The 2025 United Rugby Championship Grand Final was the final match of the 2024–25 United Rugby Championship (URC) season. It was contested at Croke Park, Dublin by Ireland's Leinster, with home field advantage, and the visiting Bulls from Pretoria, South Africa. It was the third successive cross-continental final in the competition.
The final was held in Ireland for the first time since 2021 and the reconfiguration of the United Rugby Championship, with a third appearance for the Bulls following their defeats in 2022 and 2024, and a first appearance for Leinster since the competition adopted its current format, but a record 11th final appearance in total (winning in 2002, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021, and losing in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2016).Leinster also won a previous edition of the Celtic League without a play-off. Bulls have previously appeared in, and won, three finals (2007, 2009 and 2010) in the Super Rugby competition, and lost in the final of the transitional season Pro14 Rainbow Cup.
For the first time in this format, the top-seeded team at the start of the play-offs has reached the final. Neither side has yet won the United Rugby Championship in its current format, but Leinster attempted to win a record-extending ninth overall title in all formats of the competition; the Bulls attempted to win their first title in this competition in their third final, to go with their three Super Rugby titles, and one Super Rugby Unlocked title won prior to 2021.
Route to the Grand Final
Leinstervs BullsLeague season – top eightPlay-offsOpponentResultPlay-offsOpponentResult Scarlets (H) 33–21Quarter-finals Edinburgh (H) 42–33 Glasgow Warriors (H) 37–19Semi-finals Sharks (H) 25–13
Previous meetings Leinster and Bulls had met six times in the United Rugby Championship since the Bulls joined the league in 2021. Bulls led the rivalry 4–2, including winning both previous play-off matches between the sides: the semi-finals in 2022 and 2024. Bulls also won the regular season match between the teams in 2024–25 by a single point, 21–20.
Match Venue
With Leinster reaching the final from the first seeding, they maintained home advantage throughout the playoffs and elected to play the final in Croke Park, Dublin, having already played one URC fixture (against Munster) and one European Champions Cup fixture there this season. Although this will be tenth final played in a Dublin stadium in the entire history of the competition, it was the first to be played at Croke Park.
Leinster have a perfect competitive record at the ground, winning four times in four visits. This will be the first visit of a South African club side to the venue; the Springboks lost to Ireland in the only previous rugby union match involving both nations at the stadium.
Team selection Both teams were announced on the morning of 12 June 2025. Both teams opted for a 5–3 split on the bench (five forwards, three backs as replacements). Jake White made one change to the Bulls team to face Leinster, with Marco van Staden replacing the injured Cameron Hanekom. Josh van der Flier and Garry Ringrose return for Leinster, but Hugo Keenan and Tadgh Furlong fail to recover from previous injuries, while Leinster club captain Caelan Doris is a long-term injury absentee. Jack Conan deputised as captain. The final will also be All Black Jordie Barrett's final game for Leinster before returning to New Zealand.
On the morning of the final, Leinster's first choice scrum-half Jamison Gibson-Park was ruled out by late injury. Luke McGrath came into the starting XV, with Fintan Gunne coming onto the bench.
Details
FB 15 Jimmy O’BrienRW 14 Tommy O’BrienOC 13 Garry Ringrose IC 12 Jordie BarrettLW 11 James LoweFH 10 Sam Prendergast SH 9 Luke McGrath N8 8 Jack Conan (c) OF 7 Josh van der FlierBF 6 Ryan BairdRL 5 James Ryan LL 4 Joe McCarthyTP 3 Thomas Clarkson HK 2 Dan Sheehan LP 1 Andrew Porter Substitutions:HK 16 Rónan Kelleher PR 17 Jack Boyle PR 18 Rabah Slimani LK 19 RG Snyman N8 20 Max Deegan SH 21 Fintan Gunne FH 22 Ross Byrne CE 23 Jamie Osborne Coach: Leo Cullen FB 15 Willie le RouxRW 14 Canan MoodieOC 13 David KrielIC 12 Harold VorsterLW 11 Sebastian de Klerk FH 10 Johan Goosen SH 9 Embrose Papier N8 8 Marcell Coetzee OF 7 Ruan Nortjé (c)BF 6 Marco van StadenRL 5 JF van HeerdenLL 4 Cobus Wiese TP 3 Wilco Louw HK 2 Johan Grobbelaar LP 1 Jan-Hendrik Wessels Substitutions:HK 16 Akker van der Merwe PR 17 Alulutho Tshakweni PR 18 Mornay Smith LK 19 Jannes Kirsten N8 20 Nizaam Carr SH 21 Zak Burger FH 22 Keagan Johannes WG 23 Devon Williams Coach: Jake White Man of the Match: Ryan Baird (Leinster)
Assistant referees:URC Grand Final appointments Mike Adamson (Scotland) Sam Grove-White (Scotland) Television match official: Matteo Liperini (Italy)
Broadcasting The match was shown live by SuperSport in South Africa, by Premier Sports in the United Kingdom and by TG4 in Ireland. Flo Rugby & URC.tv carried coverage elsewhere.
References