Vodacom URC kicks off with a bang this weekend

The Vodacom United Rugby Championship returns this weekend for its fifth edition and while the four South African franchises are without a number of Springboks, they will have a strong start in sight in the cross-hemisphere competition.

The DHL Stormers and Vodacom Bulls kick off their campaigns at home in Cape Town and Pretoria this weekend, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks are in Scotland and the Lions start their season in Wales.

The Stormers will be looking at their home ground advantage as an ally when they host the defending champions, Leinster, from Ireland on Friday evening.

The Capetonians have lost just once at DHL Stadium in any competition since April 2024 and that was by a single point to the Bulls in the URC earlier this year.

Furthermore, visitors from Ireland have not had it easy in Cape Town, where the Stormers have lost only twice at home to visitors from the Emerald Isle, on both occasions it was Munster, in April 2023 and the Final in May 2023.

The two sides met on four previous occasions with the Irish giants’ only victory being 36-12 in Dublin in January.

The Sharks travel to Scotland in search of a rare victory against the 2024 champions, the Glasgow Warriors, on Friday evening.

The Warriors, semi-finalists last season, have lost only two of their last 20 matches in all tournaments at Scotstoun Stadium. What’s more, Franco Smith’s team have lost only two of their last seven encounters with South African opponents, whilst their only defeat to a visiting South African side in the URC was to the Bulls last April.

The KwaZulu-Natalians, like their opponents also semi-finalists last season, have won four of their last six away games in the URC. Their only defeat to a Scottish opponent since March 2022 was to the Warriors, on their most recent visit to Glasgow, in April 2024.

The two teams clashed four times previously, with honours even at two wins apiece with all four fixtures being won by the home side on the day.

In the first of two games on Saturday featuring teams from South Africa, the Bulls will be confident when they host the Ospreys at Loftus Versfeld.

Last year’s runners up from Pretoria, now under a new coach in Johan Ackermann, have not lost to their Welsh visitors and they have won their last six URC matches at Loftus Versfeld since the Stormers beat them there on 1 March.

The Bulls’ only defeat to a Welsh opponent last season was by a single point to the Scarlets in Llanelli in the fifth round and the Ospreys are up against it after they only managed to win once on the road last season, by 32-31 in Glasgow in Round 12.

The Welsh side’s only URC victory in South Africa since 2019 was against the Stormers in Cape Town in April 2024.

The Lions start their campaign in the Welsh capital against a Cardiff side that that has lost only once in their last six URC matches at the Arms Park, by 42-22 to the Sharks in January.

But the hosts will take some confidence into the clash, as their only victory over a South African opponent in the URC last season was at home to the Lions in March, which was also the men from Johannesburg’s first defeat to Cardiff in four clashes.

Transfer news

• Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson has welcomed a number of new players to Cape Town, most notably Springboks Cobus Reinach (scrumhalf) and Ntuthuko Mchunu (prop), as well as fellow front rowers Oli Kebble and Hencus van Dyk, Alex Groves (lock), Ruan Ackermann (loose forward) and former Blitzbok speedster Sako Makata.

• Also included in the Capetonians’ wider squad are Junior Springboks Riley Norton (lock), Oliver Reid (prop), Divan Fuller (loose forward) and Kyle Smith (flyhalf), while they also have Clinton Swart (flyhalf) from the Airlink Pumas on loan.

• The Sharks have also included a number of 2025 Junior Boks in their wider squad, such as Bathobele Hlekani (loose forward), Matt Romao (loose forward), Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), Albie Bester (centre), Jaco Williams (wing/fullback) and Ceano Everson (scrumhalf).

• Springboks Marvin Orie (lock) and Edwill van der Merwe (wing), as well as Simphiwe Matanzima (prop) and the Airlink Pumas duo of Eduan Swart (prop) and Ross Braude (scrumhalf) have moved to Durban, while the KwaZulu-Natalians also have a few players on loan, including Cebo Dlamini (prop), who was the Suzuki Griquas captain when they won the Carling Currie Cup on Saturday.

• Three former players have returned to Pretoria and are back on the Bulls’ roster this season. While Bok flyhalf Handre Pollard is not yet available for selection, Ackermann can consider Jan Serfontein (centre) and Nicolaas Janse van Rensburg (lock), both of whom have worn the green and gold.

• Two former Stormers players, Sti Sithole (prop) and Paul de Wet (scrumhalf), have also made the move north, as well as former Toyota Cheetahs hard man Jeandre Rudolph. Also included in their wider squad are 2025 Junior Boks Esethu Mnebelele (hooker), JJ Theron (utility forward), Jean Erasmus (prop) and Cheswill Jooste (wing).

