Overview
- The URC resumes Friday, 17 April, with four rounds left as the Stormers sit second, the Lions fifth, the Bulls eighth and the Sharks 10th, and South African teams gain a lift from no longer juggling European travel.
- The Stormers chase a home quarterfinal and host Connacht in Cape Town before welcoming Glasgow, then finish away to Ulster and Cardiff in a bid to lock down a top‑four place.
- The Lions face the toughest run‑in with Glasgow and Connacht at Ellis Park before trips to Leinster and Munster, and a first URC playoff berth depends on holding form through that stretch.
- The Bulls have the softest schedule on paper with the Dragons and Scarlets away before Zebre and Benetton at Loftus Versfeld, yet any slip could knock them out of eighth.
- The Sharks must stack wins at Ospreys and Edinburgh before home games against Benetton and Zebre to keep playoff hopes and next season’s Champions Cup qualification in reach.