Ulster-Connacht Clash To Launch New URC Season

The second United Rugby Championship season kicks off in 50 days’ time with the league ready to build upon an enormously successful first campaign that saw the DHL Stormers claim the inaugural URC title.

All 18 rounds are confirmed with broadcast selections and kick-off times to be confirmed in early August.

This is the first step in the journey to crown the champions of 2022/23 and now fans can identify the weekends where their team will take on rivals new and old from north and south.

The URC will kick off on Friday, September 16, and will see the regular season come to an end in round 18 on Sunday, April 23 next year.

Each week teams from five rugby powerhouse nations cross the hemispheres to compete and fight for the right to be our champion. Every match features a clash of rugby styles, cultures, languages and identity. It is the diversity of our competition that makes us different.

Looking ahead to the first seven rounds of the URC, before we head into the Autumn Nations Series, there is plenty to get excited about.

Round 1 will see provincial rivals Ulster and Connacht go head-to-head at Kingspan Stadium, while the Scarlets host the Ospreys in another mouth-watering derby encounter.

The Stormers will make their first appearance since lifting the trophy in Cape Town as they welcome Connacht in round 2 where the smoke from the fireworks at the grand final has hardly settled.

Munster have two trips to Wales – Cardiff and Newport – to start their first season under new head coach Graham Rowntree, while Leinster face the two Italian sides first up, before hitting Belfast for a crunch round 3 derby.

Another early fixture to look out for is in round round 5 when the Vodacom Bulls travel to Thomond Park for the first time to take on Munster, two iconic teams playing at an iconic stadium.

The URC format will see all 16 teams ranked across a single table which will reward the top eight teams with their places in the quarter-finals, followed by the semi-finals to set the stage for the grand final. Every game counts. Any team can win on any given weekend.

URC CEO Martin Anayi commented: “The diversity of our league we so proudly celebrate, is also a reason for the immense complexity of putting together our season 2 fixtures.

“This is a monumental task, and it takes many stakeholders many long hours dedicated to making this the best club rugby championship in the world.

“We have to consider a variety of factors across our 16 clubs and five territories, but we believe that our season schedule will give our fans the best rugby week in and week out.

“My heartfelt thanks go out to everyone who has worked tirelessly to put together a blockbuster fixture list right from round 1.

“We have seen the success of our tournament format culminating in the grandest of grand finals last season and we look forward to going on this journey with our fans and with our stakeholders to another successful year of world-class rugby in action.”

UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP – 2022/23 SEASON FIXTURES:

ROUND 1 – Friday, September 16/Saturday, September 17/Sunday, September 18

Edinburgh v Dragons
Ulster v Connacht
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors
Zebre Parma v Leinster
Scarlets v Ospreys
Cardiff v Munster
Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers * February 3/4
Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls * February 3/4

ROUND 2 – Friday, September 23/Saturday, September 24/Sunday, September 25

Zebre Parma v Cell C Sharks
Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff
Leinster v Benetton
DHL Stormers v Connacht
Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh
Scarlets v Ulster
Ospreys v Emirates Lions
Dragons v Munster

ROUND 3 – Friday, September 30/Saturday, October 1/Sunday, October 2

Cardiff v Emirates Lions
Ulster v Leinster
Benetton v Scarlets
DHL Stormers v Edinburgh
Vodacom Bulls v Connacht
Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors
Munster v Zebre Parma
Dragons v Cell C Sharks

ROUND 4 – Friday, October 7/Saturday, October 8/Sunday, October 9

Edinburgh v Emirates Lions
Zebre Parma v DHL Stormers
Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls
Connacht v Munster
Benetton v Dragons
Scarlets v Cardiff
Leinster v Cell C Sharks
Ulster v Ospreys

ROUND 5 – Friday, October 14/Saturday, October 15/Sunday, October 16

Edinburgh v Benetton
Ospreys v DHL Stormers
Emirates Lions v Ulster
Cell C Sharks v Glasgow Warriors
Munster v Vodacom Bulls
Scarlets v Zebre Parma
Cardiff v Dragons
Connacht v Leinster

