South African teams came out strong in the opening round of the United Rugby Championship (URC) with the Stormers and Bulls achieving victories abroad while the Lions and Sharks secured wins at home. Notably, three of these teams notched up bonus points to kick off their campaigns.
Johan Ackermann's Bulls currently top the leaderboard with a robust five points, boasting a significant point difference of 34. Following closely are the Sharks in second place and the Stormers in third, each also with five points. Meanwhile, the Lions sit in seventh place with four points after narrowly defeating the defending champions, Leinster.
The Stormers faced a stiff challenge in Galway, trailing Connacht 12-10 at halftime. However, last-minute tries from Vernon Paolo and Ezekiel Ngobeni, both on debut, secured a 29-15 victory, earning the team a crucial bonus point despite the absence of injured loose forwards Evan Roos and Marcel Theunissen.
Next up for the Stormers is a match against Edinburgh at Hive Stadium. The Stormers have historically had the upper hand against Edinburgh, with victories in four of their last five encounters, including a 33-14 win in Cape Town in March 2026.
In Johannesburg, the Lions snatched a thrilling 27-26 victory over Leinster, courtesy of a late try from Kelly Mpeku and a conversion by Chris Smith. High-scoring performances were also seen from Leinster’s Fintan Gunne, who notched a hat-trick, and Lions’ winger Erich Cronjé, who scored twice. The Lions are set to host the Ospreys next, hoping to build on their mixed historical results against them.
The Sharks showcased a dominant performance at Kings Park, defeating the Ospreys 41-24, with a noteworthy 90% tackle success rate. Tries from Nick Hatton, Manu Tshituka, Luan Giliomee, and Litelihle Bester in the first half set the tone, and Vusi Moyo’s conversions added to the tally. Giliomee and Moyo amassed 24 points together, highlighting their pivotal roles in the victory.
Meanwhile, the Bulls overcame a sluggish start to dominate Zebre Parma 47-13. Tries by Reinhardt Ludwig, Paul de Wet, Ruan Vermaak, and Harold Vorster, along with flawless conversions from new flyhalf Curwin Bosch, underscored a strong performance. The Bulls next face Munster, who will be eager to rebound from their recent defeat against Glasgow Warriors.
As the URC progresses into round two, intriguing matchups are set to unfold, including games between Cardiff and Zebre, Edinburgh versus the Stormers, and a highly anticipated clash between the Sharks and Leinster at the Shark Tank. The results from these matches could significantly shuffle the standings and set the tone for the rest of the season.
Round 1 results: Benetton 19-19 Dragons, Connacht 15-29 Stormers, Ulster 29-34 Edinburgh, Lions 27-26 Leinster, Sharks 41-24 Ospreys, Munster 20-26 Glasgow, Zebre 13-47 Bulls, Scarlets 15-21 Cardiff.
Round 2 fixtures: Friday, 2 October: Cardiff vs Zebre (8:45pm), Edinburgh vs Stormers (8:45pm), Benetton vs Connacht (8:45pm). Saturday, 3 October: Lions vs Ospreys (1:45pm), Dragons vs Scarlets (4pm), Sharks vs Leinster (6:30pm), Glasgow vs Ulster (6:30pm), Munster vs Bulls (8:45pm).
