By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
With the new Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign set to kick off on Friday, September 25, South African eyes will be on Galway, Johannesburg, Durban, and Parma as the DHL Stormers, 10bet Lions, Hollywoodbets Sharks, and Vodacom Bulls get their new season underway.
Stormers will be the first South African side in action when they take on Irish side Connacht in Galway on Friday evening.
The two teams that made the playoffs will be going hammer and tongs to get those valuable first log points in the bag. Stormers, champions of the inaugural season in 2021/22, have won four of the last five URC meetings between these sides, although Connacht won the most recent clash, last year in Cape Town.
John Dobson’s side will be well aware of Connacht’s recent run at home, where they are on a five-game winning streak. But the Stormers were victorious on their last visit to Galway, by 16-12 in May 2024
Stormers Squad
Starting XV – 15 Warrick Gelant, 14 Seabelo Senatla, 13 Ruhan Nel (c), 12 Jonathan Roche, 11 Leolin Zas, 10 Jurie Matthee, 9 André Warner, 8 Hacjivah Dayimani, 7 Louw Nel, 6 Evan Roos, 5 JD Schickerling, 4 Riley Norton, 3 Neethling Fouché, 2 André-Hugo Venter, 1 Vernon Matongo.
Replacements: 16 Vernon Paulo, 17 Olly Reid, 18 Sazi Sandi, 19 Connor Evans, 20 Adré Smith, 21 Marcel Theunissen, 22 Ezekiel Ngobeni, 23 Yaqeen Ahmed.
On Saturday, the focus shifts to the Republic when the Lions host two-time defending champions Leinster, also from Ireland, in Johannesburg, before the Sharks take on the Ospreys from Wales in Durban.
Lions will be keen to start with a bang after they reached the URC playoffs for the first time last season.
Ivan van Rooyen’s side could hardly have asked for a tougher start though, against a star-studded Leinster side who lifted the trophy in the last two seasons, eliminating the 10bet Lions in the 2025 quarter-finals along the way.
Leinster have struggled in South Africa though, winning just one of their last eight matches in the Republic – against the Sharks in March 2025 – while the Lions won this corresponding fixture in April 2024 by 44-12.
The winners of the Welsh Shield from last season, the Ospreys, are in Durban where JP Pietersen’s Sharks will be aiming for a better season than last time, when both these sides missed out on the playoffs.
Lions Squad
Starting XV – 15 Boeta Chamberlain, 14 Kelly Mpeku, 13 Henco van Wyk, 12 Richard Kriel, 11 Erich Cronjé, 10 Chris Smith, 9 Nico Steyn, 8 Francke Horn (c), 7 Batho Hlekani, 6 Siba Mahashe, 5 Ruan Delport, 4 Etienne Oosthuizen, 3 Sebastian Lombard, 2 PJ Botha, 1 Boan Venter.
Replacements: 16 Morné Brandon, 17 SJ Kotze, 18 RF Schoeman, 19 Hyron Andrews, 20 JC Pretorius, 21 Siba Qoma, 22 Zian Cilliers, 23 Ethan Adams.
The KwaZulu-Natalians finished last season with back-to-back victories, but still ended in 10th place, and they will also hope for a home ground ally after losing just once in their last eight Vodacom URC matches at the Shark Tank.
Furthermore, the Ospreys have lost their last five matches in South Africa, while the honours have gone to the home team in the last four meetings between these two sides, including a 29-10 win in May 2025.
Sharks Squad
Starting XV – 15 Luan Giliomee, 14 Suleiman Hartzenberg, 13 Jurenzo Julius, 12 Murray Koster, 11 Litelihle Bester, 10 Vusi Moyo, 9 Jaden Hendrikse, 8 Nick Hatton (c), 7 Manu Tshituka, 6 Phepsi Buthelezi, 5 Darrien Landsberg, 4 Corné Rahl, 3 Vincent Koch, 2 Eduan Swart, 1 Phatu Ganyane.
Replacements: 16 Esethu Mnebelele, 17 Nemo Roelofse, 18 Hanro Jacobs, 19 Jason Jenkins, 20 Matt Romao, 21 Ivan van Zyl, 22 Siya Masuku, 23 Zekhethelo Siyaya.
Bulls, runners up in the last two seasons of the URC, will be very mindful of not underestimating Zebre when they clash in the north of Italy.
Johann Ackermann’s side from Pretoria – who have never lost to the club from Parma, will be aiming to reach their fifth Grand Final in six years, including a 54-29 win in Italy in November 2023 – but first they must try to get points on the board against a Zebre team that started last season with back-to-back victories.
However, the Bulls can take some early-season confidence into the clash, as they have won their opening URC fixture in each of the last four seasons, and they have lost only once in their last five trips to Italy.
Bulls Squad:
Starting XV: 15. Willie le Roux, 14. Sebastian de Klerk, 13. Stedman Gans, 12. Harold Vorster, 11. Stravino Jacobs, 10. Curwin Bosch, 9. Paul de Wet, 8. Jeandre Rudolph, 7. Hanro Liebenberg, 6. Marcell Coetzee (captain), 5. Reinhardt Ludwig, 4. Ruan Vermaak, 3. Francois Klopper, 2. Juann Else, 1. Alu Tshakweni.
Replacements: 16. Janco Uys, 17. Dylan Smith, 18. Mornay Smith, 19. JF van Heerden, 20. Nizaam Carr, 21. Zak Burger, 22. Cheswill Jooste, 23. Hakeem Kunene.
This story has been updated with lineups.