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2025 United Rugby Championship Grand Final

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2025 United Rugby Championship Grand Final
Event2024–25 United Rugby Championship
Leinster Bulls
Ireland South Africa
32 7
Date14 June 2025
VenueCroke Park, Dublin
Man of the MatchRyan Baird (Leinster)
RefereeAndrea Piardi (Italy)
Attendance46,127
← 2024
2026 →

The 2025 United Rugby Championship Grand Final was the final match of the 2024–25 United Rugby Championship (URC) season. It was contested at Croke Park, Dublin by Ireland's Leinster, with home field advantage, and the visiting Bulls from Pretoria, South Africa.[1] It was the third successive cross-continental final in the competition.

The final was held in Ireland for the first time since 2021 and the reconfiguration of the United Rugby Championship, with a third appearance for the Bulls following their defeats in 2022 and 2024, and a first appearance for Leinster since the competition adopted its current format, but a record 11th final appearance in total (winning in 2002, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and losing in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016).[2] Bulls have previously appeared in, and won, three finals (2007, 2009 and 2010) in the Super Rugby competition, and lost in the final of the transitional season Pro14 Rainbow Cup.[3]

For the first time in this format, the top-seeded team at the start of the play-offs has reached the final. Neither side has yet won the United Rugby Championship in its current format, but Leinster attempted to win a record-extending ninth overall title in all formats of the competition; the Bulls attempted to win their first title in this competition in their third final, to go with their three Super Rugby titles, and one Super Rugby Unlocked title won prior to 2021.

Route to the Grand Final

[edit]
Further information: 2024–25 United Rugby Championship
Ireland Leinster vs South Africa Bulls
League season – top eight

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts
1 Leinster 18 16 0 2 542 256 +286 79 35 11 1 76
2 Bulls 18 14 0 4 542 361 +181 71 44 9 3 68
3 Sharks 18 13 0 5 436 402 +34 55 59 7 3 62
4 Glasgow Warriors 18 11 0 7 468 327 +141 70 40 10 5 59
5 Stormers 18 10 0 8 507 418 +89 66 57 11 4 55
6 Munster 18 9 0 9 444 429 +15 67 59 11 4 51
7 Edinburgh 18 8 1 9 471 407 +64 66 57 9 6 49
8 Scarlets 18 9 1 8 427 382 +45 50 52 6 4 48
Source: UnitedRugby.com
Play-offs
Opponent Result Play-offs Opponent Result
Wales Scarlets (H) 33–21 Quarter-finals Scotland Edinburgh (H) 42–33
Scotland Glasgow Warriors (H) 37–19 Semi-finals South Africa Sharks (H) 25–13

Previous meetings

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Leinster and Bulls had met six times in the United Rugby Championship since the Bulls joined the league in 2021. Bulls led the rivalry 4–2, including winning both previous play-off matches between the sides: the semi-finals in 2022 and 2024. Bulls also won the regular season match between the teams in 2024–25 by a single point, 21–20.

Match

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Venue

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The URC trophy on display at Loftus Versfeld Stadium before the 2024 Grand Final

With Leinster reaching the final from the first seeding, they maintained home advantage throughout the playoffs and elected to play the final in Croke Park, Dublin,[4] having already played one URC fixture (against Munster) and one European Champions Cup fixture there this season.[5] Although this will be tenth final played in a Dublin stadium in the entire history of the competition, it was the first to be played at Croke Park.

Leinster have a perfect competitive record at the ground, winning four times in four visits. This will be the first visit of a South African club side to the venue; the Springboks lost to Ireland in the only previous rugby union match involving both nations at the stadium.[4]

Team selection

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Both teams were announced on the morning of 12 June 2025. Both teams opted for a 5–3 split on the bench (five forwards, three backs as replacements).[6] Jake White made one change to the Bulls team to face Leinster, with Marco van Staden replacing the injured Cameron Hanekom. Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose return for Leinster, but Hugo Keenan and Tadgh Furlong fail to recover from previous injuries, while Leinster club captain Caelan Doris is a long-term injury absentee. Jack Conan deputised as captain. The final will also be All Black Jordie Barrett's final game for Leinster before returning to New Zealand.

