2023 United Rugby Championship final

Football match

2023 United Rugby Championship FinalEvent| 2022–23 United Rugby Championship

|

| Stormers | Munster

|

14 | 19
Date| 27 May 2023
Venue| Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town
Man of the Match| John Hodnett (Munster)
Referee| Andrea Piardi
Attendance| 56,344[1]
Weather| Dry

<- 2022

2024 ->

The 2023 United Rugby Championship final was the final match of the 2022–23 United Rugby Championship season. The final was between defending champions the Stormers and Munster with Munster winning 19–14.[2][3][4]

## Route to the final

[edit]

| Quarter-finals | | | Semi-finals | | | Final |

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

|  |  |  | | |  |  |  | | |  |  |  |
| 1 |  Leinster | 35 | | |
| 8 |  Sharks | 5 |
| | 1 |  Leinster | 15 |
|  |
| | | 5 |  Munster | 16 |
| 4 |  Glasgow Warriors | 5 |

| 5 |  Munster | 14 |
| | 5 |  Munster | 19 |
|  |
| | | 3 |  Stormers | 14 |
| 2 |  Ulster | 10 | |

| 7 |  Connacht | 15 |
| | 7 |  Connacht | 25 |
|  |
| | | 3 |  Stormers | 43 |
| 3 |  Stormers | 33 |

| 6 |  Bulls | 21 |

Munster had an up-and-down season, at one point being fourteenth in the table after losing five of their seven opening rounds of the season, but a strong finish to the season, including an away win against the Stormers and an away draw against the Sharks, saw Munster qualify for the knockout stage of the competition and finish fifth overall. The province defeated Glasgow Warriors 14–5 away from home in the quarter-finals, before defeating Leinster 16–15, also away from home, in the semi-finals.[5]

The Stormers, the defending champions after they won the first United Rugby Championship in 2021–22, by contrast enjoyed a strong season, finishing third overall and defeating South African rivals the Bulls 33–21 in their quarter-final[6] and Connacht 43–25 in the semi-finals to advance to a home final for a second season in a row.[7]

## Pre-match

[edit]

The match was televised live by SuperSport in South Africa, by TG4 in Ireland, and by Viaplay Sports and the United Kingdom.[8] All tickets for the final were sold within three hours of going on sale.[9]

## Details

[edit]

27 May 2023
18:30 SAST / 17:30 IST

Stormers | 14–19|  Munster

|
|

Try: Libbok 5' c
Fourie 49' c
Con: Libbok (2/2) 6', 50'| | Try: Barron 9' m
Nash 28' c
Hodnett 74' c
Con: Crowley (2/3) 30', 76'
Cape Town Stadium
Attendance: 56,344
Referee: Andrea Piardi (Italy)

|  |

|

FB | 15 |  Damian Willemse
RW | 14 |  Angelo Davids
OC | 13 |  Ruhan Nel
IC | 12 |  Dan du Plessis
LW | 11 |  Leolin Zas
FH | 10 |  Manie Libbok
SH | 9 |  Herschel Jantjies
N8 | 8 |  Evan Roos
OF | 7 |  Hacjivah Dayimani
BF | 6 |  Deon Fourie
RL | 5 |  Marvin Orie
LL | 4 |  Ruben van Heerden
TP | 3 |  Frans Malherbe
HK | 2 |  Joseph Dweba
LP | 1 |  Steven Kitshoff (c)
Substitutions:
HK | 16 |  JJ Kotze
PR | 17 |  Ali Vermaak
PR | 18 |  Neethling Fouché
LK | 19 |  Ben-Jason Dixon
FL | 20 |  Willie Engelbrecht
FL | 21 |  Marcel Theunissen
SH | 22 |  Paul de Wet
FB | 23 |  Clayton Blommetjies
Coach:
John Dobson
|  |  |

|

FB | 15 |  Mike Haley
RW | 14 |  Calvin Nash
OC | 13 |  Antoine Frisch
IC | 12 |  Malakai Fekitoa
LW | 11 |  Shane Daly
FH | 10 |  Jack Crowley
SH | 9 |  Conor Murray
N8 | 8 |  Gavin Coombes
OF | 7 |  John Hodnett
BF | 6 |  Peter O'Mahony (c)
RL | 5 |  Tadhg Beirne
LL | 4 |  Jean Kleyn
TP | 3 |  Stephen Archer
HK | 2 |  Diarmuid Barron
LP | 1 |  Jeremy Loughman
Substitutions:
HK | 16 |  Niall Scannell
PR | 17 |  Josh Wycherley
PR | 18 |  Roman Salanoa
LK | 19 |  RG Snyman
BR | 20 |  Alex Kendellen
SH | 21 |  Craig Casey
FH | 22 |  Ben Healy
UB | 23 |  Keith Earls
Coach:
Graham Rowntree

Man of the Match:
John Hodnett

Assistant referees:
Mike Adamson (Scotland)
Craig Evans (Wales)
Television match official:
Ben Whitehouse (Wales)

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "DHL Stormers just short in Vodacom URC Grand Final". The Stormers. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 27 May 2023.
2. ^ "Stormers 14-19 Munster: Irish province claim URC title vs Stormers in Cape Town for first silverware since 2011". Sky Sports. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
3. ^ "United Rugby Championship Grand Final: Stormers 14-19 Munster - Late converted try seals win for Irish province". BBC Sport. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 31 May 2023.
4. ^ "Munster beat Stormers to end 12-year wait for URC title". RTE Sport. 27 May 2023. Retrieved 1 June 2023.
5. ^ "Munster's Road To The URC Final". Munster Rugby. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
6. ^ "DHL Stormers book home semifinal at DHL Stadium". The Stormers. 6 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
7. ^ "Stormers flair overcomes Connacht grit in thrilling URC semi-final". Irish Examiner. 13 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
8. ^ "URC Grand Final Fixture Details". Munster Rugby. 15 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
9. ^ "URC Grand Final Sold-Out". Munster Rugby. 18 May 2023. Retrieved 20 May 2023.

* v
* t
* e

United Rugby Championship

Seasons|

| Celtic League|

* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* Celtic Cup
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|

Pro12|

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Pro14|

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|

Former|

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Defunct|

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Current team seasons
2024-25|

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