Munster To Begin URC Title Defence Against Sharks As Fixtures Are Announced

With 102 days until the new BKT United Rugby Championship season kicks off, the league has confirmed the fixture schedule in full for the 2023/24 campaign.

This represents the earliest release of the league’s fixtures (with kick-off times) in the history of the competition, which will provide teams and fans with greater time to plan for the season ahead.

Just like last season fans can download fixtures directly into their devices by using this link (updates can take up to an hour based on demand).

The league’s 23rd season will kick off on Saturday, October 21 with six games taking place, followed by a further two on Sunday, October 22.

Reigning URC champions Munster will begin their title defence on the Saturday when they host the Cell C Sharks from Durban at 5.15pm at Thomond Park.

The first fixture of the regular season’s 144 games will come from Italy when Ulster travel to face Zebre Parma, before Connacht host the Ospreys at the same time that the Emirates Lions and the DHL Stormers contest the first derby of the year.

In Wales, the Dragons will entertain Edinburgh, and Cardiff welcome Benetton to the Arms Park. The following day, the Vodacom Bulls take on the Scarlets before a clash between two of last season’s play-off teams as Leinster visit Scotstoun Stadium to face Glasgow Warriors.

After a two-year window of home or away fixtures against non-Shield opponents, the sequencing has been refreshed.

The home-and-away sequence from this season will be reversed for the 2024/25 campaign to ensure a fair balance of home and away games against the same opponents over a two-year cycle. A full FAQ on fixtures is available by clicking here.

In a new approach aimed at reducing long-haul travel across the league, the South African teams will tour twice rather than three times.

This means a four-match tour to Europe in the early part of the season followed by a two-game tour after the Six Nations (a balance of two three-game tours will be implemented if future calendars allow for it).

Additionally, the earlier generation of fixtures will assist all teams in their cross-hemisphere travel with improved access to different seat classes and cost efficiencies related to bookings made further in advance.

The opening weekends of the United Rugby Championship will see games played across Saturday and Sunday afternoons to avoid clashes with Rugby World Cup fixtures on Friday and Saturday nights.

With no November Test series break, URC teams will take on a schedule of 11 consecutive weekends of rugby (including EPCR matches), so January will also provide two relief weekends for teams to take a break in play and to accommodate traditional festive fixturing on December 26 (Tuesday) in Wales and Ireland.

Further efficiencies in fixture generation and grading have also been made possible due to the URC’s supplier arrangement with Ligalytics, a German sports scheduling firm who work with many sports including rugby, football, cricket, basketball and hockey.

The league would also like to thank the Dragons and the Ospreys, who both share venues with football teams, to allow the scheduling work to begin ahead of the publication of the EFL (English Football League) fixture list.

This has allowed for a considerable amount of progress to occur much earlier than in previous years and to deliver earlier publishing of the fixtures.

Also, in the previous season, all derby games in Wales will occur in afternoon or late afternoon slots thanks to the support of all broadcasters involved.

United Rugby Championship CEO Martin Anayi commented: “The fixture list is the central pillar to the operation of our league and teams and providing certainty to fans, teams and broadcasters earlier than ever will have a positive impact.

“Providing a set of fixtures that aims to balance kick-off times which encourage attendance and deliver big broadcast while factoring in the travel necessary to compete in the URC is a monumental task that cannot be underestimated.

“Each year we feel we are learning more and more about how to refine and improve our process and the final fixture list itself, and I must express great gratitude to our broadcast partners who have supported so many requests from the league and our teams.

“To deliver this fixture list 102 days ahead of kick-off is unprecedented for our league and gives us another target to beat again next year.”

2023/24 BKT UNITED RUGBY CHAMPIONSHIP FIXTURES:

ROUND 1 –

Saturday, October 21

Zebre Parma v Ulster, 1pm Irish time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Ospreys, 3pm (TG4, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers, 4.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Edinburgh, 3.05pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Benetton, 5.15pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v Cell C Sharks, 5.15pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, October 22

Vodacom Bulls v Scarlets, 3pm local time (SuperSport, BBC Wales, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Glasgow Warriors v Leinster, 4pm (Viaplay, RTÉ, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 2 –

Saturday, October 28

Ospreys v Zebre Parma, 1pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Glasgow Warriors, 3pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Scarlets, 4pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Cell C Sharks, 4.55pm (RTÉ, SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Emirates Lions, 5pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, October 29

Benetton v Munster, 2pm Irish time (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Cardiff, 2.30pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Vodacom Bulls, 5pm (BBC NI, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 3 –

Friday, November 3

Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ospreys v Cell C Sharks, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, November 4

Zebre Parma v Vodacom Bulls, 2pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Edinburgh, 3.05pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Cardiff, 5.15pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v Dragons, 5.15pm (RTÉ, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Ulster, 7.35pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, November 5

Benetton v Emirates Lions, 2.30pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 4 –

Friday, November 10

Zebre Parma v Cell C Sharks, 6.30pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Vodacom Bulls, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Munster, 7.35pm (BBC NI, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, November 11

Benetton v DHL Stormers, 4pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors, 5.15pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Emirates Lions, 5.15pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Connacht, 7.35pm (Viaplay, TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, November 12

Dragons v Leinster, 1.15pm (S4C, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 5 –

Friday, November 17

Edinburgh v Vodacom Bulls, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Emirates Lions, 7.35pm (BBC NI, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Zebre Parma v Cardiff, 8.35pm local time (BBC Wales, Viaplay Xtra, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, November 18

