United Rugby Championship

No excuses for Dobbo’s DHL Stormers in historic double target

Published

2 days ago

16th April 2026

No excuses for Dobbo’s DHL Stormers in historic double target

DHL Stormers Director of Rugby John Dobson (left) with former team manager Chippie Solomon // Photo Credit: Inpho Photography

The DHL Stormers are looking to complete a historic double as they head into the final lap of the BKT URC campaign.

To start with, they are aiming to finish top of the table for the first time since they joined the multi-nation competition back in 2021.

They are also hoping to set a new league record for regular season home attendances, surpassing the tally set by Leinster Rugby last year.

Having finished second in the league in 2021-22, when they marked their inaugural campaign by lifting the trophy via the play-offs, the Stormers have since placed third, fifth and fifth.

Now they want to sit on top of the log. With four rounds of matches left to play, they are lying second, four points behind leaders Glasgow Warriors.

But, crucially, they host Glasgow in Cape Town next week, so their destiny is in their own hands.

First up, they entertain play-off hopefuls Connacht Rugby on Saturday afternoon, while they will conclude the regular season in May with trips to Ulster Rugby and Cardiff Rugby.

Having bowed out of the Investec Champions Cup with a painfully narrow quarter-final defeat away to Toulon, the Stormers now have a laser focus on the league.

They stayed out in France for a couple of days after their 28-27 last eight loss to regroup ahead of the BKT URC run-in. “We had a great review of the game and we could see faults,” said director of rugby John Dobson. “We w ould have loved to have won at one of the cathedrals of rugby, but we were maybe not quite good enough in some areas. We had something to get our teeth into rather than just being the victims.

“The players were irritated by the loss, but their confidence wasn’t shattered. In some ways, it was enhancing. It was still a very good performance. What we could sketch to them was the cloud having a silver lining in that if we win three out of the four in the BKT URC, we should probably finish first, with one of the three being against Glasgow as that would be an eight point or a ten point swing on the log.

“The opportunity is entirely within our hands. There are no excuses, there’s no poor draw, we don’t have to worry about Europe. So it’s really an opportunity we have to take, starting at home to Connacht, which is a hell of an important game. It’s crucial in the context of the season. It’s a massive game for us.

“It’s a desperate Connacht team and desperate teams are sometimes very dangerous. They really are a serious team who’ve been on a bit of a winning run. It’s not just a ‘gimme’ home game. They’ve put us under pressure before, so we are definitely not taking it lightly. They are a very, very good team with a really good attack. It’s going to be a hell of a game.”

As for the potential benefits of finishing top of the table, Dobson said: “If you did get there and dream, then Glasgow and Leinster would probably have to play each other in a semi-final which is a massive game and takes out a serious member of the opposition. Then the winners of that game would have to come over to Cape Town for the final.

“It’s about us taking the opportunity. We have been able to get that message across. This group is tighter than it’s been before and we are getting players back. It’s a nice feeling.”

Then there’s the attendance record to aim for. That is currently held by champions Leinster who attracted 241,393 fans to their regular season home games last term. Having played seven of their nine Cape Town fixtures, the Stormers are on 197,737.

So, if around 45,000 fans turn up across their remaining home games against Connacht and Glasgow, they will set a new best. They will also surpass their own previous top tally of 226,467 from last season. Dobson said: “We have got a chance of breaking the record URC attendance, so I would just appeal to people to come and support us, enjoy a great Stormers performance and make Cape Town smile.”

The game against Connacht will also be an opportunity to deliver a fitting tribute to long serving team manager Chippie Solomon who passed away suddenly last week.

