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Full URC fixtures for 2026/27 announced as date set for Ospreys' return to St Helen's

The Ospreys will not return to St Helen's until a month into the new season as work is carried out to get the stadium ready

The Ospreys will make their St Helen's debut in late October against the Dragons in the United Rugby Championship.

Redevelopment work will begin at St Helen's this summer following joint investment from the Ospreys and Swansea Council. St Helen's will be the Ospreys' third home in as many seasons, having left the Swansea.com Stadium to play in the Bridgend's Brewery Field.

The Ospreys will start the season with a tour of South Africa where they will take on the Sharks and the Lions before a derby against the Dragons at Rodney Parade on October 9.

There will then be a European break before they play their first home URC fixture against the Dragons on Saturday, October 24 at 7.45pm. Win free tickets to watch Fiji v Wales in Cardiff this summer

The redevelopment of St Helen's had been delayed due to the Welsh Rugby Union initially refusing to provide guarantees surrounding the Ospreys' long term future, with plans still in place to cut the number of professional clubs in Wales from four to three.

Swansea Council took legal action against the WRU because they believed the governing body were using the potential Y11 purchase of Cardiff to turn the Ospreys into a semi-professional Super Rygbi Cymru outfit.

In the end Y11 decided not to go ahead with plans to buy Cardiff and the WRU announced it would retain four sides for the next two years.

This has meant the first phase of the redevelopment of St Helen's has now been given the go ahead.

Elsewhere, the Scarlets start with what should be a mouthwatering Welsh derby against Cardiff in Llanelli while the Dragons start with a trip to Benetton.

The traditional Boxing Day Welsh derbies are retained with the Dragons locking horns with Cardiff at Rodney Parade and the Ospreys hosting the Scarlets at St Helen's.

The format of the competition remains unchanged, with the top eight teams progressing to the play-Offs.

The Quarter-Finals will begin on Friday, May 28, with the Semi-Finals taking place from Saturday, June 5 before the Grand Final on Saturday, June 19 to crown the 2026/27 champions.

United Rugby Championship fixtures

Round one (all times in BST or GMT)

Friday, 25 September

Benetton v Dragons (19:45) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

September, 26 September

Sharks v Ospreys (15:00) Kings Park, Durban

Scarlets v Cardiff (19:45) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Round two

Friday, 2 October

Cardiff v Zebre (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Saturday, 3 October

Lions v Ospreys (12:45) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Dragons v Scarlets (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport

Round three

Friday, 9 October

Dragons v Ospreys (19:45) Rodney Parade, Newport

Saturday, 10 October

Scarlets v Benetton (17:30) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Leinster v Cardiff (19:45) Laya Arena, Dublin

Round four

Friday, 23 October

Cardiff v Sharks (19:45) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Saturday, 24 October

Stormers v Scarlets (15:00) DHL Stadium, Cape Town

Ospreys v Dragons (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Round five

Saturday, 31 October

Bulls v Scarlets (15:00) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Dragons v Zebre (17:30) Rodney Parade, Newport

Ospreys v Cardiff (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Round six

Friday, 4 December

Ospreys v Leinster (19:45) St Helen's, Swansea

Edinburgh v Dragons (19:45) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, 5 December

Cardiff v Ulster (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Scarlets v Connacht (17:15) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Round seven

Friday, 18 December

Ulster v Ospreys (19:45) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Munster v Scarlets (19:45) Virgin Media Park, Cork

Saturday, 19 December

Cardiff v Dragons (15:00) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Round eight

Saturday, 26 December

Dragons v Cardiff (15:00) Rodney Parade, Newport

Ospreys v Scarlets (17:30) St Helen's, Swansea

Round nine

Saturday, 2 January

Scarlets v Dragons (15:00) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Cardiff v Ospreys (17:30) Cardiff Arms Park, Cardiff

Round 10

Friday, Janurary 22

Glasgow Warriors v Scarlets (7.45pm) Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow

Saturday, January 23

Ospreys v Edinburgh (3pm) St Helen's, Swansea

Leinster v Dragons (5.30pm) Laya Arena), Dublin

Round 11

Friday, January 29

Dragons v Munster (7.45pm) Rodney Parade, Newport

Glasgow Warriors v Ospreys (7.45pm) Scotstound Stadium, Glasgow

Saturday, January 30

Lions v Cardiff (12.45pm) Ellis Park, Johannesburg

Scarlets v Edinburgh (3pm) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Round 12

Friday, February 26

Dragons v Ulster (7.45pm) Rodney Parade, Newport

Saturday, February 27

Cardiff v Glasgow Warriors (3pm) Cardiff Arms Park

Zebre Parma v Scarlets (5.30pm) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Ospreys v Connacht (5.30pm) St Helen's, Swansea

Round 13

Friday, March 19

Connacht v Cardiff (7.45pm) Dexcom Stadium

Saturday, March 20

Vodacom Bulls v Dragons (3pm) Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria

Munster v Ospreys (5.30pm) Thomond Park, Limerick

Scarlets v Lions (5.30pm) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Round 14

Friday, March 26Scarlets v Leinster (7.45pm) Parc y Scarlets

Saturday, March 27

Hollywoodbets Sharks v Dragons (4.30pm) Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

Cardiff v Munster (5.30pm) Cardiff Arms Park

Ospreys v DHL Stormers (7.45pm) St Helen's, Swansea

Round 15

Friday, April 16

Dragons v Glasgow Warriors (7.45pm) Rodney Parade, Newport

Edinburgh v Cardiff (7.45pm) Hive Stadium, Edinburgh

Saturday, April 17

Ospreys v Vodacom Bulls (5.30pm) St Helen's, Swansea

Ulster v Scarlets (7.45pm) Affidea Stadium, Belfast

Round 16

Friday, April 23Zebre Parma v Ospreys (6pm) Stadio Lanfranchi, Parma

Cardiff v Vodacom Bulls (8.05pm) Cardiff Arms Park

Saturday, April 24

Scarlets v Hollywoodbets Sharks (3pm) Parc y Scarlets, Llanelli

Connacht v Dragons (7.45pm) Dexcom Stadium (Galway)

Round 17

Friday, May 7

Dragons v Lions (7.45pm) Rodney Parade, Newport

Saturday, May 8

Scarlets v Ospreys (5.30pm) Parc y Scarlets, LlanelliBenetton v Cardiff (7.45pm) Stadio Monigo, Treviso

Round 18

Friday, May 14Ospreys v Benetton (7.45pm) St Helen's, Swansea

Saturday, May 15Cardiff v Scarlets (3pm) Cardiff Arms Park

Dragons v DHL Stormers (5.30pm) Rodney Parade (Newport)

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