URC Semi-Finals: Kick-Off times, dates, how to watch

The URC semi-finals will both take place on Saturday, with Leinster hosting Glasgow Warriors and Bulls facing Sharks. 

Because of the format of the URC play-offs, all four teams have already had to go through a knockout round to reach this point. 

All four teams had varying quarters and come into these games with different levels of form and confidence. 

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How each team got here 

Leinster struggled for large portions against Scarlets in their quarter-final, but eventually their quality showed and they ran out as relatively comfortable winners in the end.  

The Dublin side also won the regular season and will back themselves as favourites, given the quality that they have across the pitch. 

Warriors won in straightforward fashion as hosts against South African side Stormers, who struggled with travelling up to Scotstoun and were well-beaten on the day. 

The difference in fortunes in the quarters may not reflect the quality within both squads, but Glasgow will hope that their slightly better form does pay dividends on this occasion. 

As reigning URC champions too, Glasgow have a huge target on their back and have the know-how of how to win this competition. 

Sharks were by far and away the team who had to work hardest for their win, beating Munster in a penalty shootout after going the distance. 

The game will be remembered for Jaden Hendrikse’s wink and the general gamesmanship shown during the shootout. 

While many disagreed with those antics, what it does show is a willingness to win at all costs, which may put them in good standing against the Bulls. 

Bulls beat Edinburgh 42-33 at Loftus Versfeld, an expected result given home advantage and a very solid performance from the South Africans. 

Implications on the Grand Final 

Unlike the Premiership, the URC final will be hosted not at a neutral venue, but at the home stadium of whichever team is seeded highest based on their position in the regular season. 

Because Leinster finished top, if they are to win against Glasgow, then the final will be held in Dublin. 

However, should Glasgow win, because they are the fourth seed, then whoever wins out of the Bulls and the Sharks would be the hosts of the final. 

This means that the final could either be in Dublin or South Africa, a very difficult situation for fans wishing to travel to watch their team. 

Only one of the teams involved in the semis has previously won the URC, with Glasgow being the holders and only the third winner of the competition, following Stormers in 2021/22 and Munster in 22/23. 

Bulls were runners up in Glasgow’s 2024 win and also lost to Stormers in 2022, making them the second most successful team left. 

Leinster have surprisingly still not reached a final in the URC era, while the Sharks are embarking on their first semi-final appearance. 

Where to Watch 

The games will be shown across the world, with RTÉ, TG4 and Premier Sports being the broadcasters based in Ireland and the UK. SuperSport is the South African broadcaster, while FloRugby will show the action in the USA. 

URC.tv will provide coverage of the game across various other countries around the world, too. 

Leinster v Glasgow Warriors 

Venue: Aviva Stadium, Dublin 
Kick-off: 14:45 UK & IRE / 15:45 SAST 
Live on: RTÉ, Premier Sports, URC.tv, FloRugby, SuperSport 

Bulls v Sharks 

Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria 
Kick-off: 17:15 UK & IRE / 18:15 SAST 
Live on: Premier Sports, TG4, URC.tv, FloRugby, SuperSport 

READ MORE: Charlie Elliott – Best head-to-head matchups in the Premiership and URC semi-finals