2026 Sports calendar: rugby 

Pause and engage... with this year's key rugby dates. 

 

JANUARY 

9: Champions Cup, Castres v Bath, Stade Pierre-Fabre; Edinburgh v Gloucester, Hive Stadium.

10: Champions Cup, Bulls v Bristol Bears, Loftus Versfeld, 1pm; Clermont Auvergne v Glasgow Warriors, Stade Marcel-Michelin, 3.15pm; Leinster v La Rochelle, Aviva Stadium, 5.30pm; Sale Sharks v Sharks, CorpAcq Stadium, 5.30pm; Scarlets v Pau, Parc y Scarlets, 8pm; Leicester Tigers v Bayonne, Welford Road, 8pm.

10: Challenge Cup, Stade Francais v Exeter Chiefs, Stade Jean Bouin, 1pm; Montauban v Black Lion, Stade Sapiac, 1pm; Newcastle Red Bulls v Perpignan, Kingston Park, 1pm; Lions v Lyon, Ellis Park, 3.15pm; Cardiff v Racing 92, Cardiff Arms Park, 3.15pm; Benetton v Dragons, Stadio Monigo, 5.30pm.

11: Champions Cup, Harlequins v Stormers, Twickenham Stoop, 1pm; Toulon v Munster, Stade Felix Mayol, 1pm; Bordeaux Bègles v Northampton Saints, Stade Chaban-Delmas, 3.15pm; Saracens v Toulouse, StoneX Stadium, 5.30pm.

11: Challenge Cup, Montpellier v Connacht, Septeo Stadium, 1pm; Zebre Parma v Ospreys, Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, 1pm; Toyota Cheetahs v Ulster, NRCA Stadium, 3.15pm.

16: (8pm): Champions Cup, Pau v Bulls, Stade du Hameau; Bath v Edinburgh, The Rec.

16: Challenge Cup, Dragons v Newcastle Red Bull, Rodney Parade, 8pm.

17: Champions Cup, Sharks v Clermont Auvergne, Kings Park, 1pm; Bayonne v Leinster, Stade Jean Dauger, 3.15pm; Stormers v Leicester Tigers, DHL Stadium, 3.15pm; Toulouse v Sale Sharks, Stade Ernest Wallon, 5.30pm; Munster v Castres, Thomond Park, 5.30pm; Gloucester v Toulon, Kingsholm, 8pm.

17: Challenge Cup, Ulster v Stade Francais, Affidea Stadium, 1pm; Black Lion v Zebre Parma, Mikheil Meskhi Stadium, 1pm; Perpignan v Lions, Stade Aime Giral, 5.30pm; Connacht v Montauban, Dexcom Stadium, 8pm; Ospreys v Montpellier, Dunraven Brewery Field, 8pm.

18: Champions Cup, Bristol Bears v Bordeaux Bègles, Ashton Gate, 1pm; Northampton Saints v Scarlets, Franklin’s Gardens, 3.15pm; La Rochelle v Harlequin, Stade Marcel Deflandre, 3.15pm; Glasgow Warriors v Saracens, Scotstoun Stadium, 5.30pm.

18: Challenge Cup, Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff, Sandy Park, 1pm; Lyon v Benetton, Matmut Stadium de Gerland, 1pm; Racing 92 v Toyota Cheetahs, Paris La Defense Arena, 5.30pm.

FEBRUARY 

5: Guinness Men’s Six Nations Round 1: France v Ireland, Stade de France, 8.10pm.

6: U20 Men’s Six Nations Round 1: Italy v Scotland, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, 7.15pm; England v Wales, Franklin’s Garden, 7.45pm.

7: Men’s Six Nations Rd 1: Italy v Scotland, Stadio Olimpico, 2.10pm; England v Wales, Allianz Stadium, 4.40pm.

7: U20 Men’s Six Nations Round 1: France v Ireland, TBC, 8pm.

13: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Scotland v England, Hive Stadium, 7.15pm; Ireland v Italy, Virgin Media Stadium, 7.45pm.

14: Men’s Six Nations Rd 2: Ireland v Italy, Aviva Stadium, 2.10pm; Scotland v England, Murrayfield, 4.40pm.

14: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Wales v France, Cardiff Arms Park, 8pm.

15: Men’s Six Nations Round 2: Wales v France, Principality Stadium, 3.10pm.

20: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Wales v Scotland, Cardiff Arms Park, 7.15pm; England v Ireland, Recreation Ground, Bath, 7.45pm.

21: Men’s Six Nations Rd 3: England v Ireland, Allianz Stadium, 2.10pm; Wales v Scotland, Principality Stadium, 4.40pm.

21: U20 Men’s Six Nations: France v Italy, Stadium Lille Metropole, 8pm.

22: Men’s Six Nations Round 3: France v Italy, Stade Pierre Mauroy, 3.10pm.

28: URC: Munster v Zebre Parma, Thomond Park, 5.30p

MARCH 

6: Men’s Six Nations Round 4: Ireland v Wales, Aviva Stadium, 8.10pm.

