Two sporting events to watch this week: Your handy guide to sport on television

URC

While the small matter of the Rugby World Cup continues, the 2023/24 United Rugby Championship kicks off at the weekend. The 21-round tournament involves teams from Ireland (4), Wales (4), South Africa (4), Scotland (2) and Italy (2). Munster are defending champions, and three of the four Irish provinces are in action on Saturday – Ulster away to Zebre, Connacht hosting Ospreys, and Munster having a home game against the Sharks (the ones based in Durban, not Sale). The following day, Leinster are in action in Glasgow. All four games are live on tv. – RTÉ, TG4 & Premier Sports, October 21st-June 22nd

Ascot

The end-of-season highlight of flat racing in England is the richest raceday on the British calendar. Apart from the Champion Stakes, the four Group One races includes the prestigious Queen Elizabeth II Stakes. All in all, there is more than £4 million (€4.6 million) in prizemoney on offer on Saturday at the racecourse located west of London. – UTV, Saturday

MONDAY (Oct 16th)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.20am New York Giants @ Buffalo Bills
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am Australia v Sri Lanka
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Euro Qualifier – 5pm Azerbaijan v Austria
• SOCCER – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 1 – Euro Qualifier – 7.45pm Gibraltar v Rep of Ireland
• SOCCER – Virgin Media Three & Premier Sports 2 – Euro Qualifier – 7.45pm Greece v Netherlands
• GAA – TG4, 8pm-9pm Club highlights
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2, 11.15pm-0.15am Against the Head

TUESDAY (Oct 17th)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Dallas Cowboys @ LA Chargers
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am South Africa v Netherlands
• SOCCER – Channel 4 – Euro Qualifier – 7.45pm England v Italy
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Euro Qualifier – 5pm Finland v Kazakhstan; 7.45pm N Ireland v Slovenia
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 2 – Friendly – 8pm France v Scotland

WEDNESDAY (Oct 18th)

• BADMINTON – TNT Sports 1, 8am-6.30pm Denmark Open
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am New Zealand v Afghanistan

THURSDAY (Oct 19th)

• BASKETBALL – Sky Sports Arena – WNBA Finals – 1am G4: Las Vegas Aces @ New York Liberty
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4am-8am The ZOZO Championship
• BADMINTON – TNT Sports 1, 8am-6.30pm Denmark Open
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am India v Bangladesh
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-6pm Andalucia Masters

FRIDAY (Oct 20th)

• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 1.15am Jacksonville Jaguars @ New Orleans Saints
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4am-8am The ZOZO Championship
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am Australia v Pakistan
• BADMINTON – TNT Sports 1, 11am-9.30pm Denmark Open quarter-finals
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 1pm-6pm Andalucia Masters
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 6pm – Practice & Qualifying United States GP
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Mix – Bundesliga – 7.30pm Borussia Dortmund v Werder Bremen
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & UTV – World Cup Semi-final – 8pm New Zealand v Argentina
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 8pm Rotherham v Ipswich
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Osasuna v Granada
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Ligue 1 – 8pm Le Havre v Lens

SATURDAY (Oct 21st)

