The 2024/25 BKT United Rugby Championship season will kick-off with an Irish derby, with Munster set to host Connacht on the opening weekend of the season.
The URC confirmed the full fixtures list for next season this morning, with Munster and Connacht meeting at Thomond Park in Round 1 on Saturday 21 September (live on RTÉ).
Leinster will be the first Irish side in action next season, away to Edinburgh in their opening game on Friday 20 September, while Ulster host Glasgow on the Saturday evening.
The final round of regular season games will take place across Friday 16 and Saturday 17 May, with Edinburgh hosting Ulster and Munster facing Benetton on the Friday night, before Connacht travel to Zebre and Leinster face Glasgow at home.
The Grand Final is scheduled for Saturday 14 June.
Round 4 will see a double-header of Interpros on Saturday 12 October, as Leinster host Munster at 5.45pm. The venue for that is yet to be confirmed, leaving open the possibility of a Croke Park return.
Later that evening, Ulster welcome Connacht to Belfast at 8pm.
FULL LIST OF 2024/25 URC FIXTURES AVAILABLE HERE
There will be a disappointing fixtures clash on the final weekend of November, due to Ireland's meeting with Australia on Saturday 30 November.
The fixture, an additional Test match organised outside the official Test window, will see Ulster and Leinster depleted for their URC clash in Belfast the previous evening, Friday 29 November.
Connacht and Munster will both be in action on Saturday 30 November, and are likely to see their ticket sales affected by Ireland's meeting with the Wallabies, which gets under way at 3.10pm.
Connacht are set to host the Bulls that evening at 5.30pm, with Munster and the Lions kicking off at 7.35pm.
The provinces are yet to confirm final details of their Round 8 and 9 games in the Christmas and New Year period. In a change to tradition, Munster and Leinster's usual St Stephen's Day meeting has been pushed out until the New Year's block, when Connacht will also host Ulster.
Ulster are expected to welcome Munster to Belfast in the days surrounding Christmas, while Leinster will face Connacht at the Aviva Stadium, dates and kick-off times yet to be confirmed.
Ulster will be the first province to tour South Africa next season, with Richie Murphy's side away to the Stormers in Cape Town in Round 2, on Saturday 28 September, before facing the Bulls in Pretoria a week later.
Munster will have an October tour to the southern hemisphere where they will face the Stormers and Sharks.
Leinster are due to visit South Africa straight after the Six Nations, with away games against the Bulls and Sharks, while Connacht are due to travel to the Stormers on 19 and 26 April respectively.
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Watch Munster v Ulster in the URC on Saturday from 5pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
