URC 2022/2023 kick-off times confirmed
UPDATE: The kick-off times for all 18 rounds of the 2022/2023 United Rugby Championship season has been confirmed.
Glasgow Warriors will bookend the start and finish of the regular season as the 2015 league winners will visit Treviso to face Benetton in the season opener on Friday, September 16 at 17.30 UK time.
New Warriors head coach Franco Smith returns to the Italian city where he played and coached Benetton for a combination of nine years.
Smith’s team will also appear in the final game in Round 18 where Connacht will be the visitor’s to Scotstoun on Saturday, April 22 at 19.35 UK time.
Returning to Round One and the first Welsh derby of the campaign will take place in Llanelli at Parc y Scarlets on Saturday with kick-off set for 17.15 UK time. All Welsh derbies will kick off in mid and late-afternoon time slots.
Johannesburg will play host to the first South African fixture of the season with the Lions taking on last season’s beaten finalists, the Bulls, on Saturday, September 17 at 16.05 SA time.
Later on that Saturday, the first Irish derby fixture of the season is set for a prime-time slot at 19.35 UK time as Connacht travel to Belfast to play Ulster.
The Stormers, who are the defending champions, will make their first appearance of the season in Round Two as their derby with Sharks is deferred until February.
John Dobson’s team will host Connacht in Cape Town on Saturday, September 24 at 17.45 SA time.
Last season provided a historically competitive final weekend with teams vying for Play-Off ranking and Champions Cup places – and the new campaign looks set to deliver just as much drama in Round 18.
In South Africa, giants will collide in back-to-back fixtures with eight-time league champions Leinster making their first-ever visit to the iconic Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria to take on the Bulls at 16.05 SA time.
Immediately after this, the action will switch to Durban, where the Sharks entertain Munster at 18.15 SA time.
Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO, said: “The confirmation of kick-off times makes the prospect of the new season all the more tantalising. Our broadcast partners have done their best to work within the various complexities of our schedule to give our teams an incredible platform to perform on.
“We have a great news story in Wales where all three broadcasters have worked hard to produce more fan-friendly kick-off times after consultation with the regions. All Welsh derbies will have mid and late afternoon starts and that could not have been achieved without the support of BBC Wales, S4C and Premier Sports.
“It is always difficult to create the perfect schedule given our presence across five countries but after the success of URC 1, we’re delighted to look forward and begin to drive the excitement and what the new campaign has to offer.”
URC Schedule:
Round One – Friday, September 16
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors | 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA |
Cardiff v Munster | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Saturday, September 17:
Zebre Parma v Leinster | 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA & SA |
Lions v Bulls | 15.05 IRE & UK / 16.05 ITA & SA |
Scarlets v Ospreys | 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA |
Edinburgh v Dragons RFC | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Ulster v Connacht | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
**Fri, Feb 3, 2023, Sharks v Stormers | 17.00 IRE & UK / 18.00 ITA / 19.00 SA |
Round Two – Friday, September 23:
Zebre Parma v Sharks | 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA |
Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Leinster v Benetton | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Saturday, September 24:
Scarlets v Ulster | 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA & SA |
Bulls v Edinburgh | 14.30 IRE & UK / 15.30 ITA & SA |
Stormers v Connacht | 16.45 IRE & UK / 17.45 ITA & SA |
Ospreys v Lions | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Sunday, September 25:
Dragons RFC v Munster | 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA |
Round Three – Friday, September 30:
Bulls v Connacht | 17.30 IRE & UK / 18.30 ITA & SA |
Cardiff v Emirates | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Ulster v Leinster | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Saturday, October 1:
Stormers v Edinburgh | 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA & SA |
Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors | 15.05 IRE & UK / 16.05 ITA & SA |
Munster v Zebre Parma | 17.05 IRE & UK / 18.05 ITA & SA |
Benetton v Scarlets | 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA |
Dragons RFC v Sharks | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Round Four – Friday, October 7:
Connacht v Munster | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Edinburgh v Lions | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Saturday, October 8:
Zebre Parma v Stormers | 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA |
Leinster v Sharks | 17.05 IRE & UK / 18.05 ITA & SA |
Scarlets v Cardiff | 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA |
Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Ulster v Ospreys | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Sunday, October 9:
Benetton v Dragons RFC | 14.45 IRE & UK / 15.45 ITA & SA |
Round Five– Friday, October 14:
Ospreys v Stormers | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Connacht v Leinster | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Saturday, October 15:
Lions v Ulster | 13.00 IRE & UK / 14.00 ITA & SA |
Sharks v Glasgow Warriors | 15.05 IRE & UK / 16.05 ITA & SA |
Edinburgh v Benetton | 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA |
Cardiff v Dragons RFC | 17.15 IRE & UK / 18.15 ITA & SA |
Scarlets v Zebre Parma | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
Munster v Bulls | 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA |
*To view the full fixture schedule CLICK HERE
