2025–26 Sharks (rugby union) season

The Sharks
Full nameThe Sharks
UnionSouth African Rugby Union
EmblemShark
Founded1890 (Natal Rugby Union)
1995 (Sharks franchise)
LocationDurban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
RegionKwaZulu-Natal
GroundHollywoodbets Kings Park Stadium (Capacity: 54,000)
CEOEduard Coetzee
Director of RugbyNeil Powell
CoachJohn Plumtree
CaptainLukhanyo Am
LeagueUnited Rugby Championship
1st kit
2nd kit
Official website
sharksrugby.co.za

The 2025–26 season is the Sharks's fifth season in the United Rugby Championship, their 32nd season of professional rugby and their 138th sseaon of representative rugby since their foundation as the Natal Rugby Union. Along with competing in the URC and its South African Shield competition (the latter of which they enter as champions), the club will also participate in the 2025-26 European Rugby Champions Cup.

United Rugby Championship

Main table

Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Stormers 6 6 0 0 184 60 +124 23 7 3 0 27 Qualifies for home URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
2 Cardiff 6 5 0 1 140 101 +39 22 13 4 1 25
3 Munster 6 5 0 1 146 116 +30 21 18 3 1 24
4 Ulster 5 4 0 1 182 116 +66 26 16 5 0 21
5 Glasgow Warriors 6 4 0 2 161 87 +74 22 10 3 1 20 Qualifies for URC quarter-final;
Qualification for the 2026–27 Champions Cup
6 Leinster 6 3 0 3 150 146 +4 23 20 3 1 16
7 Lions 6 3 0 3 176 178 −2 24 26 3 1 16
8 Bulls 6 3 0 3 172 190 −18 26 27 3 0 15
9 Connacht 5 2 0 3 120 91 +29 17 13 3 2 13 Qualification for the 2026–27 Challenge Cup
10 Edinburgh 5 2 0 3 128 88 +40 20 14 2 3 13
11 Zebre Parma 6 2 0 4 106 182 −76 14 27 2 0 10
12 Benetton 6 2 0 4 101 176 −75 11 26 1 0 9
13 Ospreys 6 1 1 4 127 159 −32 19 24 1 1 8
14 Sharks 6 1 1 4 113 180 −67 17 24 2 0 8
15 Dragons 6 0 2 4 84 175 −91 11 26 0 1 5
16 Scarlets 5 1 0 4 81 126 −45 9 17 0 0 4
Updated to match(es) played on 29 November 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.[1]


