URC Quarter-Finals Confirmed: Three South African Sides Make the Playoffs

The Most Intense URC Playoff Race Yet Goes Down to the Wire

The 2025/26 United Rugby Championship regular season delivered absolute chaos right until the final whistle of Round 18. With playoff spots, home quarter-finals and Champions Cup qualification all hanging in the balance across Europe and South Africa.

When the dust finally settled, three South African franchises the Vodacom Bulls, DHL Stormers and Emirates Lions have secured their places in the URC quarter-finals. Better yet for local fans, both the Bulls and Stormers earned valuable home playoff fixtures after outstanding regular seasons.

The Hollywoodbets Sharks, however, were the unlucky South African side left on the outside looking in. The Durban franchise finished 10th on the table and narrowly missed out on the top eight after an inconsistent campaign that never truly found momentum.

Final Round Drama Across the URC

Round 18 produced exactly the kind of drama the URC has become famous for. With playoff scenarios changing almost minute by minute across multiple venues.

The biggest match of the weekend and arguably the defining fixture of the regular season took place at Thomond Park in Limerick. Where Munster hosted the Emirates Lions in a straight shootout for playoff rugby.

Munster eventually edged a tense and bruising contest 24-17 to secure fifth place on the standings. Tries from Evan O’Connell, Craig Casey and Tom Ahern, together with the boot of JJ Hanrahan, proved enough to get the Irish province over the line.

The game also carried late controversy after Munster hooker Diarmuid Barron alleged that a Lions player spat at him during the closing stages. An incident reportedly referred to the match citing commissioner.

Despite the defeat, the Lions still grabbed a crucial losing bonus point. Which was enough to secure seventh place and book their maiden URC playoff appearance since South African teams joined the competition. It also sealed Champions Cup qualification for Ivan van Rooyen’s side another major milestone for the Johannesburg outfit.

Meanwhile in Pretoria, the Vodacom Bulls handled business professionally at Loftus Versfeld, securing a comfortable victory over Benetton to lock in a home quarter-final.

In Cape Town, the DHL Stormers continued their superb late-season form with a massive win over Cardiff to secure third place overall. John Dobson’s men have quietly built serious momentum over the last two months and now head into the playoffs looking like genuine title contenders again.

Ulster, who entered the final weekend with playoff hopes still alive, ultimately fell short and missed out on the top eight.

Confirmed URC Quarter-Final Teams

The final URC playoff standings are:

Glasgow Warriors – Home quarter-final

Leinster Rugby – Home quarter-final

DHL Stormers – Home quarter-final

Vodacom Bulls – Home quarter-final

Munster Rugby

Cardiff Rugby

Emirates Lions

Connacht Rugby

The spread of playoff teams once again highlights just how competitive the URC has become. Every single week felt like knockout rugby over the final month of the season. And South African sides were right in the thick of it.

URC Quarter-Final Fixtures and Kick-Off Times

The URC quarter-finals will be played at the end of May, with the top four seeds hosting the playoff matches.

Friday, 29 May

Glasgow Warriors vs Connacht – Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow (20:45 SAST)

Saturday, 30 May

Vodacom Bulls vs Munster – Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria (13:00 SAST)

DHL Stormers vs Cardiff Rugby – Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town (15:30 SAST)

Leinster vs Emirates Lions – Aviva Stadium, Dublin (21:00 SAST)

The Bulls will fancy their chances at altitude against a Munster side that now faces a brutal turnaround and long-haul trip to Pretoria.

The Stormers, meanwhile, will be massive favourites at Cape Town Stadium. Dobson’s side have turned Cape Town into one of the toughest away trips in world rugby again, and Cardiff face a serious challenge if they want to keep their season alive.

As for the Lions well, there are easier places to visit than the Aviva Stadium. But this young Johannesburg side has shown all season that they fear absolutely nobody. If there’s one team capable of causing chaos in the playoffs, it might just be them.

URC History Says Expect More Surprises

One thing URC fans know by now: playoff rugby rarely follows the script.

Recent history proves that finishing top of the table guarantees absolutely nothing once knockout rugby begins. Munster won the title from fifth in 2023, Glasgow Warriors lifted the trophy from fourth in 2024, while the Stormers famously won the inaugural URC title in 2022 after finishing second.

That unpredictability is exactly what makes this competition so entertaining. Momentum matters. Travel matters. Altitude matters. And South African teams have become genuine playoff specialists in this tournament.

The URC semi-finals are scheduled for 6 June, while the 2026 Grand Final will take place on 20 June. If the regular season was anything to go by, rugby fans are in for an unbelievable finish to the campaign.