Bulls v Scarlets (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Benetton v Edinburgh (15:00) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Munster v Sharks (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick

Dragons v Zebre (17:30) Rodney Parade, Newport

Ospreys v Cardiff (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Round six

Friday, 4 December

Ospreys v Leinster (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Edinburgh v Dragons (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 5 December

Lions v Bulls (12:30) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Sharks v Stormers (15:00) Kings Park, Durban

Cardiff v Ulster (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Scarlets v Connacht (17:15) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Zebre v Munster (19:45) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Round seven

Friday, 18 December

Ulster v Ospreys (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Munster v Scarlets (19:45) Virgin Media Park, Cork

Saturday, 19 December

Zebre v Benetton (13:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Stormers v Lions (14:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Cardiff v Dragons (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Sharks v Bulls (16:30) Kings Park, Durban

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin

Connacht v Edinburgh (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Round eight

Saturday, 26 December

Dragons v Cardiff (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport

Ospreys v Scarlets (17:30) St Helen's, Swansea

Sunday, 27 December

Benetton v Zebre (13:30) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh

Ulster v Connacht (17:30) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Munster v Leinster (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick

Saturday, 20 February

Lions v Sharks (12:00) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Bulls v Stormers (13:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Round nine

Saturday, 2 January

Sharks v Lions (15:00) Kings Park, Durban

Zebre v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Scarlets v Dragons (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Connacht v Munster (17:15) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Edinburgh v Benetton (17:30) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Cardiff v Ospreys (17:30) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Leinster v Ulster (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Sunday, 3 January

Stormers v Bulls (14:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Round 10

Friday, 22 January

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Ulster v Sharks (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Saturday, 23 January

Lions v Zebre (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Stormers v Cardiff (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Ospreys v Edinburgh (15:00) St Helen's, Swansea

Benetton v Bulls (17:30) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Leinster v Dragons (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin

Munster v Connacht (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick

Round 11

Friday, 29 January

Dragons v Munster (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Saturday, 30 January

Lions v Cardiff (12:45), Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Stormers v Zebre (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Scarlets v Edinburgh (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Leinster v Bulls (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin

Benetton v Sharks (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Connacht v Ulster (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Round 12

Friday, 26 February

Munster v Benetton (19:45) Virgin Media Park, Cork

Dragons v Ulster (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Saturday, 27 February

Lions v Stormers (12:30), Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Bulls v Sharks (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Zebre v Scarlets (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Ospreys v Connacht (17:30), St Helen's, Swansea

Edinburgh v Leinster (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Round 13

Friday, 19 March

Sharks v Edinburgh (17:00) Kings Park, Durban

Glasgow Warriors v Stormers (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Connacht v Cardiff (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Saturday, 20 March

Ulster v Zebre (15:00) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Bulls v Dragons (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Munster v Ospreys (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick

Scarlets v Lions (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Leinster v Benetton (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Round 14

Friday, 26 March

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Scarlets v Leinster (19:45) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Saturday, 27 March

Bulls v Edinburgh (12:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Connacht v Lions (14:15) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Sharks v Dragons (16:30) Kings Park, Durban

Cardiff v Munster (17:30) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Benetton v Ulster (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Ospreys v Stormers (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Round 15

Friday, 16 April

Dragons v Glasgow Warriors (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Edinburgh v Cardiff (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 17 April

Lions v Munster (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Stormers v Benetton (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Ospreys v Bulls (17:30) St Helen's, Swansea

Leinster v Connacht (17:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Ulster v Scarlets (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Zebre v Sharks (19:45) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Round 16

Friday, 23 April

Zebre v Ospreys (18:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Ulster v Leinster (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Cardiff v Bulls (20:05) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Saturday, 24 April

Lions v Benetton (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Scarlets v Sharks (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Stormers v Munster (17:05) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh (17:45) Hampden Park, Glasgow

Connacht v Dragons (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway

Round 17

Friday, 7 May

Dragons v Lions (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Edinburgh v Zebre (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 8 May

Sharks v Connacht (12:30) Kings Park, Durban

Bulls v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Munster v Ulster (17:15) Thomond Park, Limerick

Scarlets v Ospreys (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Leinster v Stormers (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Benetton v Cardiff (19.45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Round 18

Friday, 14 May

Ospreys v Benetton (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Ulster v Lions (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Edinburgh v Munster (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 15 May

Bulls v Connacht (12:30) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Cardiff v Scarlets (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Sharks v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Kings Park, Durban

Dragons v Stormers (17:30) Rodney Parade, Newport

Zebre v Leinster (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Play-off schedule

Quarter-finals: May 28/29

Semi-finals: Saturday, 5 June

Grand Final: Saturday, 19 June