The 2022 Vodacom United Rugby Championship Grand Final shall take place at the home venue of the highest-ranked team where the first-ever VURC champions will be crowned.
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This announcement was made on Thursday and will heighten the importance for teams in the VURC play-off hunt to pick up every available point over the remaining 28 regular-season fixtures. Among those games are 12 clashes between north and south, 14 head-to-heads between teams currently in play-off contention in addition to eight derby matches.
Martin Anayi, United Rugby Championship CEO, explained: “With some thrilling rugby ahead of us the time is right to confirm our plans for the first-ever United Rugby Championship Grand Final. For this campaign, it is important to understand how our teams and their fans are returning to normality after so long away from stadia and that our job is to deliver the best URC Grand Final we can in these circumstances.
“The reward of the highest-ranked team hosting the URC Grand Final adds even more to the competitive edge over the closing rounds of the league that will set us up for an incredible play-offs which now showcases our best eight teams in a battle to reach the URC Grand Final.”
Previously a merit-based format to decide the venue for the VURC final was used between 2010 and 2014 for those season deciders and again in 2020 and 2021.
HOW TEAMS WILL QUALIFY:
The United Rugby Championship Play-Offs
The final eight teams from the league table qualify for the quarterfinal stage
Teams are then ranked 1 to 8 with the top-four teams earning home games for the
Final Eight stage
The two highest-ranked winners from the final eight (quarterfinals) will play their final four fixtures (semifinals) at home
The two winners from the final four will qualify for the United Rugby Championship final with the highest-ranked team hosting the game
HISTORY
TITLE WINS BY TEAM (This is the first season for SA teams)8 – Leinster Rugby: 2021/20; 2019/20; 2018/19; 2017/18; 2013/14; 2012/13; 2007/08; 2000/01
4 – Ospreys: 2011/12; 2009/10; 2006/07; 2004/05
3 – Munster: 2010/11; 2008/09; 2002/03
2 – Scarlets: 2016/17; 2003/04
1 – Ulster Rugby: 2005/06
1 – Connacht Rugby: 2015/16
1 – Glasgow Warriors: 2014/15