• BASKETBALL – Sky Sports Arena from 1am – WNBA Finals – 2am G5: New York Liberty @ Las Vegas Aces
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4am-8am The ZOZO Championship
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 6am Netherlands v Sri Lanka; 9.30am England v South Africa
• BADMINTON – TNT Sports 3, 8am-5.15pm Denmark Open semi-finals
• TRIATHLON – Eurosport 1, noon-2.30pm – Saudi Arabia Super League
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 12.30pm-5pm Andalucia Masters
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Premier League – 12.30pm Liverpool v Everton
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Championship – 12.30pm Preston NE v Millwall
• RACING UTV, 1pm-4.05pm Ascot (Champions Day)
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 1pm Zebre v Ulster
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV – La Liga – 1pm Real Sociedad v Mallorca; 3.15pm Getafe v Real Betis; 5.30pm Sevilla v Real Madrid
• SOCCER – Premier Sports 1 – Premier League – 3pm Newcastle v Crystal Palace
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 2 – URC – 3pm Connacht v Ospreys
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3.05pm Leicester v Sale
• SQUASH – TNT Sports 4, 3.30pm-6pm, 6.30pm-9pm Grasshopper Cup
• GAA – RTÉ 2 – Kerry SFC Semi-final – 5.30pm Dingle v Mid Kerry
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Serie A – 5pm Torino v Inter Milan
• CYCLING – Eurosport 1, 5pm-8pm – Mallorca Track Champions League
• RUGBY – TG4 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 5.15pm Munster v Sharks
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 2 – URC – 5.15pm Cardiff v Benetton
• SOCCER – BBC 2 – Women’s Super League – 5.15pm Leicester v Man City
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 5.30pm Chelsea v Arsenal; 8pm Sheffield Utd v Man Utd
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Bundesliga – 5.30pm Mainz v Bayern Munich
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 6pm – Sprint United States Grand Prix
• BOXING – Sky Sports Arena & Showcase from 7pm – London Joshua Buatsi v Dan Azeez
• UFC – TNT Sports 2 from 7pm – Abu Dhabi Islam Makhachev v Alexander Volkanovski
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm Sassuolo v Lazio
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Celta Vigo v Atlético Madrid
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Ligue 1 – 8pm Nice v Marseille
• RUGBY – Virgin Media One & UTV – World Semi-final – 8pm England v South Africa
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.20pm-11.50pm Match of the Day

SUNDAY (Oct 22nd)

• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, 4am-8am The ZOZO Championship
• CRICKET – Sky Sports Cricket – World Cup – 9.30am India v New Zealand
• BADMINTON – TNT Sports 4, 11am-4.30pm Denmark Open final
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 11.30am Roma v Monza
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Mix – Scottish Women’s Premier League – Noon Celtic v Rangers
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 3 – Ligue 1 – Noon Lorient v Rennes; 2pm Lille v Brest; 4.05pm Monaco v Metz
• GOLF – Sky Sports Golf, noon-5pm Andalucia Masters
• SNOOKER – Eurosport 1, 1pm-5pm, 7pm-11pm Northern Ireland Open
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 2 – La Liga – 1pm Las Palmas v Rayo Vallecano; 3.15pm Girona v Almería; 5.30pm Villarreal v Alavés
• GAA – TG4 – Clare SHC Final – 2pm Clonlara v Crusheen; Dublin SFC Final – 4pm Kilmacud Crokes v Ballyboden St Enda’s
• RUGBY – Premier Sports 1 – URC – 2pm Bulls v Scarlets
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Serie A – 2pm Salernitana v Cagliari; 5pm Atalanta v Genoa
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Scottish Premiership – 2.15pm Hearts v Celtic
• RUGBY LEAGUE – BBC 1 – 2.30pm England v Tonga
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Arena – Bundesliga – 2.30pm Cologne v M’gladbach; 4.30pm Heidenheim 1846 v Augsburg
• RUGBY – TNT Sports 1 – English Premiership – 3pm Harlequins v Exeter
• RUGBY – RTÉ 2 & Premier Sports 1 – URC – 4pm Glasgow v Leinster
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Premier League – 4.30pm Aston Villa v West Ham Utd
• NFL – Sky Sports NFL – 6pm Detroit Lions @ Baltimore Ravens; 9.25pm LA Chargers @ Kansas City Chiefs; 1.20am Miami Dolphins @ Philadelphia Eagles
• SOCCER – Sky Sports Football – Women’s Super League – 6.45pm Bristol City v Arsenal
• F1 – Sky Sports F1 from 8pm United States GP
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 1 – Serie A – 7.45pm AC Milan v Juventus
• SOCCER – TNT Sports 2 – Ligue 1 – 7.45pm Lyon v Clermont
• SOCCER – LaLigaTV & Premier Sports 1 – La Liga – 8pm Barcelona v Athletic Bilbao
• SOCCER – BBC 1, 10.30pm-11.10pm Match of the Day 2