The wait is over. The 2026-27 United Rugby Championship season begins this weekend with eight Round 1 matches spread across Friday and Saturday.
Defending champion Leinster Rugby begins its title defense in Johannesburg against the Fidelity SecureDrive Lions in a rematch of last season's quarterfinal. Glasgow Warriors, which finished atop the 2025-26 regular-season table, heads to Thomond Park to face Munster Rugby, while two playoff teams from a season ago meet when Connacht Rugby hosts the DHL Stormers.
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Round 1 also brings an immediate Welsh derby between Scarlets and Cardiff Rugby, while the Vodacom Bulls begin their journey back from last season's Grand Final against Zebre Parma. Here's the complete URC Round 1 schedule and what to know about the biggest games of opening weekend.
URC Rugby Schedule For Friday, Sept. 25
2:45 p.m. ET: Benetton Rugby vs. Dragons RFC, Stadio Monigo, Treviso
2:45 p.m. ET: Connacht Rugby vs. DHL Stormers, Dexcom Stadium, Galway
2:45 p.m. ET: Ulster Rugby vs. Edinburgh Rugby, Affidea Stadium, Belfast
URC Rugby Schedule For Saturday, Sept. 26
7:30 a.m. ET: 10bet Lions vs. Leinster Rugby, 10bet Ellis Park, Johannesburg
10 a.m. ET: Hollywoodbets Sharks vs. Ospreys, Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
12:30 p.m. ET: Munster Rugby vs. Glasgow Warriors, Thomond Park, Limerick
12:30 p.m. ET: Zebre Parma vs. Vodacom Bulls, Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
2:45 p.m. ET: Scarlets vs. Cardiff Rugby, Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
URC Round 1 Games To Know
10bet Lions vs. Leinster Rugby
The champions begin their title defense with a familiar opponent.
Leinster eliminated the Lions 59-10 in last season's URC quarterfinal before eventually beating the Vodacom Bulls 36-7 in the Grand Final. The Lions have only one victory in six URC meetings with Leinster, but that win came at Ellis Park in April 2024.
There is another reason to keep an eye on the location. Leinster has won just once on its last eight visits to South Africa.
Munster Rugby vs. Glasgow Warriors
One of the biggest games of Round 1 takes place at Thomond Park, where Munster welcomes the team that finished atop last season's regular-season standings.
Glasgow finished with 65 points before reaching the semifinals, while Munster finished fifth and exited in the quarterfinals.
Glasgow also enters the opener having won three consecutive meetings against Munster, including a 31-22 victory in January.
Connacht Rugby vs. DHL Stormers
There is a playoff feel to Round 1 in Galway.
Connacht claimed the eighth and final playoff spot last season, while the Stormers finished third and advanced to the semifinals. The Stormers have won four of the six URC meetings between the teams, but Connacht took the most recent one with a 33-24 victory in Cape Town in April.
Connacht also enters the new season having won its last five home matches in all competitions.
Scarlets vs. Cardiff Rugby
Round 1 ends with a Welsh derby at Parc y Scarlets.
Cardiff finished sixth last season and reached the URC playoffs for the first time since the 2002-03 Celtic League. Scarlets finished 14th and enter the opener without a victory in their last five URC matches.
The recent history of this rivalry has one particularly unusual trend: the visiting team has won each of the last five meetings. Cardiff continued that streak with a 28-24 victory at Parc y Scarlets in April.
How To Watch URC Rugby This Weekend
All eight games from Round 1 of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship will stream on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States.
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