The United Rugby Championship (URC) fixtures for the 2026-27 season have been released more than a month before the current season finishes.
It is the earliest occasion the calendar has been issued and is 129 days before the tournament begins on Friday, 25 September.
The fixture list has been designed to provide greater balance across the regular season with more of a spread of home and away fixtures.
The South African teams will each complete three two-game URC tours during the campaign.
The format remains unchanged with the top eight still qualifying for the play-offs at the end of May and the 2026-2027 Grand Final scheduled for Saturday, 19 June.
“Publishing our fixtures earlier than ever before is a major achievement and an important step for our clubs, supporters, broadcasters and venues,” said URC chief executive Martin Anayi.
“Fan certainty is important to us. The more notice we can provide around fixtures and kick-off times, the easier it becomes for supporters to plan their weekends, travel to games and follow their teams throughout the season.”
Ospreys host Dragons in first St Helen’s league game
Ospreys will play their first home league game at the new redeveloped St Helen’s stadium in Swansea against Dragons on Saturday, 23 October.
Ospreys are away in the first three games, with a two-match trip to South Africa against Sharks and Lions and a Welsh derby at Rodney Parade against Dragons.
Ospreys are moving to the ground next season after playing at the Brewery Field in Bridgend in the 2024-25 season.
Whether the derby against the Dragons is the first game at St Helen’s remains to be seen, because the opening round of European matches are scheduled the weekend before with those fixtures yet to be released.
The opening round will see fixtures across Ireland, Italy, South Africa and Wales, while Scottish duo Glasgow and Edinburgh are away at Munster and Ulster respectively.
There is also a Welsh derby to kick-off the season between Scarlets and Cardiff in Llanelli on Saturday, 26 September.
United Rugby Championship 2026-27 fixtures
Round one (all times in BST or GMT)
Friday, 25 September
Benetton v Dragons (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Connacht v Stormers (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Ulster v Edinburgh (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
September, 26 September
Lions v Leinster (12:30) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Sharks v Ospreys (15:00) Kings Park, Durban
Munster v Glasgow Warriors (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick
Zebre v Bulls (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Scarlets v Cardiff (19:45) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Round two
Friday, 2 October
Cardiff v Zebre (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Edinburgh v Stormers (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Benetton v Connacht (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Saturday, 3 October
Lions v Ospreys (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Dragons v Scarlets (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport
Sharks v Leinster (17:30) Kings Park, Durban
Munster v Bulls (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Round three
Friday, 9 October
Glasgow Warriors v Connacht (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Dragons v Ospreys (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport
Saturday, 10 October
Bulls v Lions (12:30) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Stormers v Sharks (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Zebre v Edinburgh (15:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Scarlets v Benetton (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Ulster v Munster (17:30) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Leinster v Cardiff (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin
Round four
Friday, 23 October
Cardiff v Sharks (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Connacht v Zebre (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Edinburgh v Lions (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday, 24 October
Bulls v Ulster (12:45) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Stormers v Scarlets (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Benetton v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Leinster v Munster (18:00) TBC, Dublin
Ospreys v Dragons (19:45) St Helen’s, Swansea
Round five
Friday, 30 October
Connacht v Leinster (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Glasgow Warriors v Lions (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Saturday, 31 October
Stormers v Ulster (12:45) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Bulls v Scarlets (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Benetton v Edinburgh (15:00) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Munster v Sharks (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick
Dragons v Zebre (17:30) Rodney Parade, Newport
Ospreys v Cardiff (19:45) St Helen’s, Swansea
Round six
Friday, 4 December
Ospreys v Leinster (19:45) St Helen’s, Swansea
Edinburgh v Dragons (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday, 5 December
Lions v Bulls (12:30) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Sharks v Stormers (15:00) Kings Park, Durban
Cardiff v Ulster (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Scarlets v Connacht (17:15) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Glasgow Warriors v Benetton (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Zebre v Munster (19:45) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Round seven
Friday, 18 December
Ulster v Ospreys (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Munster v Scarlets (19:45) Virgin Media Park, Cork
Saturday, 19 December
Zebre v Benetton (13:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Stormers v Lions (14:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Cardiff v Dragons (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Sharks v Bulls (16:30) Kings Park, Durban
Leinster v Glasgow Warriors (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin
Connacht v Edinburgh (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Round eight
Saturday, 26 December
Dragons v Cardiff (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport
Ospreys v Scarlets (17:30) St Helen’s, Swansea
Sunday, 27 December
Benetton v Zebre (13:30) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Edinburgh v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Scottish Gas Murrayfield, Edinburgh
Ulster v Connacht (17:30) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Munster v Leinster (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick
Saturday, 20 February
Lions v Sharks (12:00) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Bulls v Stormers (13:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Round nine
Saturday, 2 January
Sharks v Lions (15:00) Kings Park, Durban
Zebre v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Scarlets v Dragons (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Connacht v Munster (17:15) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Edinburgh v Benetton (17:30) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Cardiff v Ospreys (17:30) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Leinster v Ulster (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin
Sunday, 3 January
Stormers v Bulls (14:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Round 10
Friday, 22 January
Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Ulster v Sharks (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Saturday, 23 January
Lions v Zebre (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Stormers v Cardiff (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Ospreys v Edinburgh (15:00) St Helen’s, Swansea
Benetton v Bulls (17:30) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Leinster v Dragons (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin
Munster v Connacht (19:45) Thomond Park, Limerick
Round 11
Friday, 29 January
Dragons v Munster (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport
Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Saturday, 30 January
Lions v Cardiff (12:45), Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Stormers v Zebre (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Scarlets v Edinburgh (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Leinster v Bulls (17:30) Laya Arena, Dublin
Benetton v Sharks (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Connacht v Ulster (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Round 12
Friday, 26 February
Munster v Benetton (19:45) Virgin Media Park, Cork
Dragons v Ulster (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport
Saturday, 27 February
Lions v Stormers (12:30), Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Bulls v Sharks (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Zebre v Scarlets (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Ospreys v Connacht (17:30), St Helen’s, Swansea
Edinburgh v Leinster (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Round 13
Friday, 19 March
Sharks v Edinburgh (17:00) Kings Park, Durban
Glasgow Warriors v Stormers (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Connacht v Cardiff (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Saturday, 20 March
Ulster v Zebre (15:00) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Bulls v Dragons (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Munster v Ospreys (17:30) Thomond Park, Limerick
Scarlets v Lions (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Leinster v Benetton (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin
Round 14
Friday, 26 March
Glasgow Warriors v Zebre (19:45) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
Scarlets v Leinster (19:45) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Saturday, 27 March
Bulls v Edinburgh (12:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Connacht v Lions (14:15) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Sharks v Dragons (16:30) Kings Park, Durban
Cardiff v Munster (17:30) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Benetton v Ulster (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Ospreys v Stormers (19:45) St Helen’s, Swansea
Round 15
Friday, 16 April
Dragons v Glasgow Warriors (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport
Edinburgh v Cardiff (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday, 17 April
Lions v Munster (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Stormers v Benetton (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Ospreys v Bulls (17:30) St Helen’s, Swansea
Leinster v Connacht (17:45) Laya Arena, Dublin
Ulster v Scarlets (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Zebre v Sharks (19:45) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Round 16
Friday, 23 April
Zebre v Ospreys (18:00) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Ulster v Leinster (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Cardiff v Bulls (20:05) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Saturday, 24 April
Lions v Benetton (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg
Scarlets v Sharks (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Stormers v Munster (17:05) DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh (17:45) Hampden Park, Glasgow
Connacht v Dragons (19:45) Dexcom Stadium, Galway
Round 17
Friday, 7 May
Dragons v Lions (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport
Edinburgh v Zebre (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday, 8 May
Sharks v Connacht (12:30) Kings Park, Durban
Bulls v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Munster v Ulster (17:15) Thomond Park, Limerick
Scarlets v Ospreys (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli
Leinster v Stormers (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin
Benetton v Cardiff (19.45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso
Round 18
Friday, 14 May
Ospreys v Benetton (19:45) St Helen’s, Swansea
Ulster v Lions (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Edinburgh v Munster (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Saturday, 15 May
Bulls v Connacht (12:30) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Cardiff v Scarlets (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
Sharks v Glasgow Warriors (15:00) Kings Park, Durban
Dragons v Stormers (17:30) Rodney Parade, Newport
Zebre v Leinster (17:30) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma
Play-off schedule
Quarter-finals: May 28/29
Semi-finals: Saturday, 5 June
Grand Final: Saturday, 19 June