ENDS

United Rugby Championship

Dragons 7–47 Bulls – URC Round 15

Published

9 hours ago

18th April 2026

rugbyisthegame

BKT United Rugby Championship, Aviva Stadium, Dublin 27/9/2024 Leinster vs Dragons A view of BKT URC sleeve patch branding on a Dragons jersey Mandatory Credit ©INPHO/Ben Brady

The Vodacom Bulls ran in seven tries – three of them inside the final six minutes – to crush the Dragons 47–7 at Rodney Parade and bag a bonus-point win that lifts Johan Ackermann’s side into the URC play-off places.

Key moments

10 mins – TRY Bulls: Embrose Papier scores from close range. Handré Pollard converts. (Dragons 0–7 Bulls)

22 mins – TRY Dragons: A slick passing move, created by Jared Rosser, is finished off by Fine Inisi. Cai Evans converts. (Dragons 7–7 Bulls)

35 mins – MISSED PENALTY Bulls: Pollard’s effort drifts right of the posts.

37 mins – TRY Bulls: Johann Grobbelaar crashes over from a pick-and-go. Pollard misses the conversion. (Dragons 7–12 Bulls)

Half-time: Dragons 7–12 Bulls. The Dragons hung in at the break but the Bulls were already beginning to turn the screw up front.

44 mins – TRY Bulls: Captain Marcell Coetzee dots down from close range after sustained pressure. Pollard converts. (Dragons 7–19 Bulls)

57 mins – TRY Bulls: Replacement hooker Marco van Staden burrows over. Pollard converts. (Dragons 7–26 Bulls)

74 mins – TRY Bulls: Van Staden adds his second from close range. David Kriel converts. (Dragons 7–33 Bulls)

77 mins – TRY Bulls: Fullback Devon Williams chases his own kick and finishes. Kriel converts. (Dragons 7–40 Bulls)

80 mins – TRY Bulls: Sergeal Petersen caps the rout, finishing off a sweeping Bulls move. Kriel converts. (Dragons 7–47 Bulls)

Full-time: Dragons 7–47 Bulls

Full match report to follow.

Teams

Dragons: 15 Evans, 14 Rosser, 13 Inisi, 12 Paea, 11 Dyer, 10 de Beer, 9 Armstrong, 8 Keddie, 7 Beddall, 6 Woodman, 5 Davies, 4 Douglas, 3 Coleman, 2 Dee, 1 Jones.
Replacements: Burrows, Jones, Lewis, Screech, Young, Lloyd, Ackerman, Anderson.

Bulls: 15 Williams, 14 Kriel, 13 Gans, 12 Vorster, 11 Moodie, 10 Pollard, 9 Papier, 8 Hanekom, 7 Louw, 6 Coetzee (c), 5 Nortjé, 4 Wiese, 3 Klopper, 2 Grobbelaar, 1 Steenekamp.
Replacements: van Staden, Wessels, Smith, Vermaak, Gumede, de Wet, Le Roux, Petersen.

Match details

Dragons 7 (Tries: Inisi 22′; Cons: Evans 1/1)
Bulls 47 (Tries: Papier 10′, Grobbelaar 37′, Coetzee 44′, Van Staden 57′ & 74′, Williams 77′, Petersen 80′; Cons: Pollard 3/4, Kriel 3/3; Pens: Pollard 0/1)
Half-time: 7–12

Venue: Rodney Parade, Newport
Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Man of the Match: Marcell Coetzee

United Rugby Championship

Edinburgh 31–30 Zebre – URC Round 15

Published

10 hours ago

18th April 2026

rugbyisthegame

Edinburgh Rugby v Zebre United Rugby Championship Ewan Ashman of Edinburgh Rugby drives forward to score a try during the United Rugby Championship match at Hive Stadium, Edinburgh 17 04 2026. (IMAGO / Focus Images)

A last-gasp Boan Venter try, converted by fellow replacement Cammy Scott, rescued Edinburgh from a shock defeat as they edged Zebre 31–30 at Hive Stadium to leapfrog Benetton into 12th in the URC.

