URC Play-Offs: Quarter-Final Match-Ups Set

The eight teams who will compete in the BKT United Rugby Championship Play-Offs have confirmed their places in the Quarter-Finals as the race to become the 2022/23 champions kick into gear.

As the top-four ranked sides Leinster (1), Ulster (2), DHL Stormers (3) and Glasgow Warriors (4) have all earned the right to host home Quarter-Finals on the weekend of May 5 and 6.

Their opponents are the teams ranked from fifth position to eighth - Munster, Vodacom Bulls, Connacht, Cell C Sharks.

Quarter-Final Match-Ups

QF1: Leinster (1) v Cell C Sharks (8)

QF2: Ulster (2) v Connacht (7)

QF3: DHL Stormers (3) v Vodacom Bulls (6)

QF4: Glasgow Warriors (4) v Munster (5)

Kick-off times for the Quarter-Finals will be confirmed on Monday, April 24 after consultation with host broadcasters.

Semi-Final Path

In the Semi-Finals, to be played the weekend of May 12, the winner of QF1 will play the winner of QF4 and the winner of QF2 will play the winner of QF3.

In a change to last season’s rules, the teams with the highest seeding in each Semi-Final will have home venue rights. Previously, the winners of QF1 and QF2 were guaranteed home draws no matter their ranking.

SF1: Leinster (1) / Cell C Sharks (8) v Glasgow Warriors (4) / Munster (5)

SF2: Ulster (2) / Connacht (7) v DHL Stormers (3) v Vodacom Bulls (6)

The Semi-Final winners will meet on Saturday, May 27 at the venue of the highest-ranked team to have qualified for the BKT United Rugby Championship Grand Final.

EPCR Qualification

A total of eight teams from the BKT URC will qualify for next season’s Heineken Champions Cup. The four Shield winners will qualify automatically.

• Irish Shield: Leinster (1)
• SA Shield: DHL Stormers (3)
• Scottish/Italian: Glasgow Warriors (4)
• Welsh Shield: Cardiff (10)

The next four Heineken Champions Cup places from the BKT URC will be filled by the highest-ranked teams who did not win their Shields:

• Ulster (2)
• Munster (5)
• Vodacom Bulls (6)
• Connacht (7)

However, should a team (Benetton or Scarlets) from the BKT URC who has not qualified for the Heineken Champions Cup win the EPCR Challenge Cup, they will take the place of the lowest-ranked non-Shield winner (Connacht) in next season’s Champions Cup.

Should the Cell C Sharks (8) win the BKT URC then they will be awarded a Champions Cup place ahead of the lowest-ranked non-Shield winner (Connacht).

In the event that the EPCR Challenge Cup winner is an BKT URC team (Benetton or Scarlets) and the Cell C Sharks win the BKT URC, then only Ulster and Munster will join the Shield winners in next season’s Champions Cup.