Final four book their places in URC semi-finals

The United Rugby Championship semi-finals will take place on Saturday with teams from Ireland, Scotland and South Africa all competing for a place in the Grand Final.

Leinster, Glasgow Warriors, Vodacom Bulls and the Hollywoodbets Sharks all delivered match-winning performances to set up a pair of blockbuster semi-finals across the northern and southern hemispheres.

The results now narrow down the list of possible Grand Final venues, with Dublin’s Croke Park, Pretoria's Loftus Versfeld and Hollywoodbets Kings Park headlining a stellar lineup of iconic stadia. All of the top four seeds have progressed after a weekend filled with drama and thrilling entertainment.

In semi-final 1, Leinster (1) will enjoy home advantage when they take on defending champions Glasgow Warriors (4) at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium.

Following that clash of the Celts, Hollywoodbets Sharks (3) will face the Vodacom Bulls (2) in a South African derby at Loftus Versfeld in semi-final 2.

Of the semi-finalist teams, only Glasgow Warriors have previously won the URC, while the Bulls were runners-up in the 2022 and 2024 Grand Finals. The Hollywoodbets Sharks make their first-ever appearance in a semi-final, while remarkably, eight-time league winners Leinster are still chasing their first Grand Final appearance in the URC era.

The first three seasons of URC play-offs have produced several away wins - including at the semi-final stage - and these evenly poised match-ups could yet see joy for the travelling teams.

URC SEMI-FINALS

Saturday

SF1: Leinster (1) v Glasgow Warriors (4) @ Aviva Stadium, Dublin

Kick-off: 2.45pm UK & IRE/3.45pm SAST

Live on RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, URC.tv, FloRugby

SF2: Vodacom Bulls (2) v Hollywoodbets Sharks (3) @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Kick-off: 5.15 UK & IRE/6.15pm SAST

Live on SuperSport, Premier Sports, TG4, URC.tv, FloRugby

URC GRAND FINAL VENUES

Venues confirmed for the Grand Final (based on highest-ranked team)

Croke Park, Dublin – Leinster (1)

Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – Vodacom Bulls (2)

Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – Hollywoodbets Sharks (3)

As the No 4-ranked team, Glasgow Warriors cannot host the Grand Final.