Ben Jaycock looks ahead to the 16-team URC season and highlights the players who will be out to make a difference
LEINSTER ended their trophy drought last season with a first URC title since South African involvement, but Leo Cullen’s men haven’t rested on their laurels with All Black superstar Jordie Barrett replaced with another famous Kiwi, Rieko Ioane.
Ioane, a more controversial signing than his New Zealand team-mate given his feud last year with Leinster legend Johnny Sexton, will be expected to adapt to Northern Hemisphere rugby as easily as Barrett.
Where Ioane plays will be intriguing as despite his remarkable free-scoring form on the wing in his early All Black days – who can forget his devastating finishing in the 2017 Lions series – the former Blues flyer then shifted to outside centre, where he has now spent the majority of his career. However, All Black coach Scott Robertson recently deployed the 28-year-old back on the wing.
Ioane has the speed to trouble any defence with a rockstar-like personality to boot but the 86-cap star is often criticised for relying on his pace to get him out of defensive jail. “It’s an exciting opportunity to play in Ireland for an iconic team, grow my game and experience something with my family,” Ioane posted on his Instagram. “I will be back refreshed and ready to rock in the second half of 2026.”
Leinster’s priority will return to the Champions Cup after making the foolish mistake of resting their prized asset, Barrett, in their semi-final loss to Northampton. The Dubliners’ embarrassment of riches mean Cullen won’t have to field his first XV until the knockout stages, if previous seasons are anything to go by.
South Africa‘s demolition of New Zealand sent a warning sign to the rest of the world and that feeling will be shared by their provinces’ rival club sides, who, bar the Lions, are littered with World Cup winning talent.
How much Saffer teams put into this competition remains the big question but recent years have shown a selection priority towards the URC rather than the Champions Cup. The Bulls went full strength in their domestic knockout stage en route to the final, but were hammered for sending a fringe side to Northampton in the European Cup 2023/24 quarter-finals.
Each of the Stormers, Bulls, Sharks and Lions have been largely formidable in their respective homes but each have also failed to replicate that form on their travels to the Northern Hemisphere, while zero teams reached the Champions Cup knockout stages.
The Bulls were humbled at Croke Park by Leinster in a one-sided affair but Johan Ackermann’s side will be desperate to go one better this time following a standout campaign and with a squad that features a backline full of Springboks in Handre Pollard, Willie Le Roux and Canan Moodie, you would be a brave man betting against the Pretoria franchise.
Both the Stormers, winners in 2021/22, and the Sharks flattered to deceive despite possessing some of the game’s standout names, but with ex-Northampton nine, Cobus Reinach, linking up with his international team-mates, Sacha Feinberg-Mngomezulu and Damian Willemse, for the former, and Edwill van der Merwe joining Makazole Mapimpi and Andre Esterhuizen at the latter, on paper at least those two underperforming teams should return to title contention.
The Lions, more focused on homegrown talent than drawing in household names, have lost potent wing Edwill van der Merwe to rivals the Sharks, and who his abundance of tries will be replaced by is a worrying question for the Johannesburg faithful, considering their lack of recognisable internationals. Their most recognisable player is Asenathi Ntlabakanye, largely due to his mammoth 6ft, 24 stone frame, but the Springbok prop is in hot water after being issued with two formal doping charges.
Munster and Glasgow Warriors picking up a URC title before Leinster would have been long odds but the former has failed to build on their 2022/23 triumph, while Glasgow last season as reigning champions exited in the semi-finals after being well beaten by the eventual winners.
With legends Peter O’Mahony, Dave Kilcoyne and Conor Murray all retiring, Munster have moved smartly in the market. Dan Kelly has put his England career on ice after arriving from Leicester to bolster midfield depth, alongside returning former fan favourite JJ Hanrahan.
Kelly, 24, has spent the last five years at Welford Road, and less than a year after his Tigers debut, he made his first England appearance against Canada under Eddie Jones, which remains his only Test cap so far.
However, the former Ireland U20 international now qualifies to switch allegiance through his grandparents. Having already completed the required three-year stand-down period before switching nations, Kelly will be eligible to represent Ireland this season.
Ulster and Connacht were both forced to chase the pack after underwhelming campaigns, finishing in the bottom two of the Irish Shield. Kieran Treadwell’s switch to Harlequins leaves a sizeable gap in the Ulster second row. However, there’s optimism around the arrival of powerful No.8 Juarno Augustus from Northampton Saints, a proven force in the Premiership.
Connacht have kept things relatively quiet this summer, with a focus on youth development and a single headline signing in Sam Gilbert arriving from the Highlanders. Gilbert brings versatility across the backline, expected to fill the creative void left by JJ Hanrahan’s return to Munster.
Edinburgh have fallen into the shadow of their arch rivals Glasgow in recent times and Sean Everett’s team will be determined to change that following a quarter-final exit. Skipper Jamie Ritchie’s departure to Perpignan is the headline exit, while fellow Scotland internationals Ali Price and Emiliano Boffelli have also moved on. Former Sharks back row Dylan Richardson brings an abrasive edge, while experienced signings such as Piers O’Conor from Connacht and Leicester Tigers prop James Whitcombe will add depth.
Wales‘ URC regions each go into this campaign under a serious threat that four could soon become two. In the midst of a crisis, the Scarlets performed admirably last term, reaching the quarter-finals, and you would expect Dwayne Peel’s team to once again carry the Welsh flag into the play-offs.
Cardiff ‘s headline signing is the return of Ioan Lloyd from Scarlets. The versatile seven-time capped international fly-half/full-back has long been tipped for stardom and now comes back to his boyhood region after four seasons at Bristol Bears before moving to the Scarlets in 2023.
But no region has been more active this summer than the Dragons, who have welcomed a raft of new faces across all positions.
Among the standout arrivals are Wales internationals Dillon Lewis and Wyn Jones in the front row, bringing proven set-piece quality to an area that has often been a concern. Thomas Young provides back row experience after Taine Basham and Dan Lydiate’s retirements.
Scarlets’ business may lack the volume of others, but it has been quietly effective with Joe Hawkins, looking to revitalising his Wales career, the standout signing. The former Osprey and Exeter centre joins with a point to prove and is a creative midfield talent with size and skill.
Cardiff narrowly missed out on the play-offs, finishing ninth, while Ospreys failed to kick on from last season’s impressive showing, ended up in a disappointing 12th. Replacing iconic figures like Justin Tipuric and Adam Beard will be no small task, and the next generation in Swansea will need to step up fast but Ross Moriarty returns to Welsh rugby from Brive, and while no longer with the national team, he remains a potent carrier and fierce defender.
The Dragons endured an ugly campaign, taking over from Zebre as the league’s whipping boys, losing every regular season bar one and coach Filo Tiatia has an uphill task to turn things around at Rodney Parade.
Benetton remain Italy’s flagship side, finishing tenth but will feel aggrieved to have missed out on the last eight, with former Wasps Jacob Umaga and Paolo Odowgwu leading the charge, alongside some experienced Italian internationals. Whether or not they make the jump into title contention after flirting with a play-off run in recent seasons, still remains to be seen.
Zebre looked on the brink of liquidation last season before appearing to turn their financial problems around, at least for the short-term. On the pitch though, the Parma outfit, who were known as the competition’s whipping boys in recent years, winning a combined two matches across the last three campaigns, enjoyed a much-improved season, picking up their most victories (5) since 2017/18, and will be desperate to avoid returning to the foot of the table.
The best betting sites
