Your guide to Welsh rugby's pre-season fixtures

Wales' four clubs are preparing for the first block of the 2026-27 United Rugby Championship (URC) while uncertainty over the future of the professional game rumbles on.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) is pressing on with plans to cut a team, with Cardiff and Dragons set to be safe, leaving Ospreys and Scarlets to fight it out for one spot.

The proposal to go down to three sides will not happen until 2028 and that means, unless there are any dramatic events, the quartet will continue to take to the field for another two campaigns.

Pre-season training started for some players in mid-July and matches have been arranged in the countdown to round one of the 2026-27 URC, which gets under way on Friday, 25 September.

Here are the friendlies that the Welsh quartet will play.

Friday, 4 September

Coventry 12-52 Ospreys: Summer signings Tom Rogers and Liam Wright scored as Mark Jones' men ran in eight tries against English Champ opposition.

Saturday, 5 September

Dragons 81-12 Hartpury: Dragons eased past their visitors from England's second tier with Tonga wing Anzelo Tuitavuki scoring one of six first-half tries on his first outing. After leading 38-0 at the break, Filo Tiatia's men crossed seven more times with Samoa scrum-half Ere Enari scoring a double after his arrival from Hurricanes.

Exeter 15-36 Scarlets: Macs Page and Joe Roberts each struck before and after the break with Gabe MacDonald and Dan Davis also crossing at Sandy Park as Scarlets began their pre-season with victory. Veteran Wales fly-half Gareth Anscombe, a summer signing for Scarlets, withdrew before kick off.

Worcester 26-27 Cardiff: English Champ hosts Worcester gave Cardiff a big scare before the visitors prevailed. Jacob Beetham, Taine Basham, Ellis Bevan, Harri Millard and Liam Belcher touched down to help secure the win.

Friday, 11 September

Scarlets 14-80 Dragons: Dragons secured a comfortable 12-try victory in their final pre-season match against an under-strength Scarlets at Llandovery.

Wales hooker Elliot Dee crossed for two tries with further scores from Fine Inisi, Seb Davies, Harrison Keddie, Evan Minto, Tinus de Beer, Rhodri Williams, Harry Rees-Weldon, Sam Scarfe, David Richards and Joe Westwood.

Dragons will be concerned by a worrying first-half leg injury to lock Levi Douglas, who was on crutches at the end of the game.

Most of Scarlets' internationals were sitting in the stands but fly-half Gareth Anscombe made his first appearance and came through unscathed, kicking two first-half conversions for tries scored by Ioan Jones and Sam O'Connor.

Scarlets led 14-12 after 39 minutes before the inexperienced hosts were completely overrun in the second half.

Ulster 45-28 Ospreys: Mark Jones' men finished their pre-season with defeat by their URC rivals in Belfast. Rhys Davies, Sam Parry, Luke Morgan and Evardi Boshoff scored tries for Ospreys, who now build towards starting the league in South Africa against Sharks and Lions.

Friday, 18 September

Scarlets 14-26 Saracens: A star-studded Saracens side, that included British and Irish Lions stars Maro Itoje, Tomos Williams, Ben Earl, Owen Farrell and Elliot Daly, defeated Scarlets in Llanelli.

Wales centre Eddie James had opened the scoring for Scarlets but Saracens hit back with tries from Olly Hartley, Eoghan Clarke, George Martin and Sione Vaenuku. Scarlets prop Josh Morse gained a late consolation try.

Saturday, 19 September

Cardiff 28-33 Exeter: The English sides edged a 61-point game with tries from Greg Fisilau, Harvey Skinner, Stephen Vardy, Harry Wilson and former Cardiff wing Immanuel Feyi-Waboso.

Cardiff had opened up a 14-0 lead with early tries from Taine Basham and Ben Thomas, with second-half scores from Alex Mann and Dafydd Hughes.