The Vodacom Bulls have secured their spot in the final four of the 2024/25 Vodacom United Rugby Championship campaign after triumphing over a spirited Edinburgh Rugby side in the quarterfinals at Loftus Versfeld Stadium on Saturday, 31 May. The 2023/24 Grand Finalists scored six tries to five of their Scottish counterparts in a 75-point thriller in the highveld, which enthralled the more than 20 000 fans in the stands.
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The men stationed in the capital first sent Cameron Hanekom in the 18th minute, after enduring some immense pressure from their visitors, who had a brilliant start. Centre pairing David Kriel [31′] and Harold Vorster [36′] went over to keep the side in the game before speedster, Canan Moodie, added another try in the 42nd minute, followed by inform flyhalf Keagan Johannes four minutes later before skipper Ruan Nortje crossed the last dot of the afternoon in the 51st minute.
Johannes added more points to the tally with three conversions and two penalties to help the herd register the victory.
Leinster, Glasgow Warriors and the Hollywoodbets Sharks join the Vodacom Bulls as they all delivered match-winning performances to set up a pair of blockbuster Semi-Finals across the Northern and Southern hemispheres.
The results now narrow down the list of possible Grand Final venues, with Dublin’s Croke Park, Pretoria’s Loftus Versfeld and Hollywoodbets Kings Park headlining a stellar lineup of iconic stadia. All of the top four seeds have progressed after a weekend filled with drama and thrilling entertainment.
In Semi-Final 1, Leinster (1) will enjoy home advantage when they take on defending champions Glasgow Warriors (4) at Dublin’s Aviva Stadium, kicking off at 14:45 (UK & IRE) / 15:45 (SAST).
Following that clash of the Celts, Hollywoodbets Sharks (3) will face the Vodacom Bulls (2) in a South African derby at Loftus Versfeld in Semi-Final 2, kicking off at 17:15 (UK & IRE) / 18:15 (SAST).
Of the Semi-Finalist teams, only Glasgow Warriors have previously won the Vodacom URC, while the Vodacom Bulls were runners-up in the 2022 and 2024 Grand Finals. The
Hollywoodbets Sharks make their first-ever appearance in a Semi-Final, while remarkably, eight-time league winners Leinster are still chasing their first Grand Final appearance in the Vodacom URC era.
The first three seasons of Vodacom URC Play-Offs have produced several away wins – including at the Semi-Final stage – and these evenly poised match-ups could yet see joy for the travelling teams.
2025 VODACOM URC SEMI-FINALS
Saturday, June 7
SF1: Leinster (1) v Glasgow Warriors (4)
Aviva Stadium, Dublin
Kick-off: 14:45 UK & IRE / 15:45 SAST
Live on RTÉ, Premier Sports, SuperSport, URC.tv, FloRugby
SF2: Vodacom Bulls (2) v Hollywoodbets Sharks (3)
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria
Kick-off: 17:15 UK & IRE / 18:15 SAST
Live on SuperSport, Premier Sports, TG4, URC.tv, FloRugby
The games will be live in the UK and Ireland on Premier Sports, TG4, and RTÉ, with SuperSport broadcasting all the action in South Africa. FloRugby will carry the games in the United States, while URC.tv will stream matches in selected international territories, including the Republic of Ireland.
VODACOM URC GRAND FINAL VENUES
Venues confirmed for the Grand Final (based on highest-ranked team)
Croke Park, Dublin – Leinster (1)
Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria – Vodacom Bulls (2)
Hollywoodbets Kings Park, Durban – Hollywoodbets Sharks (3)
As the No. 4-ranked team, Glasgow Warriors cannot host the Grand Final.
