Leinster will kick off the 2025/26 BKT United Rugby Championship season with a double-header in South Africa.
This season's table-toppers, who play Scarlets in the quarter-finals Saturday week, will take on the Stormers in Cape Town the opening game of the competition on Friday, 26 September, and face the Bulls in Pretoria the following week.
Leinster's first home game will be against yet more South Africa opposition with the Sharks in Dublin on 11 October.
Munster, winners in 2023, will be at Scarlets for their opening-round fixture on Saturday, 27 September before hosting Cardiff for their first home tie on 4 October.
Connacht will host Benetton at the Dexcom Stadium in round one, while Ulster welcome the Dragons to Belfast.
The first inter-provincial derby will take place in round four as Leinster host Munster on 18 October, with the venue to be confirmed.
The return fixture will be the traditional Christmas clash at Thomond Park on Saturday, 27 December.
Leinster will host Ulster in round seven on 19 December, while Richie Murphy’s side visit Connacht on 27 December.
Munster will play Ulster at the Ulster Rugby Stadium on Friday, 2 January, with Leinster welcoming Connacht the following day.
The Westerners will be at Thomond Park for their first derby on Saturday, 25 October, with the reverse fixture taking place on 9 May.
Clayton McMillan's Munster will visit the Sharks and Bulls in March of 2026, while Stormers and Lions will provide the South African opposition for Connacht the following month.
Ulster will take on Sharks and Lions away this October.
Tournament organisers have released the full fixture schedule 128 days before the opening round, and the competition will remain in its current format.
NOTABLE IRISH 2025/26 URC FIXTURES AND INTERPRO DERBIES
Round 1
Friday, 26 September
Stormers v Leinster (DHL Stadium), 6pm (Irish time)
Ulster v Dragons (Ulster Rugby Stadium), 8.05pm
Saturday, 27 September
Scarlets v Munster (Parc Y Scarlets), 5.30pm
Connacht v Benetton (Dexcom Stadium), 7.45pm
Round 4
Saturday, 18 October
Leinster v Munster (TBC), 5.15pm
Round 5
Saturday, 25 October
Munster v Connacht (Thomond Park), 7.45pm
Round 7
Friday 19, December
Leinster v Ulster (TBC), 7.45pm
Round 8
Saturday, 27 December
Connacht v Ulster (Dexcom Stadium), 5.30pm
Munster v Leinster (Thomond Park), 7.45pm
Round 9
Saturday 3 January
Leinster v Connacht (TBC), 5.30pm
Round 10
Saturday, 24 January
Connacht v Leinster (Dexcom Stadium), 5.30pm
Round 13
Friday, 20 March
Ulster v Connacht (Ulster Rugby Stadium), 7.45pm
Round 15
Friday, 17 April
Ulster v Leinster (Ulster Rugby Stadium), 7.45pm
Round 16
Saturday, 25 April
Munster v Ulster (Thomond Park), 5.30pm
Round 17
Saturday, 9 May
Connacht v Munster (Dexcom Stadium), 7.45pm
Round 18
Friday, 15 May
Ulster v Glasgow Warriors (Ulster Rugby Stadium), 7.45pm
Edinburgh v Connacht (Hive Stadium), 7.45pm
Saturday, 16 May
Leinster v Ospreys (TBC), 5.15pm
Munster v Emirates Lions (Thomond Park), 7.45pm
Watch the Champions Cup final, Northampton Saints v Bordeaux Begles, on Saturday from 2pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app
