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 (1 BP) Cardiff 35 – 20 Lions Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45 Try: Thomas 9'c
Winnet 23'c
Mann 52'c
Loyd 60'c,76'
Con: Sheedy (4/5) 10', 24', 53',61,
Cards: Thomas  30' 		Report Try: Venter 27'c,
Steenkamp 48'c
Con: Dobela (2/2) 28', 49'
Pen: Dobela (2/2) 17', 37'
 Attendance: 5,711
Referee: Filippo Russo
4 October 2025 Munster 23 – 20 Cardiff (2 BP) Thomond Park, Limerick  
19:45 Try: Quinn (29')
Coombes (52')
Barron (61')
Con: Crowley (53')
Pen: Crowley (67')
Drop: Crowley (77')
 Report Try: J. Adams (15')
Bowen (44', 57', 82')
 Attendance: 12,066
11 October 2025 Cardiff 14 – 8 Connacht (1 BP) Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45 Try: Bowen (14', 75')
Con: Sheedy (15')
Lloyd (76')
 Report Try: O'Connor (80'+2)
Pen: Forde (11')
 Attendance: 7,092[19]
Referee: Gianluca Gnecchi
17 October 2025 (1 BP) Dragons 17 – 24 Cardiff (1 BP) Rodney Parade, Newport  
19:45 Try: Coghlan (7')
Carter (72')
Con: de Beer (8', 73')
Pen: O'Brien (80')
 Report
Scoreboard 		Try: Mann (2')
Faletau (14')
Dan Thomas(20')
Southworth (61')
Con: Sheedy (14')
Ben Thomas (62')
 Attendance: 7,483[20]
Referee: Federico Vedovelli
25 October 2025 Cardiff 20 – 19 Edinburgh (1 BP) Cardiff Arms Park  
19:45 Try: Mulder (7' m)
Adams (15' c)
Sebastian (43' m)
Con: Lloyd (16')
Pen: Lloyd (74')
 Try: Wells (3' m)
Shiel (9' c)
Ashman (19' c)
Con: Scott (9')
Lang (20')
 Attendance: 7,189[21]
29 November 2025 Zebre Parma 14 – 29 Cardiff (1 BP) Stadio Sergio Lanfranchi, Parma  
13:00 Try: Licata (30' c)
Zanon (74' c)
Con: Roger (2/2) (31', 74')
Cards: Licata 16' to 26'
Ruggeri 49' to 59'
Zanon 82' to f.t.' 		Report Try: Hughes (13' c, 18' m, 40' c)
Basham (80+3' c)
Con: Lloyd (2/3) (19', 41')
Wilde (1/1) (80+4')
Pen: Lloyd (48')
Cards: Basham 69' to 79' 		Attendance: 2,392
Referee: Marius van der Westhuizen
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 Stormers 7 7 0 0 218 87 +131 27 10 4 0 32 Qualifies for home URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
2 Munster 7 6 0 1 172 126 +46 25 19 4 1 29
3 Cardiff 7 5 0 2 157 122 +35 24 16 4 2 26
4 Glasgow Warriors 7 5 0 2 185 99 +86 26 12 4 1 25
5 Ulster 6 4 0 2 202 140 +62 29 20 5 1 22 Qualifies for URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
6 Leinster 7 4 0 3 174 166 +8 27 23 4 1 21
7 Lions 7 3 0 4 203 212 −9 27 30 3 2 17
8 Connacht 6 2 0 4 148 139 +9 21 19 4 3 15
9 Bulls 7 3 0 4 184 211 −27 26 30 3 0 15 Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup
10 Benetton 7 3 0 4 122 191 −69 13 28 1 0 13
11 Edinburgh 6 2 0 4 140 112 +28 22 18 2 3 13
12 Sharks 7 2 1 4 134 192 −58 20 24 2 0 12
13 Zebre Parma 7 2 0 5 121 203 −82 16 29 2 1 11
14 Dragons 7 1 2 4 132 203 −71 17 30 1 1 10
15 Scarlets 6 2 0 4 102 143 −41 12 19 0 0 8
16 Ospreys 7 1 1 5 137 185 −48 20 28 1 1 8
Updated to match(es) played on 20 December 2025. 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.[22]


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 1 0 1 41 38 +3 6 5 1 1 6 —
2 Scarlets 1 1 0 0 21 17 +4 3 2 0 0 4 —
3 Dragons 2 0 1 1 36 43 -7 5 7 0 1 3 —
4 Ospreys 1 0 1 0 19 19 0 3 3 0 0 2 —
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[23]
  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.[24] As Ulster are the only fellow URC team in the pool, Cardiff will play each of the other teams once.

