
The 2023-24 United Rugby Championship (URC) season starts on 21 October and ends with the final on 22 June.
The season will start later than usual due to the World Cup in France with the opening round of matches competing in the semi-finals.
The top eight URC teams will qualify for the end of season play-offs starting on June 7, 2024.
Reigning champions Munster hope to defend their title when they open their campaign against the Sharks.
The Ospreys have three home matches with venues yet to be confirmed as they battle for a ground share with Swansea City.
The destination for the matches against the South African sides Sharks on 3 November and Lions on 30 March and the 1 January date of the derby against Cardiff, will face Swansea City’s home matches leading up to the fixture in football.
The region said they are still exploring alternative venues to suit each individual game with discussions involving moving matches within the region and even considering the matches to be held in London.
The Scarlets will start their season with a two-week trip to South Africa, where they will face the Bulls and Stormers.
The Dragons and Cardiff host Edinburgh and Benetton respectively on the opening weekend before the two Welsh teams face off on 29 October at Rodney Parade, the day after the World Cup final.
The third round of league matches on the opening weekend of November could be contested by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU)’s Wales vs Barbarians match, which is also the weekend after the World Cup final.
Any game to help pay tribute to former Wales lock Alun Wyn Jones at the Principality Stadium will take place on the same weekend as the Scarlets host Cardiff in a Welsh derby.
The traditional games on December 26 take place with Cardiff hosting the Dragons and Scarlets entertaining the Ospreys.
There could be a potential double-header on Judgment Day on 1 June in the final round of regular league fixtures with the Scarlets hosting the Dragons and Cardiff entertaining the Ospreys with home venues yet to be confirmed. .
No one has officially decided whether Judgment Day will continue in the new season.
In a new approach aimed at reducing long-distance travel across the league, South African teams will tour Europe twice rather than three times a season.
“The fixture list is the central pillar of the operation of our league and teams and provides assurance to fans, clubs and broadcasters that earlier than ever will have a positive impact,” said URC chief executive Martin Anayi. .
“Providing a set of fixtures that aims to balance start times that encourage attendance and deliver a great broadcast while factoring in the travel required to compete is a huge task that cannot be understated.
“Every year we feel we are learning more and more about how to refine and improve our process and the final fixture list itself and I express a huge thank you to our broadcast partners who support those request from the league and our clubs.
“Delivering this fixture list 102 days before kick-off is unprecedented for our league and gives us a target to beat again next year.”