About
Irish side Munster dethroned the DHL Stormers in a pulsating Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final in Cape Town on 27 May 2023, almost a year after the Capetonians became the first holders of the title by beating fellow-SA team the Vodacom Bulls in the 2022 final. Two other teams from South Africa, the Emirates Lions and Hollywoodbets Sharks, were joined by 12 clubs from Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales this competition that first kicked off in September 2021. Previously, it was called the PRO12 and later PRO14. The 2022/23 season ran from September 2022, with all the teams again split into four conferences.
The history
The Championship originated in 1999 when the Welsh and Scottish unions created a competition for their teams, and in 2001 four Irish provinces were added to create the Celtic League. The ambition amongst the three unions in 2001 was to create a vibrant and competitive professional club competition that would provide their players with the best preparation for Test level rugby. In 2010, two Italian teams were welcomed as the competition began to look boldly towards a more diverse future – this was reflected in the name change to PRO12 in later seasons. In a historic move in 2017, the Championship expanded to South Africa and, in keeping with its cross-border DNA, added the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings to become a cross-hemisphere club rugby tournament known as the PRO14.
Zebre Parma
21 Oct | Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma
14:00
Ulster
Connacht
21 Oct | The Sportsground, Galway
16:00
Ospreys
Dragons RFC
21 Oct | Rodney Parade, Newport
16:05
Edinburgh
Emirates Lions
21 Oct | Emirates Airline Park, Johannesburg
16:05
DHL Stormers
Cardiff Rugby
21 Oct | Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff
18:15
Benetton
