United Rugby Championship match between Ulster and Connacht at Affidea Stadium in Belfast.
Ulster take on Connacht at Affidea Stadium on Sunday 27 December, a festive Irish derby in the middle of the United Rugby Championship season. It's the first interprovincial clash between the two sides this campaign, so it's the first time they've met since the season kicked off.
Connacht's season got underway at home under Friday Night Lights, and their first interpro arrived on Friday 30 October when Leinster visited Dexcom Stadium. This trip to Belfast is the second of their early interprovincial meetings, and it's followed by a home game against Munster on Saturday 2 January, the first match of 2027. So, if you're following the run, this is the middle leg of a tight stretch of provincial rugby for the western side.
For Ulster, it's a home game in the run-up to the New Year, with Connacht coming across to Belfast for the afternoon kick-off. It's a proper derby, the kind of game that usually carries a bit more weight than a standard league fixture, and it falls right in that window between Christmas and New Year when the rugby calendar tends to cluster around the holidays.
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Kick-off is 17:30 at Affidea Stadium, so it's a late-afternoon start on a Sunday. If you're planning to head along, it's the first time these two have met this season, and the next interpro for Connacht comes just a few days later against Munster.
