Amid the red-hot action of international rugby, it\u2019s easy to let the club scene slip to the back of your mind. But with less than two months until the 2025\/26 United Rugby Championship kicks off, we at FloRugby are absolutely buzzing for what promises to be another blockbuster season. The URC has crowned four different champions in its first four years under the current format, reaffirming its status as one of the most fiercely competitive leagues in world rugby.<\/p>\n
Round one serves up a mouth-watering clash between newly crowned champions Leinster and inaugural winners the DHL Stormers. Before the first whistle blows, here\u2019s our fan-fuelled, hype-heavy breakdown of each team\u2019s top signing heading into the new season.<\/p>\n
Benetton Rugby \u2013 Josh Flook<\/p>\n
After losing fan favourite and Italian international Ignacio Brex, Benetton moved quickly to lock in Australian Josh Flook. The 23-year-old, on loan from the Queensland Reds, is 6\u20191\u201d and 95kg with serious wheels, making him the perfect foil for Tommaso Menoncello\u2019s power game. While whispers suggest Menoncello could be Top 14-bound, right now Treviso boasts one of the most dangerous centre pairings in the URC.<\/p>\n
Vodacom Bulls \u2013 Handr\u00e9 Pollard<\/p>\n
The Bulls have been knocking on the door, but with Johan Ackermann taking over and Handr\u00e9 Pollard back in blue after six years away, this could finally be their year. The double World Cup winner brings a world-class boot, knockout-game composure, and the nous to steer big matches. Add Jan Serfontein and David Kriel outside him, and you\u2019ve got a 10-12-13 spine built to win finals.<\/p>\n
Cardiff Rugby \u2013 Ioan Lloyd<\/p>\n
Cardiff fell just one point short of the top eight last season, but the signing of Ioan Lloyd could be the spark they need. A magician with ball in hand and equally comfortable at flyhalf or fullback, Lloyd brings flair and unpredictability. If Matt Sherratt opts to pair him with Callum Sheedy, Cardiff could unleash one of the URC\u2019s most dangerous playmaking duos.<\/p>\n
Connacht Rugby \u2013 Sam Gilbert<\/p>\n
Connacht\u2019s headline signing might actually be off-field with the addition of world-class head coach Stuart Lancaster. On the pitch, their one senior addition is Sam Gilbert from the Highlanders. A smart, composed utility back, he\u2019s likely to fill the fullback role left by Piers O\u2019Connor. Lancaster\u2019s influence could supercharge Connacht\u2019s academy stars, with centre Hugh Gavin tipped as the next big thing.<\/p>\n
Dragons Rugby \u2013 Tinus de Beer<\/p>\n
Only one win last season hurt, but the Dragons have gone all-in on a rebuild. Tinus de Beer arrives from Cardiff with a lethal kicking game and the experience to steady the ship. With fine new additions like Fine Inisi and McKenzie Martin, the Dragons finally look ready to make life uncomfortable for URC heavyweights.<\/p>\n
Edinburgh Rugby \u2013 Dylan Richardson<\/p>\n
One of the most under-the-radar coups this year, Richardson joins from the Sharks and covers back row and hooker. With Dave Cherry and Jamie Ritchie gone, he offers versatility, aggression, and set-piece strength. Expect him to form a bruising one-two punch with Ewan Ashman at hooker.<\/p>\n
Glasgow Warriors \u2013 Dan Lancaster<\/p>\n
Tom Jordan\u2019s departure left a hole, and Glasgow filled it with Dan Lancaster from Racing 92. Scottish-qualified and mentored by Owen Farrell, Lancaster\u2019s physicality at 10 or 12 gives Franco Smith flexibility. Expect him to push Adam Hastings hard for the flyhalf role and maybe stake a claim for a Scotland call-up.<\/p>\n
Leinster Rugby \u2013 Rieko Ioane<\/p>\n
Leinster swapped one All Black for another, trading Jordie Barrett for Rieko Ioane, and sent a message to the rest of the league: We\u2019re still the top dogs. Ioane\u2019s natural spot is 13, but with Garry Ringrose locked in, expect him to burn teams from the wing or as an impact sub.<\/p>\n
Emirates Lions \u2013 Angelo Davids<\/p>\n
Losing Edwill van der Merwe could have been a disaster, but the Lions acted fast, snapping up Stormers flyer Angelo Davids. With 11 URC tries to his name, Davids thrives in an open, wide game exactly the Lions\u2019 style. Get ready for him to rack up highlight-reel finishes.<\/p>\n
Munster Rugby \u2013 JJ Hanrahan<\/p>\n
Munster turned the page on Graham Rowntree and welcomed Clayton McMillan, but the homecoming of JJ Hanrahan could be just as important. At 33, he\u2019s the cool head who will keep the ship steady when Jack Crowley rests. His experience across England, France, Wales, and Connacht will also mentor Munster\u2019s next generation of playmakers.<\/p>\n
Ospreys \u2013 Efan Daniel<\/p>\n
Still only 22, Daniel swaps Cardiff for Swansea in search of more minutes. Dynamic around the park and deadly over the ball, he\u2019ll rotate with Dewi Lake to form one of the URC\u2019s most athletic hooker duos. Expect fireworks in open play.<\/p>\n
Scarlets \u2013 Joe Hawkins<\/p>\n
Scarlets fans, meet your new midfield maestro. Hawkins, equally adept at 10 or 12, will partner with Sam Costelow to form a slick playmaking axis. With Champions Cup rugby back in Llanelli, Hawkins has the stage to force his way back into Wales\u2019 plans.<\/p>\n
Hollywoodbets Sharks \u2013 Edwill van der Merwe<\/p>\n
The Sharks pulled off a heist, luring van der Merwe from the Lions. Explosive pace, ankle-breaking footwork, and a killer instinct make him one of South Africa\u2019s most feared wingers. Add him to a back three with Mapimpi and Fassi, and good luck to any defence.<\/p>\n
DHL Stormers \u2013 Ntuthuko Mchunu<\/p>\n
Replacing Steven Kitshoff is no small task, but Mchunu is built for it. At 26, he\u2019s learned from Ox Nche and brings power in the scrum, dynamism with ball in hand, and a nasty edge at the breakdown. Expect him to be a cornerstone of the Stormers pack for years.<\/p>\n
Ulster Rugby \u2013 Angus Bell<\/p>\n
Ulster kept it simple: sign world-class players. Wallabies loosehead Angus Bell joins Juarano Augustus to give Ulster serious muscle. A dominant scrummager with soft hands, Bell upgrades a front row that struggled last year and he\u2019ll play plenty in the URC as Ulster chase a top-eight return.<\/p>\n
Zebre \u2013 David Odiase<\/p>\n
Five wins never felt so sweet. Zebre\u2019s steady rise continues with the signing of 22-year-old Italian backrow David Odiase from Oyonnax. At 6\u20192\u201d and 115kg, he brings serious size and punch to a pack that\u2019s learning how to win and win big games.<\/p>\n
How To Watch Rugby Matches In The United States On FloRugby<\/p>\n
The URC will stream all its matches on FloRugby and the FloSports app in the United States. FloRugby and FloSports also are the U.S. home to:\u00a0<\/p>\n
FloRugby also is home to match archives and match replays.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Join The Rugby Conversation On FloRugby Social<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Amid the red-hot action of international rugby, it\u2019s easy to let the club scene slip to the back…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":46291,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[567],"tags":[64,63,760,85],"class_list":["post-46290","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-rugby","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-rugby","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46290","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46290"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46290\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/46291"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46290"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46290"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46290"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}