United Rugby Championship: Postponed matches to be played during Six Nations
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The United Rugby Championship - how the revamped competition will work
United Rugby Championship (URC) bosses have announced the recent postponed games in South Africa will be played on the final two weekends of the Six Nations in March 2022.
It remains to be seen whether Scarlets, Cardiff, Munster and Zebre will have to travel back to South Africa.
The four European sides were caught up in South Africa when the UK put the country on the red list because of the new Omicron Covid-19 variant.
Eight matches were postponed in total.
They have been rescheduled for two weekends in March, meaning clashes with the Six Nations.
That is something URC organisers stated would not happen this season, but Scarlets, Cardiff, Munster and Zebre will now be without their international players for those two matches.
Where the games will be played is being discussed, with the nightmare of quarantine over the last few weeks still prominent in the minds of northern hemisphere teams.
Some members of the Cardiff squad spent almost a month in self-isolation in South Africa and the UK after testing positive for Covid-19.
URC say "more details about these fixtures will be confirmed after further discussions with key stakeholders involved are completed," which will include the location of the games.
The URC have South African venues down on the official website for the rearranged matches but that has not yet been agreed by all parties.
Tournament organisers have released the dates and times up to and including the penultimate round of regular league games.
The dates and kick-off times for the final round in May will be confirmed next month after consultation with broadcasters. The play-offs are still planned for three weeks in June.
South Africa alterations
The four South African sides, Sharks, Stormers, Bulls and Lions, were meant to be travelling to play games in Ireland and Italy in early January.
While South Africa has been taken off the UK travel red list, those games have been rescheduled for the third week of the Six Nations tournament, on the final weekend of February.
A number of South African derbies have also been adjusted to accommodate the revised schedule. The URC say they are fully committed to playing all games as scheduled but will ensure the welfare of teams and players comes first.
Heineken Champions Cup and European Challenge Cup games also have to be rearranged after seven matches were postponed last weekend because of France placing travel restrictions on United Kingdom residents because of Covid-19 concerns.
Cardiff had been scheduled to play Lions and then Stormers in South Africa during November
United Rugby Championship remaining fixtures
Friday, 24 December
Zebre v Benetton, 13:00 GMT, Stadio Lanfranchi
Sunday, 26 December
Cardiff v Scarlets, 15:00 GMT, Arms Park
Ulster v Connacht, 17:15 GMT, Kingspan Stadium
Ospreys v Dragons, 17:15 GMT, Swansea.com Stadium
Munster v Leinster, 19:35 GMT, Thomond Park
Monday, 27 December
Glasgow v Edinburgh, 19:00 GMT, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, 1 January 2022
Dragons v Cardiff, 15:00 GMT, Rodney Parade
Connacht v Munster, 17:15 GMT, Sportsground
Scarlets v Ospreys, 17:15 GMT, Parc y Scarlets
Ulster v Leinster, 19:35 GMT, Kingspan Stadium
Sunday, 2 January
Benetton v Zebre, 13:00 GMT, Stadio Monigo
Edinburgh v Glasgow, 14:00 GMT, BT Murrayfield
Saturday, 8 January
Edinburgh v Cardiff, 15:00 GMT, DAM Health Stadium
Glasgow v Ospreys, 17:15 GMT, Scotstoun Stadium
Munster v Ulster, 19:35 GMT, Thomond Park
Scarlets v Dragons, 19:35 GMT, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, 22 January
Lions v Sharks, 13:00 GMT, Emirates Airline Park
Bulls v Stormers, 15:05 GMT, Loftus Versfeld
Friday, 28 January
Ulster v Scarlets, 19:35 GMT, Kingspan Stadium
Dragons v Benetton, 19:35 GMT, Rodney Parade
