The 2023-2024 United Rugby Championship season ended when the Glasgow Warriors stunned the Vodacom Bulls at the Gand Final in Loftus Versfeld Stadium in Pretoria, South Africa, to claim their first major championship in nine years. 

The win capped a stunning season for the Warriors, who finished fourth in the regular-season table but won back-to-back road matches in two of the most difficult places to win in the world - Pretoria and in Limerick, Ireland, against Munster Rugby. 

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The 2024-2025 URC season hopes to be even more thrilling when Week 1 action begins Sept. 20. 

The new season brings with it higher expectations for some clubs, such as Benetton, which climbed from 11th the previous season to seventh in the standings, or table, last season. 

The typical powers still are expected to make a run at the URC title. That includes Irish clubs Leinster Rugby and Munster Rugby. The Hollywoodbets Sharks (Siya Kolisi) and the DHL Stormers (Steven Kitshoff) will see the return of two of their former stars for the Sharks this season. Then, of course, there are the Warriors, who look to defend their title. 

Here's everything to know about the 2024-2025 URC season:

How To Watch The United Rugby Championship In The United States?

That would be on FloRugby. Every match of the URC is streaming live on FloRugby and the FloSports app this season. Replays, highlights and breaking news will be on both platforms. 

When Does The URC Season Begin, And When Is The URC Grand Final?

Week 1 of the United Rugby Championship will be Sept. 20. The URC quarterfinals will start May 30, 2025, and the URC Grand Final is scheduled for June 14, 2025. 

How Did The Glasgow Warriors Win The URC Title?

After going 13-0-5 in 2023-2024, the club known for its incredible ability to win in Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow won the championship by beating Munster 17-10 at Thomond Park in Limerick and the Bulls 21-16 at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria. 

Watch the URC Grand Final Between The Glasgow Warriors And The Vodacom Bulls

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What Is The United Rugby Championship Format?

The URC is 16 clubs divided into four shields: 

Irish Shield: 

• Leinster Rugby 
• Munster Rugby 
• Ulster Rugby
• Connacht Rugby

Italian And Scottish Shield: 

• Glasgow Warriors 
• Edinburgh Rugby 
• Zebre Parma 
• Benetton Rugby 

South African Shield: 

• Vodacom Bulls
• DHL Stormers
• Emirates Lions
• Hollywoodbets Sharks

Welsh Shield: 

• Ospreys 
• Scarlets
• Cardiff Rugby 
• Dragons RFC

The shields used to play a bigger role in the EPCR qualifications, but Investec Champions Cup more or less ignores the shield winners and takes the top eight teams. 

How Do URC Teams Make The Playoffs?

The top eight teams in the standings, or table, advance to the playoffs. The team with the best record in the regular season will host the playoff game. 

How Does The 2024-2025 URC Season Schedule Work?

The rugby schedule in general can be a difficult one to understand, especially for sports fans in the United States who are used to seeing teams play in one league for eight months straight. 

The URC plays 16 rounds from Sept. 20 to May 17. In that span, the league will enter several hiatuses.

The teams that finished in the top eight of the standings the previous season will play for the Investec Champions Cup - the European Professional Club Championship. The bottom eight teams will play in the EPCR Challenge Cup. 

Last year, Leinster Rugby lost for the third straight year in the Champions Cup Final, while the Hollywoodbets Sharks won the Challenge Cup. 

This year, there will be nearly a month between Round 7 and Round 8 (Nov. 30-Dec. 20), as the European championship tournaments pool play begins on Dec. 6. Another month gap will be between Round 9 and Round 10 (Jan. 1-Jan. 24).

The URC season also deals with international teams taking players for the Autumn Nations and Six Nations tournaments. 

Here's Where To Find The URC Schedule On FloRugby

Where Are The United Rugby Championship Teams From?

Some teams bear the name of the cities they are from. The Scottish teams are from Glasgow and Edinburgh, but the rest can be confusing. 

Irish Shield: 

Irish teams are named after their provinces in Ireland. Leinster in the east, Munster in the south, Connacht in the west and Ulster in the north. Here are the cities they call home:

• Leinster Rugby: Dublin
• Munster Rugby: Limerick and Cork
• Ulster Rugby: Belfast
• Connacht Rugby: Galway

Italian And Scottish Shield: 

The Scottish clubs keep things easy. The Italians not so much. 

Zebra Parma is named after the town they play in, Parma, Italy, but the first name comes from the Zebra-like stripes the club wears. Benetton is named after the clothing company that has owned the team since 1979, though it used to be named "Benetton Rugby Treviso" after the town it plays in. Here's where the teams play:

• Glasgow Warriors
• Edinburgh Rugby
• Zebre Parma: Parma
• Benetton Rugby: Treviso

South African Shield: 

South African clubs have sponsorship deals that provide the names. Here's where the clubs play:

• Vodacom Bulls: Pretoria
• DHL Stormers: Cape Town
• Emirates Lions: Johannesburg
• Hollywoodbets Sharks: Durban

Welsh Shield: 

Here's where the clubs are from: 

• Ospreys: Swansea
• Scarlets: Llanelli
• Cardiff Rugby: Cardiff 
• RFC Dragons: Newport

Who Is The Best Rugby Player In The URC This Year?

Many of FloSports' Top 100 players call the URC home, including Caelen Doris (Leinster) and Eben Etzebeth (Sharks). According to the URC's own Top 100 players, Sharks and Springboks star prop Ox Nche is the No. 1 player in the league. 

