The 23rd season of what is now the BKT United Rugby Championship will kick off on Saturday, October 21 with six games taking place followed by a further two on Sunday, October 22.
BKT URC champions Munster will begin their title defence on Saturday when they host the Cell C Sharks from Durban at 17:15 in Thomond Park.
The first fixture of the regular season’s 144 games will come from Italy when Ulster travel to face Zebre Parma, before Connacht host Ospreys at the same time that the Emirates Lions and DHL Stormers contest the first derby of the year.
In Wales, Dragons RFC will host Edinburgh and Cardiff Rugby welcome Benetton to the Arms Park. The following day the Vodacom Bulls take on Scarlets before a clash between two of last season’s Play-Off sides as Leinster visit Scotstoun to take on Glasgow Warriors.
In a new approach aimed at reducing long-haul travel across the league, the South African teams will tour twice rather than three times. This means a four-match tour to Europe in the early part of the season followed by a two-game tour after the Six Nations (a balance of two three-game tours will be implemented if future calendars allow for it).
Additionally, the earlier generation of fixtures will assist all teams in their cross-hemisphere travel with improved access to different seat classes and cost efficiencies related to bookings made further in advance.
The opening weekends of the BKT URC will see games played across Saturday and Sunday afternoons to avoid clashes with Rugby World Cup Semi-Finals and the Final taking place on those Friday and Saturday nights.
With no November Test series break, BKT URC teams will take on a schedule of 11 consecutive weekends of rugby (including EPCR) so January will also provide two relief weekends for teams to take a break in play and to accommodate traditional festive fixturing on December 26 (Tuesday) in Wales and Ireland.
“The fixture list is the central pillar to the operation of our league and teams and providing certainty to fans, clubs and broadcasters earlier than ever will have a positive impact,” said Martin Anayi, CEO of the URC.
“Providing a set of fixtures that aims to balance kick-off times which encourage attendance and deliver big broadcast while factoring in the travel necessary to compete in the BKT URC is a monumental task that cannot be underestimated.”
“Each year we feel we are learning more and more about how to refine and improve our process and the final fixture list itself and I must express great gratitude to our broadcast partners who have supported so many requests from the league and our clubs. To deliver this fixture list 102 days ahead of kick-off is unprecedented for our league and gives us another target to beat again next year.”
