URC fixtures out: Stormers start title defence at home to Connacht

The next United Rugby Championship (URC) season is 50 days away but SA teams will have to wait a week longer to get the ball rolling.

All 18 rounds of the tournament that kicks off on September 16 have been confirmed, but broadcast selections and kickoff times are set to be confirmed early next month.

SA teams will not be in action on the opening weekend, which means the Stormers will only start the defence of their title a week later at home against Connacht.

The Bulls, finalists in the inaugural competition, are also at home at the start when they host last season's quarterfinalists Edinburgh. The Sharks are away to Parma, while the Lions will visit the Ospreys as their first engagements in this edition of the tournament.

The competition will feature seven rounds before the start of the Autumn Nations Series.

The URC format will again see all 16 teams ranked across a single table which will reward the top eight teams with their places in the quarterfinals, followed by the semifinals and Grand Final.

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

“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 schedule 2022/23

Round 1 —

Friday, September 16 / Saturday, September 17 / Sunday, September 18

Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC

Ulster v Connacht

Benetton v Glasgow Warriors

Zebre Parma v Leinster

Scarlets v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v Munster

Sharks v Stormers

Emirates Lions v Bulls

Round 2 —

Friday, September 23 / Saturday, September 24 / Sunday, September 25

Zebre Parma v Sharks

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Benetton

Stormers v Connacht

Bulls v Edinburgh Rugby

Scarlets v Ulster

Ospreys v Lions

Dragons RFC v Munster

Round 3 —

Friday, September 30 / Saturday, October 1 / Sunday, October 2

Cardiff Rugby v Lions

Ulster v Leinster

Benetton v Scarlets

Stormers v Edinburgh Rugby

Vodacom Bulls v Connacht

Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors

Munster v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Sharks

Round 4 —

Friday, October 7 / Saturday, October 8 / Sunday, October 9

Edinburgh Rugby v Lions

Zebre Parma v Stormers

Glasgow Warriors v Bulls

Connacht v Munster

Benetton v Dragons RFC

Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Sharks

Ulster v Ospreys

Round 5 —

Friday, October 14 / Saturday, October 15 / Sunday, October 16

Edinburgh Rugby v Benetton

Ospreys v Stormers

Lions v Ulster

Sharks v Glasgow Warriors

Munster v Bulls

Scarlets v Zebre Parma

Cardiff Rugby v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Leinster

Round 6 —

Friday, October 21 / Saturday, October 22 / Sunday, October 23

Connacht v Scarlets

Benetton v Bulls

Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Rugby

Lions v Glasgow Warriors

Sharks v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v Stormers

Leinster v Munster

Round 7 —

Friday, October 28 / Saturday, October 29 / Sunday, October 30

Scarlets v Leinster

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton

Cardiff Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby

Dragons RFC v Zebre Parma

Munster v Ulster

Ospreys v Connacht

Bulls v Sharks

Lions v Stormers

Round 8 —

Friday, November 25 / Saturday, November 26 / Sunday, November 27

Benetton v Edinburgh Rugby

Lions v Dragons RFC

Bulls v Ospreys

Sharks v Cardiff Rugby

Munster v Connacht

Stormers v Scarlets

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

Ulster v Zebre Parma

Round 9 —

Friday, December 2 / Saturday, December 3 / Sunday, December 4

Edinburgh Rugby v Munster

Zebre Parma v Glasgow Warriors

Sharks v Ospreys

Stormers v Dragons RFC

Lions v Scarlets

Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Benetton

Leinster v Ulster

Round 10 —

Friday, December 23 / Saturday, December 24 / Monday, December 26

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby

Sharks v Lions

Stormers v Bulls

Benetton v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Ulster

Munster v Leinster

Ospreys v Scarlets

Round 11 —

Friday, December 30 / Saturday, December 31 / Sunday, January 1

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

Sharks v Bulls

Stormers v Lions

Zebre Parma v Benetton

Scarlets v Dragons RFC

Leinster v Connacht

Ulster v Munster

Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys

Round 12 —

Friday, January 6 / Saturday, January 7 / Sunday, January 8

Dragons RFC v Bulls

Glasgow Warriors v Stormers

Benetton v Ulster

Connacht v Sharks

Cardiff Rugby v Scarlets

Munster v Lions

Ospreys v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre Parma

Round 13 —

Friday, January 27 / Saturday, January 28 / Sunday, January 29

Ulster v Stormers

Zebre Parma v Ospreys

Benetton v Munster

Dragons RFC v Glasgow Warriors

Connacht v Lions

Scarlets v Bulls

Edinburgh Rugby v Sharks

Leinster v Cardiff Rugby

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 Rugby

Leinster v Dragons RFC

Cardiff Rugby v Benetton

Bulls v Stormers

Lions v Sharks

Round 15 —

Friday, March 3 / Saturday, March 4 / Sunday, March 5

Munster v Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma

Cardiff Rugby v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Connacht

Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster

Ospreys v Benetton

Bulls v Lions

Stormers v Sharks

Round 16 —

Friday, March 24 / Saturday, March 25 / Sunday, March 26

Benetton v Lions

Ulster v Bulls

Scarlets v Sharks

Zebre Parma v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Stormers

Ospreys v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby

Munster v Glasgow Warriors

Round 17 —

Friday, April 14 / Saturday, April 15 / Sunday, April 16

Sharks v Benetton

Connacht v Cardiff Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets

Bulls v Zebre Parma

Lions v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Ospreys

Stormers v Munster

Ulster v Dragons RFC

Round 18 —

Friday, April 21 / Saturday, April 22 / Sunday, April 23

Stormers v Benetton

Glasgow Warriors v Connacht

Lions v Zebre Parma

Bulls v Leinster

Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby

Dragons RFC v Scarlets

Sharks v Munster

Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby