ULSTER WILL HOST Connacht on the opening weekend of the new United Rugby Championship (URC) season, while Munster travel to take on Cardiff and Leinster head to Italy to play Zebre Parma.

The URC have this morning confirmed all 18 rounds of regular season fixtures, with the new campaign set to kick-off in just 50 days’ time.

The regular season starts on 16 September and will run until 23 April 2023. Exact dates and kick-off times these fixtures are set to be confirmed in early August.

The opening weekend will see the first interprovincial derby of the season, with Andy Friend’s Connacht making the trip north to take on Ulster in Belfast on the weekend of 16/17/18 September.

Leinster’s first home game of the season will see them play Benetton in round two, while Munster’s first home game comes in round three against Zebra Parma – the same weekend Ulster play Leinster in Belfast.

Connacht will be the first of the Irish provinces to travel to South Africa next season, playing defending champions the Stormers in round two before meeting the Bulls in round three.

In October, Connacht then host Munster and Leinster on back-to-back weekends in rounds four and five.

The first meeting of the season between Leinster and Munster sees Leo Cullen’s side welcome Graham Rowntree’s team to Dublin in round six.

The competition will break for a month between rounds seven and eight during the Autumn Nations Series. There will also be two break windows during the 2023 Six Nations; the league pausing between the weekends of 17/18/19 February and 3/4/5 March, before again breaking until 24/25/26 March. 

The Christmas schedule will see Connacht host Ulster as Leinster travel to play Munster across December 23/24/26.

The weekend of 30 December 30 – 2 January has Connacht away to Leinster as Ulster welcome Munster. 

Other notable fixtures include the Bulls travelling to Thomond Park for the first time in round five.

The URC format will see all 16 teams ranked across a single table which will reward the top eight teams with their places in the Final Eight (quarter-finals), followed by a Final Four (semi-finals) to set the stage for the Grand Final. 

2022/23 URC fixtures:

R1 – 16/17/18 September

Edinburgh Rugby v Dragons RFC

Ulster v Connacht

Benetton v Glasgow Warriors

Zebre Parma v Leinster

Scarlets v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v Munster

Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers **Feb 3/4

Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls **Feb 3/4

R2 – 23/24/25 September

Zebre Parma v Cell C Sharks

Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Benetton

DHL Stormers v Connacht

Vodacom Bulls v Edinburgh Rugby

Scarlets v Ulster

Ospreys v Emirates Lions

Dragons RFC v Munster

R3 – 30 September/1/2 October

Cardiff Rugby v Emirates Lions

Ulster v Leinster

Benetton v Scarlets

DHL Stormers v Edinburgh Rugby

Vodacom Bulls v Connacht

Ospreys v Glasgow Warriors

Munster v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Cell C Sharks 

R4 – 7/8/9 October

Edinburgh Rugby v Emirates Lions

Zebre Parma v DHL Stormers

Glasgow Warriors v Vodacom Bulls

Connacht v Munster

Benetton v Dragons RFC

Scarlets v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v Cell C Sharks

Ulster v Ospreys 

R5 – 14/15/16 October

Edinburgh Rugby v Benetton

Ospreys v DHL Stormers

Emirates Lions v Ulster

Cell C Sharks v Glasgow Warriors

Munster v Vodacom Bulls

Scarlets v Zebre Parma

Cardiff Rugby v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Leinster

R6 – 21/22/23 October

Connacht v Scarlets

Benetton v Vodacom Bulls

Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Rugby

Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Ospreys

Cardiff Rugby v DHL Stormers

Leinster v Munster 

R7 – 28/29/30 October

Scarlets v Leinster

Glasgow Warriors v Benetton

Cardiff Rugby v Edinburgh Rugby

Dragons RFC v Zebre Parma

Munster v Ulster

Ospreys v Connacht

Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks **Feb 10/11

Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers **Feb 10/11 

R8 – 25/26/27 November

Benetton v Edinburgh Rugby

Emirates Lions v Dragons RFC

Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys

Cell C Sharks v Cardiff Rugby

Munster v Connacht

DHL Stormers v Scarlets

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors

Ulster v Zebre Parma 

R9 – 2/3/4 December

Edinburgh Rugby v Munster

Zebre Parma v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Ospreys

DHL Stormers v Dragons RFC

Emirates Lions v Scarlets

Vodacom Bulls v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Benetton

Leinster v Ulster 

R10 – 23/24/26 December

Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh Rugby

Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions

DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls

Benetton v Zebre Parma

Dragons RFC v Cardiff Rugby

Connacht v Ulster

Munster v Leinster

Ospreys v Scarlets 

R11 – 30/31 December/1 January

Edinburgh Rugby v Glasgow Warriors

Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls

DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions

Zebre Parma v Benetton

Scarlets v Dragons RFC

Leinster v Connacht

Ulster v Munster

Cardiff Rugby v Ospreys 

R12 – 6/7/8 January

Dragons RFC v Vodacom Bulls

Glasgow Warriors v DHL Stormers

Benetton v Ulster

Connacht v Cell C Sharks

Cardiff Rugby v Scarlets

Munster v Emirates Lions

Ospreys v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre Parma  

R13 – 27/28/29 January

Ulster v DHL Stormers

Zebre Parma v Ospreys

Benetton v Munster

Dragons RFC v Glasgow Warriors

Connacht v Emirates Lions

Scarlets v Vodacom Bulls

Edinburgh Rugby v Cell C Sharks

Leinster v Cardiff Rugby 

R14 – 17/18/19 February

Glasgow Warriors v Ulster

Munster v Ospreys

Zebre Parma v Connacht

Scarlets v Edinburgh Rugby

Leinster v Dragons RFC

Cardiff Rugby v Benetton

Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers

Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks

R15 – 3/4/5 March

Munster v Scarlets

Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma

Cardiff Rugby v Ulster

Dragons RFC v Connacht

Edinburgh Rugby v Leinster

Ospreys v Benetton

Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions

DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks 

R16 – 24/25/26 March

Benetton v Emirates Lions

Ulster v Vodacom Bulls

Scarlets v Cell C Sharks

Zebre Parma v Cardiff Rugby

Leinster v DHL Stormers

Ospreys v Dragons RFC

Connacht v Edinburgh Rugby

Munster v Glasgow Warriors

R17 – 14/15/16 April

Cell C Sharks v Benetton

Connacht v Cardiff Rugby

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets

Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma

Emirates Lions v Leinster

Edinburgh Rugby v Ospreys

DHL Stormers v Munster

Ulster v Dragons RFC

R18 – 21/22/23 April

DHL Stormers v Benetton

Glasgow Warriors v Connacht

Emirates Lions v Zebre Parma

Vodacom Bulls v Leinster

Ospreys v Cardiff Rugby

Dragons RFC v Scarlets

Cell C Sharks v Munster

Ulster v Edinburgh Rugby

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