United Rugby Championship 2026-27 Fixtures Announced
The United Rugby Championship (URC), featuring teams from Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Italy, and South Africa, has published its fixtures for the 2026-27 season more than a month before the conclusion of the current campaign.
This marks the earliest release of the URC calendar to date, with the fixtures announced 129 days ahead of the tournament's commencement on Friday, 25 September 2026.
The fixture schedule has been structured to ensure a more balanced regular season, providing a wider distribution of home and away matches. South African teams will undertake three separate two-game URC tours throughout the season.
The competition format remains consistent, with the top eight teams progressing to the play-offs at the end of May. The Grand Final for the 2026-27 season is set for Saturday, 19 June 2027.
"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 to Host Dragons in First League Match at St Helen's
Ospreys will play their inaugural home league game at the newly redeveloped St Helen's stadium in Swansea against Dragons on Saturday, 23 October 2026.
Ospreys will begin the season with three consecutive away matches, including a two-match tour to South Africa facing the Sharks and Lions, followed by a Welsh derby against Dragons at Rodney Parade.
The team is relocating to St Helen's for the 2026-27 season after spending the 2024-25 season at the Brewery Field in Bridgend.
It remains uncertain if the derby against Dragons will be the first game at St Helen's, as the opening round of European fixtures, scheduled for the weekend prior, has yet to be announced.
The opening round of the URC season will feature matches across Ireland, Italy, South Africa, and Wales. Scottish teams Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh will begin with away fixtures at Munster and Ulster, respectively.
The season will kick off with a Welsh derby between Scarlets and Cardiff at Parc y Scarlets in Llanelli on Saturday, 26 September 2026.
United Rugby Championship 2026-27 Fixtures
All times are in BST or GMT unless otherwise stated.
Round One
- Benetton v Dragons (19:45) – Stadio Monigo, Treviso
- Connacht v Stormers (19:45) – Dexcom Stadium, Galway
- Ulster v Edinburgh (19:45) – Affidea Stadium, Belfast
- 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
The fixture list continues with numerous matches involving all participating teams, including multiple derbies and international tours. Notable fixtures include:
- 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
- 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
The schedule features a comprehensive list of fixtures spanning the entire season, including home and away matches for each team, with precise dates, venues, and kickoff times. The full fixture list is extensive and includes all matchups between the URC teams across the six participating nations.
The release of the 2026-27 URC fixtures is a significant development for the competition, offering clubs, fans, broadcasters, and venues ample time to prepare for the upcoming season. The early announcement aims to enhance fan engagement and logistical planning.
