The Vodacom United Rugby Championship returns this weekend for its fifth edition, and while the four South African franchises are without several 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 DHL 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, that being by a single point to the Vodacom Bulls in the Vodacom URC earlier this year.
Furthermore, visitors from Ireland have not had it easy in Cape Town, where the DHL Stormers have lost only twice at home to visitors from the Emerald Isle, both times against Munster, in April 2023 and the Final in May 2023.
The two sides have met on four previous occasions, with the Irish giants’ only victory being 36-12 in Dublin in January.
The Hollywoodbets 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 has lost only two of their last seven encounters with South African opponents, while their only defeat to a visiting South African side in the Vodacom URC was to the Vodacom 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 Vodacom 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 have 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 Vodacom 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 Vodacom URC matches at Loftus Versfeld since the DHL Stormers beat them there on 1 March.
The Vodacom 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 face a tough challenge 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 Vodacom URC victory in South Africa since 2019 was against the DHL Stormers in Cape Town in April 2024.
The Lions start their campaign in the Welsh capital against a Cardiff side that has lost only once in their last six Vodacom URC matches at the Arms Park, falling 42-22 to the Hollywoodbets Sharks in January.
However, the hosts will take some confidence into the clash, as their only victory over a South African opponent in the Vodacom 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:
DHL 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), among others.
The Hollywoodbets Sharks have also included several 2025 Junior Boks in their wider squad, such as Bathobele Hlekani (loose forward) and Vusi Moyo (flyhalf), while signing experienced players like Marvin Orie (lock) and Edwill van der Merwe (wing).
Meanwhile, the Vodacom Bulls have welcomed back three former players and added new talent in their squad.
Notable new signings for the Lions include speedsters Angelo Davids and Eduan Keyter, alongside experienced flyhalf Chris Smith.
Competition news:
The Vodacom URC will implement the global World Rugby trial of the 20-minute red card law for the 2025/26 season, aimed at improving player welfare.
An independent TMO process will also be introduced to enhance decision accuracy and game flow, with real-time access to broadcast feeds.
The league recently reported an 11% increase in viewership, reaching 53 million across the 2024/25 season, alongside record-breaking attendance of 1.8 million fans.
Match Information:
DHL Stormers v Leinster
Date: Friday, 26 September
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
SA Time: 19h00
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi
TV: SuperSport
Glasgow Warriors v Hollywoodbets Sharks
Date: Friday, 26 September
Venue: Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow
SA Time: 21h05
Referee: Craig Evans
TV: SuperSport
Vodacom Bulls v Ospreys
Date: Saturday, 27 September
Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
SA Time: 14h00
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
TV: SuperSport
Cardiff v Lions
Date: Saturday, 27 September
Venue: Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
SA Time: 20h45
Referee: Fillipo Russo
TV: SuperSport
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