The Stormers’ Deon Fourie duels Willie le Roux of the Bulls. (Ashley Vlotman/Gallo Images)

• URC organisers on Thursday announced fixtures for the 2024/25 season.
• Round 1 will see two SA derbies – Stormers v Bulls in Cape Town and Sharks v Lions in Durban.
• Furthermore, SA teams will no longer be required to go on four-game European tours.
• For more URC-related news, visit our dedicated section.

The Stormers will host the Bulls in the opening round of the 2024/25 URC season, while the Sharks and Lions will lock horns to complete two SA derbies on the opening weekend.

The 18-round new season will kick off on Friday, 20 September with games between Cardiff and Zebre and Edinburgh and Leinster.

The Stormers-Bulls game at Cape Town Stadium will take place on Saturday, 21 September at 18:15, while the Sharks-Lions game at Kings Park will be a few hours earlier at 15:45.

Full URC 2024/25 fixture list

A statement from the organisers read: “The sequence of home or away fixtures against non-Shield opponents is in its second year. This means all fixtures from last season are reversed so that each team will complete their balance of home and away games against the same opponents over a two-year cycle.

“Additionally, the earlier generation of fixtures will assist all teams in their cross-hemisphere travel with improved access to different seat classes and cost efficiencies related to bookings made further in advance.

“Due to calendar restrictions the outbound tours for South African teams will occur in blocks of three, two and one week(s).”

This essentially reduces the SA teams’ European tours to a maximum three-game trip, unlike the four-game trips in previous seasons.

“Given the complexity of our scheduling we are thrilled to have our fixtures published earlier than ever before,” URC CEO Martin Anayi said in a statement.

“Our fixture list is at the core of our entire league with fans, teams, broadcasters and media all setting their schedules to it and now we have set a new standard by delivering it while the current season is still in play.

“Our whole team is focused on making the United Rugby Championship the best league in the world and setting fan-friendly goals is key to that. Our clubs have been more engaged than ever in supporting this while our broadcast partners also play a crucial role in allowing the kick-off times to be set so far in advance.

“This weekend we will discover who has triumphed in the Race to Eight before the gripping drama of our play-offs takes centre stage. Now, no matter how the season ends fans can immediately look to next season’s fixtures to begin planning for another thrilling campaign.”

Meanwhile, the SA derby showcase will also continue over the popular December holiday period. 

Cape Town will lead the way as the Mother City welcomes the Lions (December 21) and Sharks (December 28) for two clashes against the Stormers. The Bulls will travel to Durban to face the Sharks on 21 December.