URC confirms blockbuster Round 18 schedule
NEWS: The United Rugby Championship confirmed the scheduling for the final round of the season where play-off places will be on the line and the first Shield winners will be crowned.
Round 18 has a raft of blockbuster fixtures which starts on Friday, May 20 as Ulster welcome the Sharks to Belfast, where both teams expect to compete for quarterfinal seeding while on the same night Bulls make the trip to Ospreys who could be in contention to win the Welsh Shield.
On Saturday, May 21, another Welsh-South African clash could have play-off and Shield ramifications as Scarlets host the Stormers in Llanelli.
The regular season promises to end on a fiery note with crucial Irish and Scottish derbies completing the card.
Edinburgh will host Glasgow Warriors at Murrayfield while Munster make the trip to Dublin’s Aviva Stadium to face Leinster in a fixture that will decide vital play-off seedings and could crown the first Irish Shield winner.
ROUND 18 SCHEDULE
FRIDAY, MAY 20
Benetton v Cardiff
Stadio Monigo, Treviso – KO 18.00 IRE & UK / 19.00 ITA & SA
Ulster v Sharks
Kingspan Stadium, Belfast – KO 19.35 IRE & UK / 20.35 ITA & SA
Ospreys v Bulls
Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea – KO 20.10 IRE & UK / 21.10 ITA & SA
SATURDAY, MAY 21
Dragons v Lions
Rodney Parade, Newport – KO 15.00 IRE & UK / 16.00 ITA & SA
Connacht v Zebre Parma
The Sportsground, Galway – KO 17.00 IRE & UK / 18.00 ITA & SA
Scarlets v Stormers
Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli – KO 17.10 IRE & UK / 18.10 ITA & SA
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors
Murrayfield, Edinburgh – KO 18.30 IRE & UK / 19.30 ITA & SA
Leinster v Munster
Aviva Stadium, Dublin – KO 19.15 IRE & UK / 20.15 ITA & SA