Key moments

5 mins – TRY Edinburgh: Connor Boyle touches down from close range after a Hector Patterson assist. Ross Thompson converts. (Edinburgh 7–0 Zebre)

10 mins – TRY Zebre: Alessandro Fusco scores from close range. Giovanni Montemauri converts. (Edinburgh 7–7 Zebre)

14 mins – TRY Zebre: A series of Zebre passes finds Simone Gesi to finish. Montemauri’s conversion is hooked left. (Edinburgh 7–12 Zebre)

19 mins – TRY Edinburgh: Debutant scrum-half Hector Patterson finds a gap from close range. Thompson converts. (Edinburgh 14–12 Zebre)

36 mins – TRY Edinburgh: Ewan Ashman bulldozes over from the pick-and-go. Thompson’s conversion drifts right of the posts. (Edinburgh 19–12 Zebre)

40+1 mins – PENALTY Zebre: Montemauri slots three from the tee on the stroke of half-time. (Edinburgh 19–15 Zebre)

Half-time: Edinburgh 19–15 Zebre. Three Edinburgh tries in an open opening half were matched by two Zebre scores plus a Montemauri penalty at the hooter.

47 mins – TRY Zebre: Jacopo Trulla races through to touch down. Montemauri’s conversion drifts left. (Edinburgh 19–20 Zebre)

61 mins – TRY Edinburgh: Ewan Ashman grabs his second, crashing over from a driving maul. Cammy Scott’s conversion falls short. (Edinburgh 24–20 Zebre)

67 mins – PENALTY Zebre: Montemauri nails his second penalty to edge the visitors back in front. (Edinburgh 24–23 Zebre)

74 mins – TRY Zebre: A lengthy TMO review overturns a no-try call and awards Matteo Nocera the score. Montemauri converts. (Edinburgh 24–30 Zebre)

79 mins – TRY Edinburgh: Replacement prop Boan Venter smashes his way over at the end of sustained Edinburgh pressure. Scott holds his nerve to convert. (Edinburgh 31–30 Zebre)

Full-time: Edinburgh 31–30 Zebre

Full match report to follow.

Teams

Edinburgh: 15 O’Conor, 14 Graham, 13 M Tuipulotu, 12 Thomson, 11 Satala, 10 Thompson, 9 Patterson, 1 Schoeman, 2 Ashman, 3 Blyth-Lafferty, 4 Sykes, 5 Gilchrist, 6 McConnell, 7 Douglas, 8 Boyle.
Replacements: 16 Richardson, 17 Venter, 18 Hill, 19 Young, 20 T Currie, 21 Vellacott, 22 Scott, 23 Brown.

Zebre: 15 Trulla, 14 Faissal, 13 Morisi, 12 Mazza, 11 Gesi, 10 Montemauri, 9 Fusco, 1 Buonfiglio, 2 Quattrini, 3 Neculai, 4 Canali, 5 Ortombina, 6 Ferrari, 7 Locatelli, 8 Licata.
Replacements: 16 Klein, 17 Hasa, 18 Nocera, 19 Krumov, 20 Bianchi, 21 Dominguez, 22 Roger Farias, 23 Lucchin.

Match details

Edinburgh 31 (Tries: Boyle 5′, Patterson 19′, Ashman 36′ & 61′, Venter 79′; Cons: Thompson 2/4, Scott 1/1; Pens: 0/0)
Zebre 30 (Tries: Fusco 10′, Gesi 14′, Trulla 47′, Nocera 74′; Cons: Montemauri 2/4; Pens: Montemauri 2/2)
Half-time: 19–15

Venue: Hive Stadium, Edinburgh
Referee: Christopher Allison (SARU)

United Rugby Championship

Ulster 21–29 Leinster – URC Round 15

Published

11 hours ago

18th April 2026

rugbyisthegame

Ulster Rugby v Leinster, URC, 17 April 2026 Ulster Stuart McCloskey and Leinster Garry Ringrose during Fridays BKT United Rugby Championship match at Affidea Stadium, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Brian Little SportPix.org.uk I Sipa USA (IMAGO / SportPix UK)

Leinster bagged a bonus-point 29–21 win at Affidea Stadium but were made to sweat late on after Max Deegan’s 60th-minute red card let Ulster rattle off three unanswered tries in the closing quarter.

