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The United Rugby Championship (URC) will explode back onto the scene this coming weekend with several mouthwatering clashes lined up.
From a South African perspective, the Vodacom Bulls will tackle Edinburgh in Scotland, while the Lions face Ospreys in Wales. The coastal derby between the DHL Stormers and Hollywoodbets Sharks in Cape Town will be the match to watch.
The stakes are high for all four teams, and ATR discusses key factors that will make for an interesting weekend for the sides.
Stormers vs Sharks – Saturday (19:30)
Record on the line, and bragging rights up for grabs:
History between the Stormers and Sharks shouldn’t hold much significance heading into the match, but let’s face it, it does.
The Stormers are not only unbeaten in the URC this season, but they’ve also had the better of the Sharks, particularly in Cape Town, over the past four seasons.
They’ve won all four meetings at the DHL Stadium in the URC era, and their last victory came in the form of a nervy 24-20 win in front of a jam-packed crowd.
The Durban outfit is having a nightmare season and currently sits in 14th place on the log with just two wins in eight matches. Breaking the Stormers’ unbeaten streak would “mean so much”, according to hooker Bongi Mbonambi, and he’s spot on.
Their URC form may suggest otherwise, but the Sharks are starting to find some form under JP Pietersen, and the 50-12 victory against Clermont in the Champions Cup last week was a step in the right direction. They will call upon their experienced campaigners in hopes that big names like Siya Kolisi and Edwil van der Merwe can continue their scoring spree in the competition.
The Stormers, meanwhile, won’t be short of confidence. They are the team to beat in the URC, and they’ll have the full backing of their supporters with over 40,000 tickets sold. It promises to be a titanic battle from open play, set pieces, and more importantly, the breakdown.
South African derbies are often physical nail-biters, and the quality of rugby on display rarely disappoints. The one thing each team needs to avoid is putting too much emphasis on records and unbeaten streaks but instead focus on getting the job done between the four lines and gaining momentum before the sides meet again a week later.
Edinburgh vs Bulls – Friday (19:45)
A chance at redemption for Bulls stars:
It’s no secret that the Bulls have been the most underperforming South African team in the URC this season, and the stats don’t lie.
After eight matches, Johan Ackermann’s team has scored only 192 points and beaten 158 defenders combined – only the Sharks have registered lower stats.
A lot has been made of their defence, and the 78% tackle success rate almost flatters them a little bit. Their aerial game has also been woeful, to put it mildly. Out of 167 kicks from hand, the Bulls have managed to retain just 20 in the competition.
The two areas they’ll be happy with, however, are the scrums and lineouts – and those will come in handy when they tackle Edinburgh away from home this weekend.
The Bulls finally broke their winless run with a gritty performance against Pau in the Champions Cup last weekend, and shifting that momentum into the URC will be key. The important facets of their game clicked in that Champions Cup victory, and Ackermann will be pleased with the progress he’s seen without getting carried away too early.
The Bulls’ experienced campaigners have been off it this season, and this clash presents them with an opportunity to show their class and help the side pick up its first URC win since last October.
Edinburgh have come out on top in their last two fixtures at the Hive Stadium, and they’ll be hoping home-ground advantage will come in handy. For the Bulls, it’s all about laying a solid foundation ahead of next week’s local derby with the Lions in Johannesburg.
Ospreys vs Lions - Friday (21:45)
Lions are headed into unfamiliar territory:
The Johannesburg-based side will tackle the Welsh team at their temporary home ground at Bridgend’s old-school Brewery Field on Friday night.
It promises to be an enticing battle between the two teams, who have shared some thrilling matches in recent history. In their last five fixtures, it’s the Ospreys who have the upper hand with three wins, while the Lions have claimed two victories.
The South African side will be hunting their second URC win in 2026 after upsetting the Sharks 23-22 in Durban earlier this month. They’ll head into the game with mixed emotions after playing out a 20-all draw with Perpignan in the EPCR Challenge Cup a week ago.
That result meant they will miss out on the round of 16, and their full focus will be on qualifying for the URC quarterfinals.
The Ospreys, on the other hand, will want to put their off-field drama aside and get the job done. As things stand, they’re currently sitting in ninth place with three wins, five defeats and a draw so far this season.
The Lions, meanwhile, have a game in hand and have racked up four wins in eight matches. A victory away from home before the local derby could bring much-needed confidence to coach Ivan van Rooyen’s troops.
| # | Team | PL | W | L | D | PD | BP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  DHL Stormers | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 136 | 4 | 36 |
| 2 |  Glasgow Warriors | 9 | 7 | 2 | 0 | 141 | 6 | 34 |
| 3 |  Ulster Rugby | 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 92 | 7 | 31 |
| 4 |  Cardiff Rugby | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 27 | 7 | 31 |
| 5 |  Leinster Rugby | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 48 | 6 | 30 |
| 6 |  Munster Rugby | 9 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 16 | 6 | 30 |
| 7 |  Emirates Lions | 8 | 4 | 4 | 0 | -8 | 5 | 21 |
| 8 |  Benetton Treviso | 9 | 4 | 5 | 0 | -56 | 3 | 19 |
| 9 |  Ospreys | 9 | 3 | 5 | 1 | -30 | 4 | 18 |
| 10 |  Edinburgh Rugby | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | 11 | 5 | 17 |
| 11 |  Vodacom Bulls | 8 | 3 | 5 | 0 | -32 | 4 | 16 |
| 12 |  Connacht Rugby | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | -31 | 8 | 16 |
| 13 |  Dragons | 9 | 2 | 5 | 2 | -51 | 4 | 16 |
| 14 |  Hollywoodbets Sharks | 8 | 2 | 5 | 1 | -59 | 4 | 14 |
| 15 |  Zebre Rugby | 9 | 2 | 7 | 0 | -133 | 3 | 11 |
| 16 |  Scarlets | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | -71 | 1 | 09 |