6: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Scotland v France, Hive Stadium, 6.15pm; Italy v England, Stadio Comunale di Monigo, 7.15pm.

7: Men’s Six Nations Rd 4: Scotland v France, Murrayfield, 2.10pm; Italy v England, Stadio Olimpico, 4.40pm.

7: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Ireland v Wales, Virgin Media Park, Cork 7.45pm.

14: Men’s Six Nations Rd 5: Ireland v Scotland, Aviva Stadium, 2.10pm; Wales v Italy, Principality Stadium, 4.40pm; France v England, Stade de France, 8.10pm.

15: U20 Men’s Six Nations: Wales v Italy, Rodney Parade, 1pm; Ireland v Scotland, Virgin Media Park, Cork, 3.15pm; France v England, Stade Marcel-Deflandre, 5.45pm.

20: URC: Ulster v Connacht, Affidea Stadium, 7.45pm.

21: URC: Sharks v Munster, Kings Park, 3pm; Glasgow Warriors v Leinster, Scotstoun Stadium, 5.30pm.

28: URC, Bulls v Munster, Loftus Versfeld, 12pm; Connacht v Ospreys, Dexcom Stadium, 2.15pm; Leinster v Scarlets, TBD, 5.30.

APRIL 

3-5: Champions Cup, Round of 16

3-5: Challenge Cup, Round of 16.

10-12: Champions Cup, Quarter-finals 

10-12: Challenge Cup, Quarter-finals.

11: Guinness Women’s Six Nations Round 1: France v Italy, 12.25pm; England v Ireland, Allianz Stadium, 2.25pm.

17: (7.45pm): URC: Ulster v Leinster, Affidea Stadium.

18: Women’s Six Nations Round 1: Scotland v England, 1.30pm; Wales v France, 3.35pm; Ireland v Italy, Dexcom Stadium, 5.40pm.

18: URC, Stormers v Connacht, DHL Stadium, 12.45pm; Benetton v Munster, Stadio Monigo, 7.45pm.

25: Women’s Six Nations Round 3: England v Wales, 2.15pm; Italy v Scotland, 4.30pm; France v Ireland, 8.10pm.

25: URC: Lions v Connacht, Ellis Park, 3pm; Munster v Ulster, Thomond Park, 5.30pm; Benetton v Leinster, Stadio Monigo, 7.45pm.

MAY 

1-3: Champions Cup, Semi-finals.

1-3: Challenge Cup, Semi-finals.

9: Women’s Six Nations: Italy v England, 2pm; Scotland v France, 4.15pm; Ireland v Wales, Affidea Stadium 6.30pm.

9: URC: Leinster v Lions, TBD, 5.30pm; Connacht v Munster, Dexcom Stadium, 7.45pm.

15: (7.45pm): URC: Ulster v Glasgow Warriors, Affidea Stadium; Edinburgh v Connacht, Hive Stadium.

16: URC: Leinster v Ospreys, TBD, 5.15pm; Munster v Lions, Thomond Park, 7.45pm.

17: Women’s Six Nations: Wales v Italy, 12.15pm; Ireland v Scotland, Aviva Stadium, 2.30pm; France v England, 4.45pm.

22-24: Champions Cup final, Bilbao.

22-24: Challenge Cup final, Bilbao

30: URC quarter-finals.

JUNE 

6: URC, semi-finals.

20: URC, Grand final.

JULY 

4: Nations Championship Round 1: New Zealand v France, Christchurch, 8.10am; Australia v Ireland, Sydney, Japan v Italy, Fiji v Wales; South Africa v England, Johannesburg, TBC; Argentina v Scotland.

11: Nations Championship Round 2: New Zealand v Italy, Wellington, 6.10am; Australia v France, Brisbane, TBC; Japan v Ireland, Fiji v England; South Africa v Scotland, Pretoria, TBC; Argentina v Wales.

18: Nations Championship Round 3: Japan v France; New Zealand v France, Auckland, TBC; Australia v Italy, Fiji v Scotland; South Africa v Wales, Durban, TBC; Argentina v England.

NOVEMBER 

6-8: Nations Championship Round 4: Ireland v Argentina, Scotland v New Zealand, France v Fiji, Italy v South Africa, Wales v Japan, England v Australia.

13-15: Nations Championship Round 5: France v South Africa, Wales v New Zealand, Ireland v Fiji, Italy v Argentina, England v Japan, Scotland v Australia.

21: Nations Championship Round 6: England v New Zealand, Ireland v South Africa, France v Argentina, Scotland v Japan, Italy v Fiji, Wales v Australia.

27: Nations Championship finals, 6th place North v 6th place South, 3rd place North v 3rd place South.

28: Nations Championship finals, 5th place North v 5th place South, 2nd place North v 2nd place South.

29: Nations Championship finals, 4th place North v 4th place South, 1st place North v 1st places South.