Saturday, 29 January
Lions v Bulls, 13:00 GMT, Loftus Versfeld
Connacht v Glasgow, 14:55 GMT, The Sportsground
Sharks v Stormers, 15:05 GMT, DHL Stadium
Zebre v Munster, 17:00 GMT, Stadio Lanfranchi
Ospreys v Edinburgh, 17:15 GMT, Swansea.com Stadium
Cardiff v Leinster, 19:35 GMT, Arms Park
Saturday, 5 February
Bulls v Lions, 13:00 GMT, Loftus Versfeld
Stormers v Sharks, 15:05 GMT, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Saturday, 12 February
Lions v Stormers, 13:00 GMT, Emirates Airline Park
Bulls v Sharks, 15:05 GMT, Loftus Versfeld
Friday, 18 February
Munster v Edinburgh, 19:35 GMT, Thomond Park
Cardiff v Zebre, 19:35 GMT, Arms Park
Saturday, 19 February
Leinster v Ospreys, 17:00 GMT, RDS Arena
Scarlets v Connacht, 19:35 GMT, Parc y Scarlets
Glasgow v Benetton, 19:35 GMT, Scotstoun Stadium
Sunday, 20 February
Dragons v Ulster, 14:00 GMT, Rodney Parade
Friday, 25 February
Zebre v Bulls, 17:30 GMT, Stadio Lanfranchi
Leinster v Lions, 19:35 GMT, RDS Arena
Saturday, 26 February
Connacht v Stormers, 13:00 GMT, The Sportsground
Benetton v Sharks, 15:05 GMT, Stadio Monigo
Friday, 4 March
Ulster v Cardiff, 19:35 GMT, Kingspan Stadium
Edinburgh v Connacht ,19:35 GMT, DAM Health Stadium
Saturday, 5 March
Benetton v Leinster, 12:55 GMT, Stadio Monigo
Scarlets v Glasgow, 17:15 GMT, Parc y Scarlets
Munster v Dragons, 17:15 GMT, Thomond Park
Sunday, 6 March
Ospreys v Zebre, 14:00 GMT, Swansea.com Stadium
Scarlets trained in Durban after arriving in South Africa
March 11-13
Stormers v Zebre, TBC
Sharks v Scarlets, TBC
Bulls v Munster, TBC
Lions v Cardiff, TBC
March 18-20
Bulls v Scarlets, TBC
Sharks v Zebre ,TBC
Lions v Munster, TBC
Stormers v Cardiff, TBC
Friday, 25 March
Lions v Ospreys, 17:00 GMT, Emirates Airline Park
Munster v Benetton, 19:35 GMT, Musgrave Park
Saturday, 26 March
Zebre v Scarlets, 13:00 GMT, Stadio Lanfranchi
Stormers v Ulster, 13:00 GMT, DHL Stadium
Sharks v Edinburgh, 15:05 GMT, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Cardiff v Glasgow, 17:15 GMT, Arms Park
Bulls v Dragons, 17:15 GMT, Loftus Versfeld
Connacht v Leinster, 19:35 GMT, The Sportsground
Friday, 1 April
Sharks v Dragons, 18:30 BST, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Glasgow v Zebre, 19:35 BST, Scotstoun Stadium
Saturday, 2 April
Benetton v Connacht, 12:00 BST, Stadio Monigo
Bulls v Ulster, 13:00 BST, Loftus Versfeld
Lions v Edinburgh, 15:05 BST, Emirates Airline Park
Stormers v Ospreys, 17:15 BST, DHL Stadium
Leinster v Munster, 19:00 BST, Aviva Stadium
Scarlets v Cardiff, 19:35 BST, Parc y Scarlets
Saturday, 9 April
Stormers v Bulls, 13:00 BST, DHL Stadium
Sharks v Lions, 15:05 BST, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Friday, 22 April
Stormers v Glasgow, 17:30 BST, DHL Stadium
Ulster v Munster, 19:35 BST, Kingspan Stadium
Edinburgh v Zebre, 19:45 BST, DAM Health Stadium
Saturday, 23 April
Bulls v Benetton, 13:00 BST, Loftus Versfeld
Lions v Connacht, 15:05 BST, Emirates Airline Park
Dragons v Scarlets, 15:00 BST, TBC
Cardiff v Ospreys 17:15 BST, TBC
Sharks v Leinster, 17:15 BST, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Friday, 29 April
Bulls v Glasgow, 18:00 BST, Loftus Versfeld
Munster v Cardiff, 19:35 BST, Musgrave Park
Saturday, 30 April
Lions v Benetton,13:00 BST, Emirates Airline Park
Sharks v Connacht, 15:05 BST, Jonsson Kings Park Stadium
Zebre v Dragons, 15:05 BST, Stadio Lanfranchi
Stormers v Leinster, 17:15 BST, DHL Stadium
Ospreys v Scarlets, 17:15 BST, Swansea.com Stadium
Edinburgh v Ulster,19:35 BST, DAM Health Stadium
Saturday, 21 May
Connacht v Zebre, TBC, The Sportsground
Leinster v Edinburgh, TBC, RDS Arena
Ulster v Sharks, TBC, Kingspan Stadium
Dragons v Lions, TBC, Rodney Parade
Scarlets v Stormers, TBC, Parc y Scarlets
Ospreys v Bulls, TBC, Swansea.com Stadium
Glasgow v Munster, TBC, Scotstoun Stadium
Benetton v Cardiff, TBC, Stadio Monigo.
Quarter-finals
3-5 June
Semi-finals
10-11 June
Final
17-18 June