Rugby fans - rejoice! The fixtures for the upcoming BKT United Rugby championship have been announced.
Munster will begin their title defence against the Cell C Sharks at Thomond Park for the opening round of the 2023/24 season.
Graham Rowntree's men face the South Africans in Limerick on Saturday, 21 October, with a 5.15 pm start.
?️ FIXTURES CONFIRMED | Munster Rugby will begin our @URCOfficial title defence against South Africa's Sharks at Thomond Park on Saturday, October 21 (5.15pm).
See full #BKTURC fixtures for 2023/24 here: https://t.co/KghWit0RrV #SUAF ? pic.twitter.com/YUfqWzGwoi
— Munster Rugby (@Munsterrugby) July 11, 2023
The opening round will share a weekend with the Rugby World Cup semi-finals, with Ulster on the road to Zebre and Connacht playing host to the Ospresy on Saturday, 21 October.
Leinster are also on the road for their opener against Glasgow on Sunday, 22 October, at 4 pm.
? | What a way to start our #BKTURC season...
A trip to Glasgow, followed by two brilliant matchups in the RDS!
See Leinster's full schedule here ? https://t.co/lk96bdoLKJ #FromTheGroundUp #URCFixtures pic.twitter.com/7nO2XDAyKQ
— Leinster Rugby (@leinsterrugby) July 11, 2023
Some notable fixtures include the Irish derby between Connacht and Ulster in Round 3 and Leinster versus Munster at the Aviva Stadium on Saturday, 25 November.
The annual Munster/Leinster St.Stephens Day clash will take place in Thomond Park, while Connacht will be the first of the Irish provinces to set off for South Africa.
Ulster will make the long trip just after the Six Nations, with Leinster and Munster travelling for their tours in Rounds 14 and 15.
On Saturday, April 20th, Leo Cullen's team will be taking on the Emirates Lions in Johannesburg. Meanwhile, Rowntree's men will be facing off against the Bulls in Pretoria.
You can view the entire 2023/24 URC fixtures here.
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