Lions v Leinster: Kick-off time, TV channel and team news
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Round 1.
Leinster begin their 2026/27 United Rugby Championship campaign against the Lions in Johannesburg on Saturday afternoon.
Max Deegan captains a Leinster side featuring Todd Lawlor at full-back and Caspar Gabriel at out-half.
The Lions have named Francke Horne as captain, with Boeta Chamberlain starting at full-back.
What time is Lions v Leinster?
The match kicks off at 12.30pm Irish and UK time on Saturday, 26 September at Ellis Park. That is 1.30pm in South Africa.
What TV channel is Lions v Leinster on?
The game is live in Ireland on TG4 and Premier Sports 1. TG4 is free to air.
Lions v Leinster team news
Leinster have paired Gabriel and Fintan Gunne at half-back. Lawlor starts at full-back, with Tommy O’Brien and Andrew Osborne on the wings. Andrew Porter is named in the front row, while Deegan leads the side from the back row.
For the Lions, Chamberlain starts behind a backline featuring Henco van Wyk and Kelly Mpeku. Chris Smith and Nico Steyn form the half-back partnership, with Horne captaining the team from number eight.
Lions team
Starting XV: Boeta Chamberlain; Kelly Mpeku, Henco van Wyk, Richard Kriel, Erich Cronje; Chris Smith, Nico Steyn; Boan Venter, PJ Botha, Sebastian de Klerk; Etienne Oosthuizen, Ruan Delport; Siba Mahashe, Batho Hlekani, Francke Horne (captain).
Replacements: Morne Brandon, SJ Kotze, RF Schoeman, Hyron Andrews, Siba Qoma, JC Pretorius, Zian Cilliers, Ethan Adams.
Leinster team
Starting XV: Todd Lawlor; Tommy O’Brien, Hugh Cooney, Charlie Tector, Andrew Osborne; Caspar Gabriel, Fintan Gunne; Alex Usanov, Gus McCarthy, Andrew Porter; Ryan Baird, Conor O’Tighearnaigh; Max Deegan (captain), Scott Penny, Josh Ericson.
Replacements: Stephen Smyth, Peter Dooley, Niall Smyth, Brian Deeney, Dylan McNeice, Oliver Coffey, Harry Byrne, Ciarán Mangan.
