Bulls v Ulster: Match Hub, starting XV, kick-off and TV – 24 October 2026
Vodacom Bulls host Ulster at Loftus Versfeld in Pretoria on Saturday 24 October 2026 in Round 4 of the BKT United Rugby Championship. Kick-off was at 12.45pm BST in the UK and Ireland (1.45pm South African time). Tom Stewart captains Richie Murphy’s selected Ulster side, with the confirmed starting XV and replacements below.
Bulls v Ulster: match details
- Fixture: Vodacom Bulls v Ulster Rugby
- Competition: BKT United Rugby Championship, Round 4
- Date: Saturday 24 October 2026
- Kick-off: 12.45pm BST (UK and Ireland) / 1.45pm SAST (Pretoria)
- Venue: Loftus Versfeld, Pretoria, South Africa
- UK and Ireland TV: Premier Sports 2; Premier Player for subscribers
- Other streaming: URC.tv subject to territory and rights restrictions
Ulster starting XV against the Bulls
Hooker Tom Stewart leads the visitors. Tom O’Toole and Keynan Knox complete the front row; Ben Donnell and Cormac Izuchukwu are selected at lock. David McCann, Nick Timoney and South African number eight Juarno Augustus form the back row.
Nathan Doak and Jack Murphy are the half-backs, with Stuart McCloskey and Jamie Benson at centre. Michael Lowry and Chay Mullins start on the wings, while Jacob Stockdale is at full-back.
- 1. Tom O’Toole
- 2. Tom Stewart (captain)
- 3. Keynan Knox
- 4. Ben Donnell
- 5. Cormac Izuchukwu
- 6. David McCann
- 7. Nick Timoney
- 8. Juarno Augustus
- 9. Nathan Doak
- 10. Jack Murphy
- 11. Michael Lowry
- 12. Stuart McCloskey
- 13. Jamie Benson
- 14. Chay Mullins
- 15. Jacob Stockdale
Ulster replacements
Richie Murphy has named a six-forwards, two-backs bench. Matthew Devine and Jake Flannery provide the backline cover.
- 16. Henry Walker
- 17. Eric O’Sullivan
- 18. Scott Wilson
- 19. Eli Snyman
- 20. James McNabney
- 21. Matthew Devine
- 22. Jake Flannery
- 23. James McKillop
Team selection: the key talking points
Stewart leads Ulster in Pretoria
Stewart again wears the captain’s armband. With O’Toole and Knox alongside him, the Ulster front row faces a demanding away assignment at Loftus Versfeld.
Augustus returns to South Africa
Juarno Augustus starts at number eight after being named Player of the Match in Ulster’s 40–21 Challenge Cup victory away to Zebre Parma on 17 October. Alongside him, McCann and Timoney provide the starting back-row combination.
McCloskey and Benson start together
Jamie Benson returns to outside centre alongside Stuart McCloskey after featuring at fly-half in Parma, with Doak and Murphy returning as the starting half-back pairing. Lowry starts on the wing, Mullins is on the opposite flank and Stockdale plays at full-back.
Six forwards on the bench
Walker, O’Sullivan, Wilson, Snyman, McNabney and McKillop give Ulster six forward replacements. Devine and Flannery are the backline options, a 6–2 configuration that shapes the choices available to Murphy as the match develops.
What to watch against the Bulls
The Bulls’ starting side includes experienced fly-half Handré Pollard, with former Ulster captain Marcell Coetzee leading the home team. The contest between the packs and the half-back combinations will be central areas to follow, particularly in the conditions at altitude in Pretoria.
Ulster arrived in South Africa after two URC draws and an opening-round defeat; they secured a bonus-point European win in Parma the previous weekend. The Pretoria fixture begins a two-match South African URC trip, with a visit to the Stormers on Saturday 31 October.
How to watch Bulls v Ulster
The match kicked off at 12.45pm BST on Saturday 24 October. UK and Irish viewers can watch on Premier Sports 2, with online access for subscribers via Premier Player. URC.tv availability depends on where supporters are watching and local broadcasting rights.
Bulls v Ulster Match Hub
This is Rugby Ulster’s permanent Match Hub for Vodacom Bulls v Ulster on 24 October 2026. It contains the fixture details and pre-match team selection and can be updated with the official final score and match coverage after full time.
For the full campaign schedule, see our Ulster Rugby 2026/27 fixtures guide.
Team selection checked against reporting published on 22–23 October 2026. Lineups can change before kick-off. This page does not present unverified live scores or match incidents.