South Africa's four teams in the Vodacom United Rugby Championship (URC) want to build on their unbeaten start this weekend after all won their opening matches last week.
The DHL Stormers kick off action Friday against Edinburgh in Scotland. Saturday the 10bet Lions host the Ospreys in Johannesburg, the Hollywoodbets Sharks take on Leinster in Durban and the Vodacom Bulls close out the weekend against Munster in Limerick.
The Stormers beat Connacht last week 29–15 in Ireland. Edinburgh in turn defeated Ulster 34–29 and will want to celebrate its first home match of the season with a second consecutive victory.
The Cape side sits third on the standings, two places above Edinburgh. Their defence in the opening round was more effective than the Scots' and could play a decisive role again.
History also counts in the Stormers' favour: Edinburgh has won just one of the previous six meetings between the teams, in October 2024.
In Johannesburg the Lions will take the field with confidence against the Ospreys after they beat the defending champion, Leinster, last week 27–26. The Ospreys lost 41–24 to the Sharks in Durban.
The Lions suffered just one home defeat last season and have also won four of their previous five URC matches against the Welsh team. Their only loss in that series was in 2024 in Swansea.
The Sharks can expect a tough test against Leinster at Hollywoodbets Kings Park. The Irish team will be determined to hit back after its one-point defeat to the Lions.
The Durbanites sit second on the standings. A victory over Leinster will give them further momentum before they face the Stormers in Cape Town next week.
Leinster has won just one of its last nine matches in South Africa, but that victory was in March 2025 in Durban. The Sharks will want to rely on their home supporters and the warm, humid conditions to gain an advantage.
The Bulls travel to Limerick with confidence after they scored 47 points against Zebre Parma in Italy last week. The Pretoria side has won their last three matches against Munster, including last season's quarter-final in Pretoria 45–14.
Munster will however want to make amends at Thomond Park for its six-point home defeat to Glasgow Warriors in the opening round.
The Bulls will meanwhile want to retain their first place on the standings. Their experience of away matches against strong opponents could prove valuable when they take on this challenge.
URC weekend: matches and kick-off times
All kick-off times are South African time. Matches are broadcast on SuperSport.
| Match | Date | Stadium | Kick-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Edinburgh v DHL Stormers | Friday 2 October | Hive Stadium, Edinburgh | 20:45 |
| 10bet Lions v Ospreys | Saturday 3 October | 10bet Ellis Park, Johannesburg | 13:45 |
| Hollywoodbets Sharks v Leinster | Saturday 3 October | Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban | 18:30 |
| Munster v Vodacom Bulls | Saturday 3 October | Thomond Park, Limerick | 20:45 |
This article is an automatic English translation of a Nuusflits article originally published in Afrikaans. Read the Afrikaans original.
