Glasgow and Edinburgh's URC fixture schedule confirmed - 1872 Cup kick-off times, Franco Smith handed season opener

Glasgow Warriors will take part in the United Rugby Championship season opener following confirmation of the schedule for each round of the 2022-23 campaign.

New head coach Franco Smith will return to the Italian city where he played and coached for a combination of nine years when his Warriors side visit Treviso to face Bennetton on Friday, September 16.

The official curtain-raiser to the new URC season will kick-off at 5.30pm UK time and will be shown live on Premier Sports and SuperSport.

It will also be the first competitive fixture of Smith's tenure following his appointment this week after leaving his post as the Italian Rugby Federation's head of high performance.

The new season will also mark the return of regular Friday night rugby in Glasgow with seven of their ten home matches taking place in that slot.

Glasgow will also bookend the season as round 18 brings Connacht to Scotstoun in the final match of the campaign on Saturday, April 22 with a 7.35pm kick-off.

Edinburgh Rugby, meanwhile, open their campaign at home to Dragons on Saturday, September 17 with a 7.35pm kick-off at the DAM Health Stadium. The match will also be shown live on Premier Sports and SuperSport.

The first leg of the 1872 Cup has been scheduled fo Friday, December 23 with a 7.35pm kick-off at Scotstoun ahead of the return in Edinburgh a week later, on Friday, December 30, again kicking off at 7.35pm.

Edinburgh players applaud Glasgow Warriors off the pitch after last season's 1872 Cup match at BT Murrayfield. (Photo by Ross Parker / SNS Group)

The full Glasgow and Edinburgh URC schedule is as follows (UK times):

September: Fri 16th - Benetton v Glasgow, 5.30pm; Sat 17th - Edinburgh v Dragons, 7.35pm; Fri 23rd - Glasgow v Cardiff, 7.35pm, Sat 24th - Bulls v Edinburgh, 2.30pm.

October: Sat 1st - Stormers v Edinburgh, 1pm, Ospreys v Glasgow, 3.05pm; Fri 7th - Edinburgh v Lions, 7.35pm; Sat 8th - Glasgow v Bulls, 7.35pm; Sat 15th - Sharks v Glasgow, 3.05pm, Edinburgh v Benetton, 5.15pm; Sat 22nd - Zebre v Edinburgh, 1pm, Lions v Glasgow, 3.05pm; Fri 28th - Glasgow v Benetton, 7.35pm; Sun 30th - Cardiff v Edinburgh, 3pm.

November: Sat 26th - Benetton v Edinburgh, 1pm, Leinster v Glasgow, 3.15pm.

December: Fri 2nd - Edinburgh v Munster, 7.35pm; Sat 3rd - Zebre v Glasgow, 1pm; Fri 23rd - Glasgow v Edinburgh, 7.35pm; Fri Dec 30 - Edinburgh v Glasgow, 7.35pm.

January: Sat 7th - Edinburgh v Zebre, 3pm; Sun 8th - Glasgow v Stormers, 3pm; Sat 28th - Dragons v Glasgow, 3pm, Edinburgh v Sharks, 5.15pm.

February: Fri 17th - Glasgow v Ulster, 7.35pm; Sat 18th - Scarlets v Edinburgh, 5.15 pm.

March: Fri 3rd - Glasgow v Zebre, 7.35pm; Sat 4th - Edinburgh v Leinster, 5.05pm; Sat 25th - Connacht v Edinburgh, 3.05pm, Munster v Glasgow, 5.15pm.

April: Fri 14th - Glasgow v Scarlets, 7.35pm; Sat 15th - Edinburgh v Ospreys, 7.35pm; Fri 21st - Ulster v Edinburgh, 7.35pm; Sat 22nd - Glasgow v Connacht, 7.35pm.

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