2025–26 Cardiff Rugby season

Cardiff Rugby
2025–26 season
Head coachMatt Sherratt
ChairmanAlun Jones
← 2024–25 2026–27 →

The 2025–26 season will be Cardiff's fifth season in the United Rugby Championship. Along with competing in the URC and its Welsh Shield competition, the club also participate in the 2025-26 EPCR Challenge Cup.

Transfers

Main article: Cardiff Rugby

United Rugby Championship

Matches

27 September 2025 Cardiff v Lions Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
4 October 2025 Munster v Cardiff Thomond Park  
19:45
11 October 2025 Cardiff v Connacht Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
17 October 2025 Dragons v Cardiff Rodney Parade  
19:45
25 October 2025 Cardiff v Edinburgh Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
29 November 2025 Zebre Parma v Cardiff Stadio Lanfranchi  
13:00
19 December 2025 Cardiff v Scarlets Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
26 December 2025 Cardiff v Dragons Cardiff Arms Park  
15:00
1 January 2026 Ospreys v Cardiff TBC  
17:30
24 January 2026 Cardiff v Benetton Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
31 January 2026 Ulster v Cardiff Ravenhill Stadium, Belfast  
19:45
27 February 2026 Cardiff v Leinster Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
20 March 2026 Bulls v Cardiff Loftus Versfeld Stadium  
17:00
27 March 2026 Sharks v Cardiff Hollywoodbets Kings Park  
17:00
18 April 2026 Scarlets v Cardiff Parc y Scarlets  
17:30
24 April 2026 Cardiff v Ospreys Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45
8 May 2026 Glasgow Warriors v Cardiff Scotstoun Stadium  
19:45
15 May 2026 Cardiff v Stormers Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45

Tables

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Benetton 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualifies for home URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
2 Bulls 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Connacht 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
5 Dragons 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualifies for URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
6 Edinburgh 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
7 Glasgow Warriors 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
8 Leinster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
9 Lions 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup
10 Munster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
11 Ospreys 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
12 Scarlets 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
13 Sharks 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
14 Stormers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
15 Ulster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
16 Zebre Parma 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
First match(es) will be played: unknown. Source: UnitedRugby.com
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won 2) The difference between points for and points against 3) The number of tries scored 4) The most points scored 5) The difference between tries for and tries against 6) The fewest red cards received 7) The fewest yellow cards received.[12]


2025–26 United Rugby Championship Regional Shield tables
Welsh Shield
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts Pos overall
1 Cardiff — — — — — — — — — — — — —
2 Dragons — — — — — — — — — — — — —
3 Ospreys — — — — — — — — — — — — —
4 Scarlets — — — — — — — — — — — — —
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[13]
  1. number of matches won
  2. the difference between points for and points against
  3. the number of tries scored
  4. the most points scored
  5. the difference between tries for and tries against
  6. the fewest red cards received
  7. the fewest yellow cards received
Green background indicates teams currently leading the regional shield. Upon the conclusion of the regular season, these teams win their respective regional shields.

(S) : URC Shield champion

European Challenge Cup

Cardiff have been drawn in Pool 3 of the 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup, alongside Ulster, Cheetahs, Exeter Chiefs, Racing 92 and Stade Francais[14]. As Ulster are the only fellow URC team in the pool, Cardiff will play each of the other teams once.

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Cardiff 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Home round of 16
2 Cheetahs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
3 Exeter Chiefs 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
4 Racing 92 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Away round of 16
5 Stade Français 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
6 Ulster 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
Source: EPCR[15]
Rules for classification: Tiebreakers for teams tied on points: 1) Number of matches won; 2) Difference between points for and against; 3) Total number of points for; 4) Aggregate number of points scored in matches between tied teams; 5) Number of matches won excluding the first match, then the second and so on until the tie is settled.

Pool matches

5/6/7 December 2025   v  
12/13/14 December 2025  v  
9/10/11 January 2026 v  
16/17/18 January 2026 v  

Home attendance

Season begins 26 September 2025

Domestic League European Challenge Cup Total
League Fixtures Total Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest League Fixtures Total Attendance Average Attendance Highest Lowest Total Attendance Average Attendance
2025–26 United Rugby Championship 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup

References

  1. ^ "Ioan Lloyd: Wales fly-half set to leave Scarlets for Cardiff". BBC Sport. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Taine Basham was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b "Cardiff sign test props Sebastian and Wainwright". BBC Sport. 2 June 2025. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  4. ^ "George Nott: Cardiff sign lock from Dragons". BBC Sport. 6 June 2025. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Dragons announce signing of 'talented' Wales international from rivals". Wales Online. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Double signings was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ "Tinus de Beer: Dragons sign fly-half from Cardiff". BBC Sport. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  8. ^ "Wales second-row Seb Davies switches Welsh URC sides". Rugby Pass. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  9. ^ a b c d Jones, John (22 May 2025). "Nine players leave Cardiff as legend departs and Wales star left without club". Wales Online. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  10. ^ "Gabriel Hamer-Webb one of three Leicester signings with ex-NZ U20 lock". Rugby Pass. 26 June 2025. {{cite news}}: Text "https://www.rugbypass.com/news/gabriel-hamer-webb-one-of-three-leicester-signings-with-ex-nz-u20-lock/" ignored (help)
  11. ^ Cite error: The named reference Mackenzie Martin was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ "Competition rules – United Rugby Championship". United Rugby Championship. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  13. ^ League Format (3) "Competition Rules". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  14. ^ "EPCR Challenge Cup 2025/26 pool stage draw in full | EPCR Challenge Cup". www.epcrugby.com. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  15. ^ "Pool Tables | EPCR Challenge Cup". European Professional Club Rugby. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
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