Key moments

16 mins – TRY Leinster: James Culhane finishes from close range after Kelleher sets it up. Prendergast converts. (Ulster 0–7 Leinster)

24 mins – PENALTY Leinster: Sam Prendergast adds three from the tee. (Ulster 0–10 Leinster)

38 mins – TRY Leinster: Incisive Leinster passing sends Jimmy O’Brien wriggling through, with Hugo Keenan the architect. Prendergast’s conversion drifts right. (Ulster 0–15 Leinster)

Half-time: Ulster 0–15 Leinster. Leinster’s clinical first half left the hosts chasing the game, with Ulster yet to register a point.

44 mins – TRY Leinster: Slick Leinster passing finds Robbie Henshaw over from a Ringrose-inspired move. Prendergast converts. (Ulster 0–22 Leinster)

45 mins – YELLOW CARD Ulster: Harry Sheridan binned.

51 mins – TRY Leinster: Sam Prendergast dummies and slices over after Luke McGrath does the damage. Prendergast converts to seal the bonus point. (Ulster 0–29 Leinster)

55 mins – TRY Ulster: Bryn Ward bursts through from a Doak-assisted break. Doak converts. (Ulster 7–29 Leinster)

60 mins – RED CARD Leinster: Replacement Max Deegan is sent off just two minutes after coming on.

61 mins – TRY Ulster: Zac Ward finishes after Jacob Stockdale’s spellbinding break. Doak converts. (Ulster 14–29 Leinster)

65 mins – TRY Ulster: David McCann bursts through a gap to set up Zac Ward for his second of the afternoon. Doak converts to give Ulster the losing bonus point. (Ulster 21–29 Leinster)

Full-time: Ulster 21–29 Leinster

Full match report to follow.

Teams

Ulster: 15 Jacob Stockdale, 14 Werner Kok, 13 James Hume, 12 Stuart McCloskey, 11 Zac Ward, 10 Jack Murphy, 9 Nathan Doak, 8 Juarno Augustus, 7 Sean Reffell, 6 David McCann, 5 Cormac Izuchukwu, 4 Iain Henderson (c), 3 Tom O’Toole, 2 Tom Stewart, 1 Angus Bell.
Replacements: 16 McCormick, 17 Crean, 18 Wilson, 19 Sheridan, 20 B Ward, 21 McKee, 22 Flannery, 23 Postlethwaite.

Leinster: 15 Hugo Keenan, 14 Joshua Kenny, 13 Garry Ringrose, 12 Robbie Henshaw, 11 Jimmy O’Brien, 10 Sam Prendergast, 9 Luke McGrath, 8 James Culhane, 7 Scott Penny, 6 Alex Soroka, 5 James Ryan (c), 4 Brian Deeny, 3 Thomas Clarkson, 2 Rónan Kelleher, 1 Jerry Cahir.
Replacements: 16 McCarthy, 17 Byrne, 18 Slimani, 19 O’Tighearnaigh, 20 Deegan, 21 Connors, 22 Gunne, 23 Frawley.

Match details

Ulster 21 (Tries: B Ward 55′, Z Ward 61′ & 65′; Cons: Doak 3/3; Pens: 0/0)
Leinster 29 (Tries: Culhane 16′, O’Brien 38′, Henshaw 45′, Prendergast 51′; Cons: Prendergast 3/4; Pens: Prendergast 1/1)
Half-time: 0–15
Yellow card: Harry Sheridan (Ulster) 45′
Red card: Max Deegan (Leinster) 60′

Venue: Affidea Stadium, Belfast
Referee: Andrew Brace (IRFU)