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Irish Mirror

Sport

Robert Hynes

United Rugby Championship fixtures released as Leinster and Munster face South African opposition on opening weekend

Leinster and Munster will begin their respective United Rugby Championship campaigns against South African opposition.

The fixtures for the new tournament were unveiled on Friday, with Leinster set to host the Vodacom Bulls on the opening weekend, while Munster will welcome the Cell C Sharks to Thomond Park.

Meanwhile, Connacht will travel to Cardiff and Ulster will host Glasgow Warriors.

Munster and Leinster will clash in Limerick on St Stephen's Day, with Ulster hosting Connacht on the same date.

Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO, said: “We believe these fixtures will ensure that the URC could deliver on its promise of a new era for our league where the very best from South Africa go head-to-head with our Celtic and Italian teams.

“As we carefully manoeuvre out of the pandemic, the URC will take its place as one of the leading leagues in global rugby and this fixture list should ignite our competition and take it to the next level.

“This schedule is the most complex we have ever produced and the efforts of every one of our stakeholders to help us piece it together in the current climate have been monumental. We now have a format that will heighten competition, showcase our clubs, elevate our athletes and bring great excitement to fans and TV audiences right across our territories and beyond.”

The fixtures in full can be seen below:

ROUND 1

ROUND 2

Friday, October 1 Connacht v Vodacom Bulls | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | TG4, Super Sport, Premier Sports Scarlets v Emirates Lions | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC Wales, Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 3

Friday, October 8 Ulster v Benetton | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC NI, Premier Sports, TG4 Ospreys v Cell C Sharks | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC Wales, Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 4

Friday, October 15 Ulster v Lions | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC NI, Super Sport, Premier Sports, RTE Dragons v DHL Stormers | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC Wales, Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 5

Friday, October 22 Scarlets v Benetton | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA & SA | BBC Wales, Premier Sports

ROUND 6

Friday, November 26 Connacht v Ospreys | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA/ 21:35 SA | RTE, BBC Wales, Premier Sports

Sunday, November 28 Emirates Lions v Cardiff | 14:00 UK / 15:00 ITA / 16:00 SA | Super Sport, S4C, Premier Sports

ROUND 7

ROUND 8

Friday, December 24 Zebre v Benetton | 13:00 UK / 14:00 ITA / 15:00 SA | Italian TV, Premier Sports

Munster v Leinster | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA / 21:35 SA | RTE, Premier Sports

Monday, December 27 Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh | 19:00 UK / 20:00 ITA / 21:00 SA | Premier Sports

ROUND 9

ROUND 10

Friday, January 7 Leinster v Emirates Lions | 19:35 UK / 20:35 ITA / 21 :35 SA | TG4, Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 11

Weekend of Jan 28/29/30 Connacht v Glasgow Warriors Ulster v Scarlets Cardiff v Leinster Dragons v Benetton Ospreys v Edinburgh Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks Zebre v Munster

R5 (SA Derbies)

Weekend of Feb 4/5/6 Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports DHL Stormers v Vodacom Bulls | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports

R8 (SA Derbies)

Weekend of Feb 11/12/13 Vodacom Bulls v Cell C Sharks | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports DHL Stormers v Emirates Lions | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 12

Weekend of Feb 18/19/20 Leinster v Ospreys Munster v Edinburgh Cardiff v Zebre Dragons v Ulster Scarlets v Connacht Emirates Lions v DHL Stormers Cell C Sharks v Vodacom Bulls Glasgow Warriors v Benetton

ROUND 13

Weekend of Mar 4/5/6 Munster v Dragons Ulster v Cardiff Scarlets v Glasgow Warriors Ospreys v Zebre Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers Cell C Sharks v Emirates Lions Edinburgh v Connacht Benetton v Leinster

R9 (SA Derbies)

Weekend of March 18/19/20 Emirates Lions v Vodacom Bulls | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports Cell C Sharks v DHL Stormers | TBC | Super Sport, Premier Sports

ROUND 14

Weekend of March 25/26/27 Connacht v Leinster Munster v Benetton Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors Vodacom Bulls v Dragons Emirates Lions v Ospreys Cell C Sharks v Edinburgh DHL Stormers v Ulster Zebre v Scarlets

ROUND 15

Weekend of April 1/2/3 Leinster v Munster Scarlets v Cardiff Vodacom Bulls v Ulster Emirates Lions v Edinburgh Cell C Sharks v dragons DHL Stormers v Ospreys Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Benetton v Connacht

ROUND 16

Weekend of April 22/23/24 Ulster v Munster Cardiff v Ospreys Dragons v Scarlets Vodacom Bulls v Benetton Emirates Lions v Connacht Cell C Sharks v Leinster DHL Stormers v Glasgow Warriors Edinburgh v Zebre

ROUND 17

Weekend of April 29/30 and May 1 Munster v Cardiff Ospreys v Scarlets Vodacom Bulls v Glasgow Warriors Emirates Lions v Benetton Cell C Sharks v Connacht DHL Stormers v Leinster Edinburgh v Ulster Zebre v Dragons

ROUND 18

Weekend of May 20/21/22 Connacht v Zebre Leinster v Edinburgh Ulster v Cell C Sharks Dragons v Emirates Lions Scarlets v DHL Stormers Ospreys v Vodacom Bulls Glasgow Warriors v Munster Benetton v Cardiff

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