URC 2024/25

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123287151#Comment_123287151

Thought Kolisi & others left the lineout before the throw, formed a maul, from which Kolisi scored. No TMO review. Looks very clear on replay.

Ben Bailey

Sharks by 1 point.

Zebre get TBP & LBP

Clegg

Sharks win 35-34.

Great effort from Zebre, but in the end the South Africans milked a scrum penalty and a yellow from it. Create da mismatch out wide and scored the winning try. They look really poorly coached though. I'd much rather Leinster had played them today with our stronger squad. Could have turned them over.

PMC83

The URC has been an absolute treat today, some great games coming down to the wire. Nice to see all the teams lifting their game

bingobango12

Great day of rugby alright.

Think top 4 is probably locked in now but 5-8 really is a toss up. Fancy Stormers to take a spot with 4/5 home games remaining. No idea what other 3 teams might take the playoff places after them.

icdg

Round 14. The run in, er “Race for the Eight” well and truly on now.

Friday 7:35pm

Ulster v Stormers TG4 BBC Two NI Prem 1

Edinburgh v Dragons BBC Two Wales Prem 2

Saturday

12:45pm Bulls v Zebre (Delay, Prem 1, 10pm)

2:30pm Connacht v Munster TG4 Prem 2

3pm Scarlets v Ospreys S4C Prem 1

5:15pm Sharks v Leinster RTE2 Prem 2

7:35pm Treviso v Cardiff S4C Prem 2

7:35pm Glasgow v Lions Prem 1

awec

A lot of talk that Cardiff are in serious financial trouble and the shutters may be pulled down very soon.

AbusesToilets

Be curious to see if the WRU tries to take them over and perhaps combine them with the Dragons

PMC83

A shame but three clubs seems like the best option for Wales currently

Ben Bailey

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123334619#Comment_123334619

Given their proximity (<12 miles) it's a better option than letting Cardiff fold.

Jump_In_Jack

It's so obvious, they need the Scarlet Ospreys, and the Blue Dragons.

Thrashssacre

Takeover to be announced by the WRU tomorrow apparently.

Jacovs

5th to 14th separated by 9 points with 4 rounds left to play.

Next weekend's games: thanks @ below

Edinburgh(8th) vs Sharks(4th)

Lions(14th) vs Benetton(7th)

Stormers(10th) vs Connacht(13th)

Ospreys(12th) vs Cardiff(9th)

Munster(5th) vs Bulls(3rd)

Dragons(16th) vs Scarlets(11th)

Leinster(1st) vs Ulster(6th)

Zebre(15th) vs Glasgow (2nd)

Will be interesting to see the log after next weekend. I dont see the Bulls winning with BP away to Munster, if they win at all. Ditto for the Sharks against Edinburgh away. So the top 4 stays the same.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337035#Comment_123337035

Not "this weekend"

First game in 10 days time

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337053#Comment_123337053

Ah bollox. Correct, my bad.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337058#Comment_123337058

I assume all of SA will be shouting for the bulls this weekend? 😜

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337065#Comment_123337065

Since theres no URC, the only cheering im doing this weekend is for my kids on the hockey field.

phog

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337035#Comment_123337035

Oddly enough Bulls while travelling from SA will probably have similar travelling done as Munster by the time they play us in Thomond Park

In the Challenge Cup they played Bayonne in France then onto Edinburgh for the QF and then to Munster for the URC followed by a trip back to Scotland for a URC game v Glasgow.

Munster went to LaR the weekend, flew home and then back out to France for the QF and home again for the Bulls game in Limerick

Jacovs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337098#Comment_123337098

Yeah, if they ended up with a home QF then it meant all the way back to SA and then Europe again. Worked out well for them.

bingobango12

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123337098#Comment_123337098

Presume they hang around France/Scotland/Ireland/Scotland again for the full 4 weeks instead of flying back and forth to SA between each game?

awec

Cardiff news confirmed .

https://www.bbc.com/sport/rugby-union/articles/c0r5qy9zlrzo

Rugby in Wales is a bigger mess than ever.

The WRU will be forced to bail out Cardiff and dig another big hole in their finances. Any chance of a sustainable professional agreement with the regions is likely scuppered. There's no way they'll be allowed to fail and it really doesn't makes sense given that they're in a city of 350k+ potential rugby supporters.

The Ospreys need about £5m cash injection to finance moving to their new ground. A great idea in the long run but where will it come from.

The Scarlets would have been bankrupt years ago if Carmarthenshire council didn't funnel money into them via investment in Parc y Scarlets and eternally deferred loans.

The irony is that the Dragons are currently financially sustainable with their own stadium just as the other three will want to gang up and dispose of them.

sydthebeat

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123339087#Comment_123339087

They only made a professional agreement with the provinces last year, when they agreed to a Welsh salary cap of £4.5m.

Welsh rugby biggest issue is the lack of a professional arm to the wru.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123339103#Comment_123339103

They're in the process of tearing up the six year deal signed in 2023 and were supposed to sign a new more comprehensive five year deal before the end of this season. Cardiff going into administration will likely derail that.

Completely agreed that their biggest problem is never separating the amateur structures from the professional game. I doubt the amateur clubs want to give up any power or cash given the toxic club/region politics involved.

Welsh rugby... 🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️🤦‍♂️

PMC83

https://www.irishrugby.ie/2025/04/17/tg4-become-exclusive-free-to-air-broadcaster-of-bkt-united-rugby-championship-in-ireland/

Looks like it will be URC in Irish from Next season on, unless watched on Now

'Some of the biggest Irish fixtures of the season will continue to be shown by TG4 as part of their rights that includes a minimum of 26 games, plus selected access to the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the URC until 2029'

A shame tO lose the RTE coverage, but tbf to TG4 they were always there for it

Hey_Ho_Lets_Go_3

shame but no more Hugh Cahill.

Cookiemunster

Ok this is odd.

Some of the biggest Irish fixtures of the season will continue to be shown by TG4 as part of their rights that includes a minimum of 26 games, plus selected access to the Quarter-Finals and Semi-Finals of the URC until 2029.

TG4 will also broadcast this season’s Grand Final as part of their current deal and will do so again in 2027 and 2029

If they're the exclusive Irish broadcaster, who's showing the 2026 and 2028 finals free to air?

Also 26 games means that we wont be getting every Munster, Leinster and Connacht game free to air any more.

hold my beer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123364916#Comment_123364916

Dont think they ever had every game free to air.

Podge_irl

URC TV is honestly a pretty phenomenal and well priced package. It confuses me slightly that it is even available in regions with TV coverage, but it's all you need anyway.

Cookiemunster

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123364981#Comment_123364981

We did with Munster and Leinster. For the last 4 seasons RTE has 26 Irish games and TG4 had 26 Irish games plus 16 non Irish games. From next season TG4 have the exact same deal, but the 26 RTE games will be gone.