The United Rugby Championship (URC) quarter-finals and kick off times are now confirmed, with three South African sides having qualified for the first round of the playoffs that take place on 29 and 30 May.
The most intense playoff race in the history of the URC went all the way to final whistle of Round 18 where the result between Munster and the Lions put the rubber stamp on a fascinating set of quarter-final match-ups.
The results from Round 18 ensured that the four home teams were ranked: Glasgow Warriors (1), Leinster (2), Stormers (3) and Bulls (4). The away teams will be Munster (5), Cardiff (6), Lions (7) and Connacht (8).
URC quarter-finals and kick off times
The 2024 champions, Glasgow Warriors, will get the playoffs underway on Friday, 29 May when they take on Connacht at Scotstoun (20:45 SA time).
This will be followed by three games on the Saturday, with the Bulls taking on 2023 champions, Munster at 13:00 (SA time), the Stormers welcome Cardiff to Cape Town (15:30 SA time) with defending champions Leinster hosting the Lions at 21:00 (SA time).
The qualification of both Cardiff and the Lions means that 14 of the 16 teams in the league have reached the playoffs in the past five seasons.
Playoff Format
Quarter-Finals
Friday, 29 May
QF1: (1) Glasgow Warriors v (8) Connacht
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
KO: 20:45
Saturday, 30 May
QF4: (4) Vodacom Bulls v (5) Munster
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
KO: 13:00
QF3: (3) Stormers v (6) Cardiff
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
KO: 15:30
QF2: (2) Leinster v (7) Lions
Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin
KO: 21:00
Semi-Finals – Saturday, 6 June
- SF1: Winner QF1 v Winner QF4
- SF2: Winner QF2 v Winner QF3
URC Grand Final – Saturday, 20 June
- Winner SF1 v Winner SF2
While the four home quarter-finalists are best placed to reach the decider, history may yet deliver a twist — only one team ranked No 1 has ever lifted the URC trophy.
In past seasons, it was fourth-placed Glasgow Warriors (2024), fifth-placed Munster (2023), and second-placed Stormers (2022) who emerged as champions before first-placed Leinster finally claimed the crown last year.