On the morning of the final, Leinster's first choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was ruled out by late injury. Luke McGrath came into the starting XV, with Fintan Gunne coming onto the bench.[citation needed]

Details

[edit]
14 June 2025
Leinster Ireland32–7South Africa Bulls
Try: Conan 6'
Barrett 14'
Van der Flier 23'
Gunne 73'
Con: Prendergast 7', 14'
Ross Byrne 74'
Pen: Prendergast 45', 68'		Try: Van der Merwe 51'
Con: Goosen 51'
Croke Park, Dublin
Attendance: 46,127
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)[7]
FB 15 Ireland Jimmy O’Brien
RW 14 Ireland Tommy O’Brien
OC 13 Ireland Garry Ringrose downward-facing red arrow 75'
IC 12 New Zealand Jordie Barrett
LW 11 Ireland James Lowe
FH 10 Ireland Sam Prendergast downward-facing red arrow 69'
SH 9 Ireland Luke McGrath downward-facing red arrow 69'
N8 8 Ireland Jack Conan (c) downward-facing red arrow 75'
OF 7 Ireland Josh van der Flier
BF 6 Ireland Ryan Baird
RL 5 Ireland James Ryan downward-facing red arrow 43'
LL 4 Ireland Joe McCarthy
TP 3 Ireland Thomas Clarkson downward-facing red arrow 56'
HK 2 Ireland Dan Sheehan downward-facing red arrow 56'
LP 1 Ireland Andrew Porter downward-facing red arrow 75'
Substitutions:
HK 16 Ireland Rónan Kelleher upward-facing green arrow 56'
PR 17 Ireland Jack Boyle upward-facing green arrow 75'
PR 18 France Rabah Slimani upward-facing green arrow 56'
LK 19 South Africa RG Snyman upward-facing green arrow 43'
N8 20 Ireland Max Deegan upward-facing green arrow 75'
SH 21 Ireland Fintan Gunne upward-facing green arrow 69'
FH 22 Ireland Ross Byrne upward-facing green arrow 69'
CE 23 Ireland Jamie Osborne upward-facing green arrow 75'
Coach:
Ireland Leo Cullen
FB 15 South Africa Willie le Roux
RW 14 South Africa Canan Moodie
OC 13 South Africa David Kriel
IC 12 South Africa Harold Vorster
LW 11 South Africa Sebastian de Klerk downward-facing red arrow 65'
FH 10 South Africa Johan Goosen downward-facing red arrow 69'
SH 9 South Africa Embrose Papier downward-facing red arrow 72'
N8 8 South Africa Marcell Coetzee downward-facing red arrow 65'
OF 7 South Africa Ruan Nortjé (c)
BF 6 South Africa Marco van Staden
RL 5 South Africa JF van Heerden
LL 4 South Africa Cobus Wiese downward-facing red arrow 37'
TP 3 South Africa Wilco Louw downward-facing red arrow 65'
HK 2 South Africa Johan Grobbelaar downward-facing red arrow 45'
LP 1 South Africa Jan-Hendrik Wessels downward-facing red arrow 52'
Substitutions:
HK 16 South Africa Akker van der Merwe upward-facing green arrow 45'
PR 17 South Africa Alulutho Tshakweni upward-facing green arrow 52'
PR 18 South Africa Mornay Smith upward-facing green arrow 65'
LK 19 South Africa Jannes Kirsten upward-facing green arrow 37'
N8 20 South Africa Nizaam Carr upward-facing green arrow 65'
SH 21 South Africa Zak Burger upward-facing green arrow 72'
FH 22 South Africa Keagan Johannes upward-facing green arrow 69'
WG 23 South Africa Devon Williams upward-facing green arrow 65'
Coach:
South Africa Jake White

Man of the Match:
Ryan Baird (Leinster)

Assistant referees:[8]
Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Sam Grove-White (Scotland)
Television match official:[8]
Matteo Liperini (Italy)

Broadcasting

[edit]

The match was shown live by SuperSport in South Africa, by Premier Sports in the United Kingdom and by TG4 in Ireland. Flo Rugby & URC.tv carried coverage elsewhere.[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Leinster 37-19 Glasgow: Six-try hosts beat holders to reach URC final". BBC Sport. 7 June 2025. Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  2. ^ Leinster also won a previous edition of the Celtic League without a play-off.
  3. ^ "'Excited' Bulls ready for Leinster showdown - Akker van der Merwe". RTE Sport. 12 June 2025. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  4. ^ a b "DUBLIN'S CROKE PARK TO HOST HISTORIC URC GRAND FINAL". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  5. ^ "Irish Rugby | Croke Park Final Awaits Leinster After Dethroning Glasgow". Retrieved 8 June 2025.
  6. ^ "The URC Grand Final Team Announcements". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
  7. ^ "URC Grand Final Match Official Appointments". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 10 June 2025.
  8. ^ a b URC Grand Final appointments
  9. ^ "The URC Grand Final Team and Broadcast Announcements". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 12 June 2025.
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