ROUND 6 – Friday, October 21/Saturday, October 22/Sunday, October 23

Connacht v Scarlets
Benetton v Vodacom Bulls
Zebre Parma v Edinburgh
Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors
Cell C Sharks v Ulster
Dragons v Ospreys
Cardiff v DHL Stormers
Leinster v Munster

ROUND 7 – Friday, October 28/Saturday, October 29/Sunday, October 30

Scarlets v Leinster
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton
Cardiff v Edinburgh
Dragons v Zebre Parma
Munster v Ulster
Ospreys v Connacht
Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks * February 10/11
Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers * February 10/11

ROUND 8 – Friday, November 25/Saturday, November 26/Sunday, November 27

Benetton v Edinburgh
Emirates Lions v Dragons
Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys
Cell C Sharks v Cardiff
Munster v Connacht
DHL Stormers v Scarlets
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors
Ulster v Zebre Parma

ROUND 9 – Friday, December 2/Saturday, December 3/Sunday, December 4

Edinburgh v Munster
Zebre Parma v Glasgow Warriors
Cell C Sharks v Ospreys
DHL Stormers v Dragons
Emirates Lions v Scarlets
Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff
Connacht v Benetton
Leinster v Ulster

ROUND 10 – Friday, December 23/Saturday, December 24/Monday, December 26

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh
Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls
Benetton v Zebre Parma
Dragons v Cardiff
Connacht v Ulster
Munster v Leinster
Ospreys v Scarlets

ROUND 11 – Friday, December 30/Saturday, December 31/Sunday, January 1

Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls
DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions
Zebre Parma v Benetton
Scarlets v Dragons
Leinster v Connacht
Ulster v Munster
Cardiff v Ospreys

ROUND 12 – Friday, January 6/Saturday, January 7/Sunday, January 8

Dragons v Vodacom Bulls
Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers
Benetton v Ulster
Connacht v Cell C Sharks
Cardiff v Scarlets
Munster v Emirates Lions
Ospreys v Leinster
Edinburgh v Zebre Parma

ROUND 13 – Friday, January 27/Saturday, January 28/Sunday, January 29

Ulster v DHL Stormers
Zebre Parma v Ospreys
Benetton v Munster
Dragons v Glasgow Warriors
Connacht v Emirates Lions
Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls
Edinburgh v Cell C Sharks
Leinster v Cardiff

ROUND 14 – Friday, February 17/Saturday, February 18/Sunday, February 19

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster
Munster v Ospreys
Zebre Parma v Connacht
Scarlets v Edinburgh
Leinster v Dragons
Cardiff v Benetton
Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers
Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks

ROUND 15 – Friday, March 3/Saturday, March 4/Sunday, March 5

Munster v Scarlets
Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma
Cardiff v Ulster
Dragons v Connacht
Edinburgh v Leinster
Ospreys v Benetton
Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions
DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks

ROUND 16 – Friday, March 24/Saturday, March 25/Sunday, March 26

Benetton v Emirates Lions
Ulster v Vodacom Bulls
Scarlets v Cell C Sharks
Zebre Parma v Cardiff
Leinster v DHL Stormers
Ospreys v Dragons
Connacht v Edinburgh
Munster v Glasgow Warriors

ROUND 17 – Friday, April 14 /Saturday, April 15/Sunday, April 16

Cell C Sharks v Benetton
Connacht v Cardiff
Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets
Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma
Emirates Lions v Leinster
Edinburgh v Ospreys
DHL Stormers v Munster
Ulster v Dragons

ROUND 18 – Friday, April 21/Saturday, April 22/Sunday, April 23

DHL Stormers v Benetton
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht
Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma
Vodacom Bulls v Leinster
Ospreys v Cardiff
Dragons v Scarlets
Cell C Sharks v Munster
Ulster v Edinburgh