• Speedsters Angelo Davids, a former Blitzbok and Eduan Keyter have joined the Lions in the off-season, as well as experienced flyhalf Chris Smith but he is currently injured. Junior Springbok scrumhalf Haashim Pead is also in their squad and could make his URC debut in the coming months.

Competition news

• The URC will adopt the global World Rugby trial of the 20-minute red card law for the 2025/26 season. The trial is designed to protect player welfare, improve accuracy in key decisions and ensure the game remains fair and competitive for players, teams and fans.

• An independent TMO process will be introduced to the URC, designed to improve the accuracy of key decisions and speed up the game. Backed by Hawk-Eye technology, the Television Match Officials (TMO) will have real-time access to every broadcast camera feed at their fingertips.

• Organisers also announced recently that on the Vodacom URC’s domestic and international broadcast partners around the globe, as well as on URC.tv, the league recorded an 11% increase in total viewership with a cumulative audience of 53-million across the 2024/25 season. This marks the fourth season in a row where the league set a record for television audiences.

• Furthermore, a record-breaking 1.8-million fans turned out across the season, setting a new high for the URC and marking a 9% increase on the previous campaign. The average attendance of 12,100 per game is also the highest ever recorded.

• On the commercial front, the URC announced recently that OUTsurance has expanded its valued sponsorship of match officials into the Northern Hemisphere, strengthening a partnership that has been in place for nearly a decade in South Africa.

• The URC has also teamed up with long-standing SA Rugby partner Castle Lager – a brand that has stood the test of time – as the official beer sponsor of the Championship in South Africa.

DHL Stormers starting XV: 15 Wandisile Simelane, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (capt), 12 Dan du Plessis, 11 Leolin Zas; 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 Stefan Ungerer; 8 Evan Roos, 7 Ben-Jason Dixon, 6 Paul de Villiers; 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Adré Smith; 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Vernon Matongo. Replacements: 16 JJ Kotze, 17 Olly Reid, 18 Zachary Porthen, 19 Ruben van Heerden, 20 Ruan Ackermann, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Dewaldt Duvenage, 23 Clinton Swart.

Vodacom Bulls starting XV: 15 Devon Williams, 14 Cheswill Jooste, 13 David Kriel, 12 Jan Serfontein, 11 Sebastian de Klerk; 10 Keagan Johannes, 9 Embrose Papier; 8 JJ Theron, 7 Mpilo Gumede, 6 Marcell Coetzee (capt); 5 JF van Heerden, 4 Cobus Wiese; 3 Mornay Smith, 2 Johan Grobbelaar, 1 Gerhard Steenekamp. Replacements: 16 Juann Else, 17 Alu Tshakweni, 18 Francois Klopper, 19 Nicolas Janse van Rensburg, 20 Nama Xaba, 21 Paul de Wet, 22 Stedman Gans, 23 Willie le Roux.

Hollywoodbets Sharks starting XV: 15 Yaw Penxe, 14 Edwill van der Merwe, 13 Lukhanyo Am, 12 Francois Venter, 11 Christie Grobbelaar; 10 Jaden Hendrikse, 9 Ross Braude; 8 Vincent Tshituka (capt), 7 Emmanuel Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi; 5 Marvin Orie, 4 Deon Slabbert; 3 Ruan Dreyer, 2 Fez Mbatha, 1 Simphiwe Matanzima. Replacements: 16 Eduan Swart, 17 Dian Bleuler, 18 Lee-Marvin Mazibuko, 19 Bathobele Hlekani, 20 Nick Hatton, 21 Jean Smith, 22 Jurenzo Julius, 23 Hakeem Kunene.

Lions starting XV: 15 Quan Horn (capt), 14 Tapiwa Mafura, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Angelo Davids; 10 Lubabalo Dobela, 9 Nico Steyn; 8 WJ Steenkamp, 7 Ruan Venter, 6 Jarod cairns; 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Dylan Sjoblom; 3 Asenathi Ntlabakanye, 2 Franco Marais, 1 SJ Kotze. Replacements: 16 Morne Brandon, 17 Heiko Pohlmann, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Darrien Landsberg, 20 Renzo du Plessis, 21 Haashim Pead, 22 Sam Francis, 23 Rynardt Jonker.

Fixtures

DHL Stormers v Leinster - Friday @ DHL Stadium, Cape Town (7pm)

Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi

TV: SuperSport

Glasgow Warriors v Hollywoodbets Sharks - Friday @ Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow (9.05pm)

Referee: Craig Evans

TV: SuperSport

Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys - Saturday @ Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (2pm)

Referee: Federico Vedovelli

TV: SuperSport

Cardiff v Lions - Saturday @ Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff (8.45pm)

Referee: Fillipo Russo

TV: SuperSport