The 2023-24 United Rugby Championship (URC) season will start on 21 October and finish with the ultimate on 22 June.

The highest eight URC sides will qualify for the tip of season play-offs which begin on 7 June, 2024.

Reigning champions Munster will probably be hoping to defend their title as they open their marketing campaign towards Sharks.

Ospreys have three house matches with venues but to be confirmed as they deal with a floor share with Swansea Metropolis.

The venue for matches towards South African sides Sharks on 3 November and Lions on 30 March are nonetheless to be confirmed, together with the 1 January derby date towards Cardiff, due to a conflict with Swansea Metropolis house matches when the soccer aspect’s fixture takes priority.

The area say they’re nonetheless exploring different venues which might go well with every particular person sport with discussions involving shifting matches inside the area and even contemplating matches being staged in London.

Scarlets begin their season with a two-week journey to South Africa, the place they’ll face Bulls and Stormers.

Dragons and Cardiff host Edinburgh and Benetton respectively on the opening weekend earlier than the 2 Welsh sides face one another on 29 October at Rodney Parade, the day after the World Cup ultimate.

The third spherical of league matches on the opening weekend of November might conflict with a Wales match towards Barbarians that’s being thought of by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU), which can be the weekend after the World Cup ultimate.

Any such fixture that might assist pay tribute to former Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones at Principality Stadium could be on the identical weekend as Scarlets internet hosting Cardiff in a Welsh derby.

The normal 26 December matches will happen with Cardiff internet hosting Dragons and Scarlets entertaining Ospreys.

There could be a possible Judgement Day double-header on 1 June on the ultimate spherical of standard league matches with Scarlets internet hosting Dragons and Cardiff entertaining Ospreys with house venues but to be confirmed.

Nothing has been formally selected whether or not Judgement Day will go forward within the new season.

In a brand new strategy aimed toward decreasing long-haul journey throughout the league, the South African groups will tour Europe twice slightly than 3 times in a season.

“The fixture listing is the central pillar to the operation of our league and groups and offering certainty to followers, golf equipment and broadcasters sooner than ever may have a optimistic impression,” stated URC chief government Martin Anayi.

“Offering a set of fixtures that goals to stability kick-off instances which encourage attendance and ship huge broadcast whereas factoring within the journey essential to compete is a monumental activity that can not be underestimated.

“Annually we really feel we’re studying increasingly about refine and enhance our course of and the ultimate fixture listing itself and I specific nice gratitude to our broadcast companions who’ve supported requests from the league and our golf equipment.

“To ship this fixture listing 102 days forward of kick-off is unprecedented for our league and provides us one other goal to beat once more subsequent 12 months.”