South African sides skip opening weekend as URC fixtures unveiled

The United Rugby Championship (URC) has unveiled its fixtures for the new 2022/23 season which begins in 50 days’ time - on September 16. Exact times and dates have yet to be confirmed for the matches but the opening weekend will see games going ahead in Scotland (one), Ireland (one), Italy (two) and Wales (two) with the planned derby fixtures involving the four South African franchises held over until next February.  

A URC statement read: “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 September 16 and will see the regular season come to an end in round 18 on April 23. Round one will see the two Welsh teams that battled it out for the Welsh shield last season going to battle once again when Scarlets host Ospreys in Llanelli. 

“Inaugural URC champions Stormers will make their first appearance when they welcome Connacht in round two. Round three will see the top two Irish sides in Ulster and Leinster entertain the Irish fans, Ulster having won their last two games versus their provincial rivals, while SA Shield winners Stormers welcome Scottish and Italian shield winners Edinburgh.”

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

“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.”

URC fixtures 2022/23

R1 - Sept 16/17/18

Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC

Ulster v Connacht

Benetton v Glasgow Warriors

Zebre Parma v Leinster

Scarlets v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v Munster

Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers **Feb 3/4

Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls **Feb 3/4

R2 – Sept 23/24/25

Zebre Parma v Cell C Sharks

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Benetton

DHL Stormers v Connacht

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh Rugby

Scarlets v Ulster

Ospreys v Emirates Lions

Dragons RFC v Munster

R3 – Sept 30/Oct 1/2

Cardiff Rugby v Emirates Lions

Ulster v Leinster

Benetton v Scarlets

DHL Stormers v Edinburgh Rugby

Vodacom Bulls v Connacht

Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors

Munster v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Cell C Sharks

R4 – Oct 7/8/9

Edinburgh Rugby v Emirates Lions

Zebre Parma v DHL Stormers

Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls

Connacht v Munster

Benetton v Dragons RFC

Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Cell C Sharks

Ulster v Ospreys

R5 – Oct 14/15/16

Edinburgh Rugby 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 Rugby v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Leinster

R6 – Oct 21/22/23

Connacht v Scarlets

Benetton v Vodacom Bulls

Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Rugby

Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v DHL Stormers

Leinster v Munster

R7 – Oct 28/29/30

Scarlets v Leinster

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton

Cardiff Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby

Dragons RFC v Zebre Parma

Munster v Ulster

Ospreys v Connacht

Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks **Feb 10/11

Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers **Feb 10/11

R8 – Nov 25/26/27

Benetton v Edinburgh Rugby

Emirates Lions v Dragons RFC

Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys

Cell C Sharks v Cardiff Rugby

Munster v Connacht

DHL Stormers v Scarlets

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

Ulster v Zebre Parma

R9 – Dec 2/3/4

Edinburgh Rugby v Munster

Zebre Parma v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Ospreys

DHL Stormers v Dragons RFC

Emirates Lions v Scarlets

Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Benetton

Leinster v Ulster

R10 – Dec 23/24/26

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby

Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions

DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls

Benetton v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Ulster

Munster v Leinster

Ospreys v Scarlets

R11 – Dec 30/31/Jan 1

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions

Zebre Parma v Benetton

Scarlets v Dragons RFC

Leinster v Connacht

Ulster v Munster

Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys

R12 - Jan 6/7/8

Dragons RFC v Vodacom Bulls

Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers

Benetton v Ulster

Connacht v Cell C Sharks

Cardiff Rugby v Scarlets

Munster v Emirates Lions

Ospreys v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre Parma

R13 – Jan 27/28/29

Ulster v DHL Stormers

Zebre Parma v Ospreys

Benetton v Munster

Dragons RFC v Glasgow Warriors

Connacht v Emirates Lions

Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls

Edinburgh Rugby v Cell C Sharks

Leinster v Cardiff Rugby

R14 – Feb 17/18/19

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster

Munster v Ospreys

Zebre Parma v Connacht

Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby

Leinster v Dragons RFC

Cardiff Rugby v Benetton

Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers

Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks

R15 – Mar 3/4/5

Munster v Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma

Cardiff Rugby v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Connacht

Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster

Ospreys v Benetton

Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions

DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks

R16 – Mar 24/25/26

Benetton v Emirates Lions

Ulster v Vodacom Bulls

Scarlets v Cell C Sharks

Zebre Parma v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v DHL Stormers

Ospreys v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby

Munster v Glasgow Warriors

R17 – Apr 14/15/16

Cell C Sharks v Benetton

Connacht v Cardiff Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets

Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma

Emirates Lions v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Ospreys

DHL Stormers v Munster

Ulster v Dragons RFC

R18 – Apr 21/22/23

DHL Stormers v Benetton

Glasgow Warriors v Connacht

Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma

Vodacom Bulls v Leinster

Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby

Dragons RFC v Scarlets

Cell C Sharks v Munster

Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby