CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA - APRIL 18: Evan Roos of DHL Stormers during the United Rugby Championship match between DHL Stormers and Connacht at DHL Stadium on April 18, 2026 in Cape Town, South Africa. (Photo by Grant Pitcher/Gallo Images)
The fixtures for next season’s United Rugby Championship have been officially released, setting a new benchmark for the earliest-ever publication of league fixtures in competition history.
The new season will kick off on Friday, 25 September.
The 2026/27 fixture list has been designed to provide greater balance across the regular season, with a more even spread of home and away fixtures and an optimised touring model for the four South African teams, who will each complete three two-game URC tours during the campaign.
The competition will begin with fixtures across Ireland, Italy, South Africa, and Wales on the opening weekend, with all five competing territories in action across the first round. The pick of the opening round sees the 2023 URC champions Munster host 2024 champions Glasgow Warriors at Thomond Park on Saturday, 26 September.
Other Round 1 highlights include Connacht welcoming the Stormers, the Lions hosting Leinster, Ulster facing Edinburgh, and Scarlets meeting Cardiff in a Welsh derby.
The Sharks start their campaign at home in Durban against the Ospreys, while the Bulls’ first clash is away against Zebre Parma in Italy on the first weekend.
Festive derby rounds
Festive derby rounds will again form a major part of the season, with Rounds 7, 8 and 9 staged across December and early January, while the Race to the Eight will build from Round 13 as the battle for knock-out rugby intensifies.
The format of the competition remains unchanged, with the top eight teams progressing to the play-offs. The quarter-finals will begin on Friday, 28 May, with the semi-finals taking place from Saturday, 5 June before the Grand Final on Saturday, 19 June to crown the 2026/27 champions.