Pool standings

EPCR Challenge Cup Pool 3
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Stade Français 2 2 0 0 83 39 +44 12 6 2 0 10 Home round of 16
2 Exeter Chiefs 2 1 1 0 73 43 +30 10 7 2 0 8
3 Ulster 2 1 0 1 87 36 +51 13 5 2 1 7
4 Cardiff 2 1 0 1 46 64 −18 7 10 1 0 5 Away round of 16
5 Racing 92 2 0 1 1 38 92 −54 6 13 1 0 3
6 Cheetahs 2 0 0 2 34 87 −53 5 12 0 0 0
Source: EPCR[25]
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

6 December 2025
Stade Francais v Cardiff
Stade Jean Bouin
13 December 2025
Cardiff v Ulster
Cardiff Arms Park
10 January 2026
Cardiff v Racing 92
Cardiff Arms Park
18 January 2026
Exeter Chiefs v Cardiff
Sandy Park

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 2 12,803 6,402 7,092 5,711 2025–26 EPCR Challenge Cup 12,803 6,402

References

  1. ^ "Ioan Lloyd: Wales fly-half set to leave Scarlets for Cardiff". BBC Sport. 8 January 2025. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  2. ^ "Taine Basham: Cardiff sign Wales back-row for 2025-26 season". BBC Sport. 18 March 2025. Retrieved 18 March 2025.
  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. ^ a b Wood, Matthew (14 July 2025). "Cardiff loan Bath duo Emanuel and Ieuan Davies for 2025/26 season". Talking Rugby Union. Retrieved 14 July 2025.
  6. ^ "Leigh Halfpenny signs for Welsh club in surprise announcement". Wales Online. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
  7. ^ a b "Cardiff sign Rigg and Roberts amid injury crisis". BBC Sport. 9 October 2025. Retrieved 10 October 2025.
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Cornel Smit was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ "Dragons announce signing of 'talented' Wales international from rivals". Wales Online. 2 April 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  10. ^ "Edinburgh sign two Scottish qualified props from English and Welsh sides". Planet Rugby. 24 April 2025. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  11. ^ "Tinus de Beer: Dragons sign fly-half from Cardiff". BBC Sport. 2 May 2025. Retrieved 2 May 2025.
  12. ^ "Wales second-row Seb Davies switches Welsh URC sides". Rugby Pass. 23 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  13. ^ a b c Jones, John (22 May 2025). "Nine players leave Cardiff as legend departs and Wales star left without club". Wales Online. Retrieved 16 June 2025.
  14. ^ "Gabriel Hamer-Webb one of three Leicester signings with ex-NZ U20 lock". Rugby Pass. 26 June 2025.
  15. ^ "Mackenzie Martin: Wales number eight joins Dragons from Cardiff on loan". BBC Sport. 27 June 2025. Retrieved 27 June 2025.
  16. ^ "Ospreys sign Cardiff hooker Daniel". BBC Sport. 15 July 2025. Retrieved 15 July 2025.
  17. ^ "Ellis Bevan: Bristol Bears sign Wales scrum-half on short-term loan from Cardiff". BBC Sport. 28 October 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  18. ^ "Joe Cowell to join Bedford Blues on Short Term Loan". Cardiff Rugby. 13 November 2025. Retrieved 14 November 2025.
  19. ^ "Cardiff Rugby 14 Connacht Rugby 8". Cardiff Rugby. 11 October 2025. Retrieved 12 October 2025.
  20. ^ "Dragons 17 Cardiff 24". South Wales Argus. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 18 October 2025.
  21. ^ "Cardiff Rugby 20 Edinburgh Rugby 19". Cardiff Rugby. 25 October 2025. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  22. ^ "Competition rules – United Rugby Championship". United Rugby Championship. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  23. ^ League Format (3) "Competition Rules". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  24. ^ "EPCR Challenge Cup 2025/26 pool stage draw in full | EPCR Challenge Cup". www.epcrugby.com. Retrieved 1 July 2025.
  25. ^ "Pool Tables | EPCR Challenge Cup". European Professional Club Rugby. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
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