Bulls to start URC campaign at home to Ospreys
The Stormers and Bulls will kick off the 2025/26 United Rugby Championship season at home against Leinster and Ospreys, while the Sharks and Lions start their campaigns in Glasgow and Cardiff.
The full Vodacom URC fixture list for the 2025/26 season was released on Wednesday, ahead of the start of the new season on the final weekend of September.
Round 1 will kick off in Cape Town, where the 2022 champions, DHL Stormers, will take on the eight-time league winners, Leinster, at DHL Stadium on Friday, 26 September.
Games will take place across the weekend in all five competing territories, with highlights including Glasgow Warriors hosting Hollywoodbets Sharks, Scarlets facing Munster, Connacht taking on Benetton and Ospreys visiting the Vodacom Bulls.
The derby rounds are once again locked in for Rounds 7, 8 and 9, while the Race to the Eight steps up from Round 13 as teams compete for play-off places and Investec Champions Cup qualification.
The competition's format remains unchanged. The top eight teams progress to the play-offs beginning on 29 May.
The semi-finals will be played on 6 June, followed by the Grand Final on 20 June to crown the 2025/26 champions.
“For the moment, we look forward to the play-offs that kick off next week after another regular season full of surprises,” said Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO.
“The Race to the Eight provided huge jeopardy, and now we move into the ultimate win or go home stage of the competition, which will lift the intensity up to another level.”
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