Here is the URC Elite XV honorees from last season: 

• Warrick Gelant - Fullback (FB) - Stormers
• Jordan Larmour - Right Wing (RW) - Leinster
• Sione Tuipulotu - Outside Centre (OC) - Glasgow
• Alex Nankivell - Inside Centre (IC) - Munster
• Kurt-Lee Arendse - Left Wing (LW) - Bulls
• Jack Crowley - Fly-Half (FH) - Munster
• John Cooney - Scrum-Half (SH) - Ulster
• Cameron Hanekom - Number Eight (N8) - Bulls
• Elrigh Louw - Openside Flanker (OF) - Bulls
• Jamie Ritchie - Blindside Flanker (BF) - Edinburgh
• Ruan Nortjé - Lock (RL) - Bulls
• Tadhg Beirne - Tighthead Prop (TP) - Munster
• Wilco Louw - Tighthead Prop (TP) - Bulls
• Akker van der Merwe - Hooker (HK) - Bulls
• Ox Nche - Loosehead Prop (LP) - Sharks

URC Postseason Awards

Here are the postseason awards the URC gives at the end of the season:

GILBERT GOLDEN BOOT

The Gilbert Golden Boot is awarded in recognition of the most accurate placekicker, with all kickers who have attempted a minimum of 30 kicks. They are ranked by their success percentage.

2024 Winner: CHRIS SMITH - VODACOM BULLS

TACKLE MACHINE

Players who have made 150 or more tackles during the regular season will be eligible for the award, with the individual who boasts the highest accuracy taking home the prize.

2024 Winner: ALESSANDRO IZEKOR - BENETTON

TURNOVER KING

This award will be heading home with the player who has won the most turnovers during the regular season, with jackal turnovers used as the tie-breaker.

2024 Winner: JAMIE RITCHIE - EDINBURGH

2024 OFX TOP TRYSCORER

Awarded to the player who has scored the most tries during the regular season.

Winner: JOHNNY MATTHEWS - GLASGOW WARRIORS

IRONMAN

The Ironman award is given to the player who has racked up the most minutes in the regular season.

2024 Winner: SHANE DALY - MUNSTER

TRY OF THE SEASON POWERED BY URC.TV

The top 10 tries of the season, sourced through URC.tv, will be shared with rugby fanatics around the world on various digital platforms, driving fans to vote via an online voting form.  The player who scored the try that receives the most votes will receive this award.

2024 Winner: APHELELE FASSI - HOLLYWOODBETS SHARKS

NEXT-GEN PLAYER OF THE SEASON

This award is to recognize young up-and-coming talent. This category is open to players who were aged under 23 at the end of the previous season and had earned no more than five international caps at that point. The nine-appearance threshold applies. It will be determined by a media vote.

2024 Winner: JACK CROWLEY - MUNSTER

ELIXIRR INNOVATION AWARD

Rewarding and celebrating a club’s innovation in growing the love of the game through digital fan engagement, matchday experience and social purpose.

2024 Winner: BENETTON

VODACOM URC PLAYER OF THE SEASON

Awarded to a player from one of the four South African franchises and forms part of the annual SA Rugby Awards and will be determined by votes from the South African media, the four South African franchise coaches and the Springboks coach.

2024: Winner: SANELE NOHAMBA - EMIRATES LIONS

BKT COACH OF THE SEASON

The prize for the top coach will be voted for by all 16 of the leagues’ clubs' head coaches andor director of rugby.

2024: Winner: GRAHAM ROWNTREE - MUNSTER

PLAYERS' PLAYERS OF THE SEASON

This award will be voted for by the captain and vice-captain of each URC club, with all nominees required to have made a minimum of nine appearances.

2024: Winner: JACK CROWLEY - MUNSTER

What Were The 2023-2024 URC Final Standings?

Here is the table from last season: 

When Does The 2024-2025  Investec Champions Cup Begin? When Is The Champions Cup Final?

The Investec Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup begin Dec. 6, and the four-round pool-play action ends Jan. 19, 2025. 

The Round of 16 starts April 4, while the quarterfinals are April 11-13. The semifinals are scheduled for May 2-4. 

The EPCR Championships weekend will be at Principality Stadium in Cardiff, Wales. There are championship games on May 23 (EPCR Challenge Cup) and May 24 (Investec Champions Cup). 

What Are The Investec Champions Cup and EPCR Challenge Cup Pools?

Here are the pools. 

Investec Champions Cup: 

• Toulouse (Stade Toulousain)
• Bordeaux-Bègles (Union Bordeaux-Bègles)
• Hollywoodbets Sharks
• Exeter Chiefs
• Leicester Tigers
• Ulster Rugby

Pool 2:

• Leinster Rugby
• Clermont Auvergne (ASM Clermont Auvergne)
• La Rochelle (Stade Rochelais)
• Bristol Bears
• Benetton Rugby
• Bath Rugby

Pool 3:

• Northampton Saints
• Munster Rugby
• Vodacom Bulls
• Stade Français Paris
• Saracens
• Castres Olympique

Pool 4:

• Glasgow Warriors
• Racing 92
• Sale Sharks
• DHL Stormers
• Toulon (RC Toulon)
• Harlequins

EPCR Challenge Cup

Pool 1:

• Cardiff Rugby
• Connacht Rugby
• Toyota Cheetahs
• Perpignan (USAP)
• Lyon Olympique Universitaire (Lyon O.U.)
• Zebre Parma

Pool 2:

• Montpellier Hérault Rugby
• Pau (Section Paloise)
• Newcastle Falcons
• Dragons RFC
• Emirates Lions
• Ospreys

Pool 3:

• RC Vannes
• Black Lion
• Bayonne (Aviron Bayonnais)
• Scarlets
• Edinburgh Rugby
• Gloucester Rugby

How To Watch Rugby Matches In the United States On FloRugby

FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to: 

• Investec Champions Cup
• EPCR Challenge Cup
• Currie Cup
• Top 14
• Super Rugby
• And more

FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays. 

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