The fixtures for the 2022/23 United Rugby Championship have been confirmed as the Scarlets and Ospreys meet on the opening weekend in a Welsh derby in Llanelli.
A fierce Irish derby is set to take place with Ulster hosting Connacht at the Kingspan, while Edinburgh host the Dragons, Glasgow Warriors visit Benetton, Zebre host Leinster and Cardiff and Munster meet at Cardiff Arms Park in the opening weekend of the 16/17/18 of September.
However, not every side in the URC will begin their campaign on the opening weekend, with the South African sides playing for the first time the following weekend.
This is being done to reduce the number of clashes with international matches, with the Springboks in action on Sept 17 & 24 in The Rugby Championship.
The South African sides will be without their Springboks stars for their first fixtures at the very least, although there are no fixture clashes with either the official three-week international weekend in November or the five rounds of the Six Nations.
“The diversity of our league we so proudly celebrate, is also a reason for the immense complexity of putting together our Season 2 fixtures,” said URC CEO Martin Anayi.
URC FIXTURES
Round 1
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)
Round 2
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
Round 3
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
Round 4
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
Round 5
Edinburgh 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
Round 6
Connacht v Scarlets Benetton v Vodacom Bulls Zebre Parma v Edinburgh Emirates Lions v Glasgow Warriors Cell C Sharks v Ulster Dragons RFC v Ospreys Cardiff Rugby v DHL Stormers Leinster v Munster
Round 7
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)
Round 8
Benetton v Edinburgh 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
Round 9
Edinburgh 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
Round 10
Glasgow Warriors v Edinburgh 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
Round 11
Edinburgh 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
Round 12
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 v Zebre Parma
Round 13
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 v Cell C Sharks Leinster v Cardiff Rugby
Round 14
Glasgow Warriors v Ulster Munster v Ospreys Zebre Parma v Connacht Scarlets v Edinburgh Leinster v Dragons RFC Cardiff Rugby v Benetton Vodacom Bulls v DHL Stormers Emirates Lions v Cell C Sharks
Round 15
Munster v Scarlets Glasgow Warriors v Zebre Parma Cardiff Rugby v Ulster Dragons RFC v Connacht Edinburgh v Leinster Ospreys v Benetton Vodacom Bulls v Emirates Lions DHL Stormers v Cell C Sharks
Round 16
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 Munster v Glasgow Warriors
Round 17
Cell C Sharks v Benetton Connacht v Cardiff Rugby Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets Vodacom Bulls v Zebre Parma Emirates Lions v Leinster Edinburgh v Ospreys DHL Stormers v Munster Ulster v Dragons RFC
Round 18
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