26 September 2025 (1 BP) Glasgow Warriors 35 – 19 Sharks Scotstoun Stadium, Glasgow  
20:05 Try: Rowe (14')
McDowall (32')
Darge (49')
Dobie (70')
penalty try (78')
Con: Horne(15', 33', 51', 71')
 Report, 2 Try: E v.d.Merwe (9')
Tshituka (40')
Am (66')
Con: Hendrikse (41', 67')
Cards: Mavesere 77' to F.T.'
Mazibujo 79' to F.T.' 		Attendance: 6 775
Referee: Keith David
3 October 2025 Dragons 17 – 17 Sharks Rodney Parade, Newport  
20:05 Try: Wainwright 15'
O'Brien 26'
Con: de Beer (2/2) 16', 27'
Pen: de Beer (1/1) 66'
Cards: Coleman  73' 		Report[2] Try: Orie 8'
Tshituka 38'
Con: Smith (2/2) 9', 39'
Pen: Smith (1/1) 19'
 Attendance: 4 889 [3]
Referee: Filippo Russo
11 October 2025 (1 BP) Leinster 31 – 5 Sharks Aviva Stadium, Dublin  
17:30 Try: Jamie Osborne (12')
Jimmy O'Brien (23')
v.d. Flier (27')
Deegan (49')
Gus McCarthy (71')
Con: Harry Byrne(13', 23', 28')
Cards: Boyle  74' 		Report Try: Hooker(30')
 Attendance: 17,549
18 October 2025 (1 BP) Sharks 26 – 34 Ulster (1 BP) Kings Park Stadium, Durban  
15:00 Try: Siya Kolisi(33')
Makazole Mapimpi(49')
Andre Esterhuizen(71')
penalty try
Con: Siya Masuku (50')
Jordan Hendrikse (72')
Cards: O'Toole  61' 		Report Try: Lowry (6')
Werner Kok (21')
Stewart (56')
Reid (66')
Con: Doak (7', 21', 57', 68')
Pen: Doak (16', 37')
Cards: Mapimpi
Koch  51' 		Referee: Ben Whitehouse
25 October 2025 (1 PT) Sharks 29 – 19 Scarlets Kings Park Stadium, Durban  
15:00 Try: V Tshituka (5'm)
E Tshituka (19'c)
Mazibuko (28'c)
Kolisi (49'c)
Con: Jean Smith (20', 29', 50')
Pen: Jean Smith (64')
 Report Try: v.d. Merwe (16'c)
Murray (21'c)
Rogers (45')
Con: Costelow (17', 22')
Cards: Plumtree  72' 		Attendance: 9,528[4]
Referee: Sam Grove-White
29 November 2025 (1 BP) Connacht 44 – 17 Sharks The Sportsground, Galway  
19:45 Try: Boyle (17' c)
Mullins (31' c)
Gavin (58' c)
Devine (72' c)
Illo (79' c)
Con: Naughton (19', 32', 58', 73', 80')
Pen: Naughton (8', 27', 42')
 Report Try: Mbatha (15' m)
Mapimpi (66' m)
van Heerden (75' c)
Con: Jordan Hendrikse (75')
Cards: Jenkins 28' to 38' 		Attendance: 3,928
Referee: Ben Whitehouse
Sat, Dec 20 Sharks v Bulls s Kings Park  
16:00
TBC Lions v Sharks Emirates Airline Park  
TBC
Sat, Jan 3 Sharks v Lions s Kings Park  
13:30
Sat, Jan 24 Stormers v Sharks DHL Stadium  
17:30
Sat, Jan 31 Sharks v Stormers s Kings Park  
15:00
Sat, Feb 28 Bulls v Sharks Loftus Versfeld Stadium  
15:00
Sat, Mar 21 Sharks v Munster s Kings Park  
15:00
Fri, Mar 27 Sharks v Cardiff s Kings Park  
17:00
Sat, Apr 18 Ospreys v Sharks TBC  
19:45
Fri, Apr 24 Edinburgh v Sharks Hive Stadium  
19:45
Sat, May 9 Sharks v Benneton Treviso s Kings Park  
15:00
Sat, May 16 Sharks v Zebre Parma s Kings Park  
12:45

URC South African shield

2025–26 United Rugby Championship Regional Shield tables
South African Shield
Team P W D L PF PA PD TF TA TBP LBP Pts Pos overall
1 Lions 1 1 0 0 43 33 +10 6 5 1 0 5 —
2 Bulls 1 0 0 1 33 43 -10 5 6 1 0 1 —
3 Sharks — — — — — — — — — — — — —
4 Stormers — — — — — — — — — — — — —
If teams are level at any stage, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:[5]
  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 Rugby Champions Cup

European Rugby Champions Cup Pool 1
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD TF TA TB LB Pts Qualification
1 Glasgow Warriors 2 2 0 0 54 42 +12 8 6 2 0 10 Home Champions Cup round of 16.
2 Saracens 2 1 0 1 70 38 +32 10 8 1 1 6
3 Toulouse 2 1 0 1 77 47 +30 11 7 1 1 6 Away Champions Cup round of 16.
4 Sale Sharks 2 1 0 1 56 40 +16 8 6 1 1 6
5 Sharks 2 1 0 1 47 79 −32 7 11 1 0 5 Away Challenge Cup round of 16.
6 Clermont 2 0 0 2 24 82 −58 4 12 0 0 0
Source: EPCR[6]
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.
7 December 2025
16:15
Toulouse v Sharks
Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse
13 December 2025
16:15
Sharks v Saracens
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban
10 January 2026
17:30
Sale Sharks v Sharks
Salford Community Stadium, Manchester
17 January 2026
14:00
Sharks v Clermont
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban

References

  1. ^ "Competition rules – United Rugby Championship". United Rugby Championship. Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2025.
  2. ^ James, Ben. "Dragons 17-17 Sharks report". Wales Online. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  3. ^ "Dragons draw after dramatic finale". Dragons RFC. 3 October 2025. Retrieved 6 October 2025.
  4. ^ "Battling Scarlets defeated in Durban". Scarlets Rugby. 2025-10-25. Retrieved 2025-10-26.
  5. ^ League Format (3) "Competition Rules". United Rugby Championship. Retrieved 23 October 2023.
  6. ^ "Pool Tables | Investec Champions Cup". www.epcrugby.com. European Professional Club Rugby. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
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