**The battle for local bragging rights will be stronger than ever when the United Rugby Championship gets under way on September 24.** While the competition’s 16 teams will be battling for a play-off berth in the overall league table, they will also be ranked in regional conferences. Teams in the same conference will face home and away fixtures against each other and play either at home or away against the other 12 sides in the competition. Here, we take a closer look at the teams fighting it out for the Irish Shield.
