The United Rugby Championship gets its 2023-2024 season underway this weekend as the league kicks off its season with eight games over Oct. 21-22. 

The league returns amid the 2023 Rugby World Cup semifinal games on the same days. Some of Europe's top professional clubs will begin their quest to reach the URC Grand Final in the summer and to qualify for next year’s Investec Champions Cup. 

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Munster and Leinster, two of Ireland’s top clubs, return as heavy favorites to win the URC. Munster is the reigning champion. Leinster were 16-1-1 in URC play before being upset by th in the semifinals by Munster. 

Here’s what you need to know about the Week 1 slate. 

United Rugby Championship Schedule: Week 1

Week 1 features eight games beginning at 8 a.m. ET on FloRugby and the FloSports app on Oct. 21.

All the games will be streaming live on both platforms and again over the next 17 weeks afterwards. The streaming platforms will be home to highlights, breaking news and match replays. 

Here’s a list of the matches. 

Ulster Rugby Vs. Zebre Parma

Zebre Parma tries to win its first match since the 2021-2022 season after going 0-0-18 last season. They host Ulster (13-0-5 last season) at Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi. Ulster had the second-best record in 2022-2023 entering the postseason. The match is in Parma, Italy.

Ospreys Vs. Connacht Rugby

Connacht upset rival Irish club Ulster last season in the knockout stage and will open against the Ospreys of Wales, which went 5-2-11 last season. The match is at the Sportsground in Galway, Ireland. 

Edinburgh Rugby Vs. RFC Dragons

Both teams enter the season looking to improve from last season, when they finished in the bottom half of the league. The Dragons were second from the bottom in the standings at 4-0-14 while Edinburgh were 6-0-12. The match is at Rodney Park in Newport, South Wales. 

DHL Stormers Vs. Emirates Lions

The DHL Stormers travel to fellow South African team the Lions to open the season. Winners of the 2022 Grand Final, the Stormers look to return to the Grand Final for the third year in a row in 2024. They had the third-best record in 2022-2023 at 12-2-4. The Lions were 9-0-9 and finished three points behind the Hollywoodbets Sharks. The match is at Emirates Airline Park in Johannesburg, South Africa. 

Benetton Rugby Vs. Cardiff Rugby

Cardiff Rugby hosts Italian club Benetton to start the season as Cardiff hopes to get over the hump and reach the top eight of the URC standings after finishing 10th last season at 9-0-9. Benetton is trying to do the same after an 8-0-10 season and 11th-place finish. The match is at Cardiff Arms Park in Cardiff, Scotland. 

Hollywoodbets Sharks Vs. Munster Rugby

The defending URC champions, and one of the favorites to win it again, according to most European betting sites, host a team with a new name. The Hollywoodbets Sharks (9-1-8 a year ago) of South Africa arrive in Southern Ireland. Munster went 10-1-7 in the regular season in 2022-2023. The match is at Thomond Park in Munster, Ireland. 

Scarlets Vs. Vodacom Bulls Rugby

The Vodacom Bulls, which were in the 2022 URC Grand Final, enter the season among the favorites to win the URC, according to many betting sites after going 10-0-8 last season. They host the Scarlets, which finished 14th with a 6-1-11 record. The match is at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria, South Africa. 

Leinster Rugby Vs. Glasgow Warriors

The heavy favorite to win the URC again with the best odds on most betting sites, Leinster went 16-1-1 last season before losing to Munster 16-15 in the semifinals. Leinster, a finalist in the Champions Cup as well, travels to Glasgow to face the Warriors, which finished fourth in the URC with a 13-0-5 mark. The match is at Scotstoun Stadium. 

How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby

The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports are also the U.S. home to: 

• Investec Champions Cup
• EPCR Challenge Cup
• Currie Cup
• Top 14
• Super Rugby
• And more.

FloRugby is also home to match archives and match replays. 

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