Cell C Sharks v Connacht, 3pm Irish time (SuperSport, RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Ospreys, 5.15pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v DHL Stormers, 5.15pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Scarlets, 7.35pm (TG4, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 6 –

Friday, November 24

Cardiff v DHL Stormers, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Benetton, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, November 25

Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma, 2.55pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Vodacom Bulls v Connacht, 3pm Irish time (SuperSport, RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v Dragons, 7.05pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Munster, 6.30pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, November 26

Ospreys v Scarlets, 3pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 7 –

Friday, December 1

Munster v Glasgow Warriors, 7.35pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, December 2

Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks, 3pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Scarlets, 3pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Emirates Lions v Dragons, 5.05pm local time (SuperSport, BBC Wales, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Zebre Parma, 7.15pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Edinburgh, 5.15pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Leinster, 7.35pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Benetton v Ospreys, 8.35pm local time (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 8 –

Friday, December 22

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Connacht, 7.35pm (BBC NI, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, December 23

Zebre Parma v Benetton, 2pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls, 7pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)

Tuesday, December 26

Cardiff v Dragons, 3pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Ospreys, 5.15pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v Leinster, 7.35pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, January 6

Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions, 5pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 9 –

Saturday, December 30

Benetton v Zebre Parma, 2.30pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors, 3pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks, 7pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)

Monday, January 1

Ospreys v Cardiff, 3pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Scarlets, 5.15pm (S4C, Viaplay SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Ulster, 5.15pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Munster, tbc (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, January 27

Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions, 5pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 10 –

Friday, February 16

Scarlets v Munster, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Zebre Parma v Edinburgh, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, February 17

Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls, 3pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Benetton, 3pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers, 5.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Connacht, 5.15pm (S4C, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Glasgow Warriors v Dragons, 7.35pm (Viaplay, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Sunday, February 18

Ospreys v Ulster, 3pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 11 –

Friday, March 1

Edinburgh v Ospreys, 7.35pm (Viaplay, BBC Wales, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v Zebre Parma, 7.35pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sport)

Saturday, March 2

Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks, 3pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors, 4pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers, 5.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Scarlets, 5.05pm (TG4, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Leinster, 7.35pm (S4C, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Dragons, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 12 –

Friday, March 22

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ospreys v Munster, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, March 23

Cell C Sharks v Ulster, 1pm Irish time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Benetton, 3pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Edinburgh, 5.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Emirates Lions, 5.15pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Zebre Parma v Leinster, 7.35pm Irish time (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Vodacom Bulls, 7.35pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 13 –

Friday, March 29

Dragons v Zebre Parma, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Vodacom Bulls, 7.35pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, March 30

Benetton v Connacht, 1pm Irish time time (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v Edinburgh, 3pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Ospreys v Emirates Lions, 3.05pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Ulster, 7.15pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Munster v Cardiff, 7.35pm (RTÉ, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 14 –

Friday, April 19

Ulster v Cardiff, 7.35pm (BBC NI, BBC Wales, TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Glasgow Warriors v Cell C Sharks, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, April 20

Emirates Lions v Leinster, 2pm Irish time (SuperSport, RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Benetton v Dragons, 3pm local time (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Vodacom Bulls v Munster, 4.05pm Irish time (SuperSport, RTÉ, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Ospreys, 7.15pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Connacht v Zebre Parma, 7.35pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Scarlets, 7.35pm (live Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 15 –

Friday, April 26

Scarlets v Cell C Sharks, 7.35pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Benetton, 7.35pm (BBC NI, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, April 27

Zebre Parma v Glasgow Warriors, 2pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys, 3pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Edinburgh, 3.05pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Emirates Lions v Munster, 4pm Irish time (SuperSport, TG4, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Leinster, 6.05pm Irish time (SuperSport, TG4, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Dragons v Connacht, 8pm | 20.00 (S4C, RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 16 –

Friday, May 10

Dragons v DHL Stormers, 7.35pm(BBC Wales, Viaplay SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Zebre Parma, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, May 11

Vodacom Bulls v Glasgow Warriors, 2pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v Benetton, 4.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Ulster, 3.05pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Emirates Lions v Cardiff, 6.15pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Munster v Connacht, 5.15pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Ospreys, 7.35pm (TG4, S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 17 –

Friday, May 17

Zebre Parma v Scarlets, 8.35pm local time (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Edinburgh v Munster, 7.35pm (Viaplay, TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, May 18

Vodacom Bulls v Benetton, 2pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Ospreys v Dragons, 3pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors, 4.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Connacht v DHL Stormers, 5.05pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v Cardiff, 6.15pm local time (SuperSport, S4C, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Ulster v Leinster, 7.35pm (Viaplay, TG4, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

ROUND 18 –

Friday, May 31

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma, 7.35pm (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Leinster v Connacht, 7.35pm (RTÉ, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

Saturday, June 1

Benetton v Edinburgh, 2pm local time (Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions, 2pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Scarlets v Dragons, 3pm (BBC Wales, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls, 4.05pm local time (SuperSport, Viaplay, Premier Sports)
Cardiff v Ospreys, 5.15pm (S4C, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)
Munster v Ulster, 5.15pm (TG4, Viaplay, SuperSport, Premier Sports)

 

QUARTER-FINALS – Friday, June 7 & Saturday, June 8

SEMI-FINALS – Saturday, June 15

FINAL – Saturday, June 22