Ampthill kick-off their 2025-26 Champ Rugby season with a local derby away at Cambridge Rugby.
Head Coach Dave Ward names a matchday squad with seven changes from the Baker Brothers Cup against Bedford Blues last time out.
Ampthill’s player of the year Harrison Courtney starts at loosehead, new signing Seb Smith makes his competitive debut at hooker with Scottish U20 Callum Norrie at tighthead.
Samoan Tatoa Auvaa partners Aiden King in the engine room whilst the back row is unchanged with Barney Merrett at blindside, vice-captain Charles Rylands on the openside and Tongan international Tino Mapapalangi driving the wheel at number eight.
Welshman Efan Jones was a standout performer at Blues and the scrumhalf makes his Champ Rugby bow alongside returning Louis Grimoldby facing his old club.
Captain Fraser Strachan has Oscar Wilson alongside him in midfield this week whilst a back three of Seva Kava, Sam Kildunne and Josh Barton will look to open up the Ellgia Field.
Ward names a six:two bench that includes hooker Samson Adejimi who scored in this fixture last year. Alex Davies and Matt Salisbury cover the backs and will make their competitive Maroon & Gold  debuts from the bench.
Dave Ward commented ahead of the game “We’re excited to start the new Champ Rugby campaign and a local derby against opposition that we know well is a great opportunity for us to set our standards for the season. Everything we’ve done for the past eight weeks has been focussed on tomorrow. Now is the time to put it into practice”Â
Kick-Off is 3pm. The game will be shown live in the Clubhouse at Dillingham Park thanks to Champ Rugby new tie-in with Clubber TV. All 182 Champ Rugby fixtures will be shown live this season!
1. Harrison Courtney 2. Seb Smith 3. Callum Norrie 4. Totoa Auvaa 5. Aidan King 6. Barney Merrett
7. Charles Rylands (vc) 8. Tino Mapapalangi 9. Efan Jones 10. Louis Grimoldby 11. Seva Kava
12. Fraser Strachan (c) 13. Oscar Wilson 14. Sam Kildunne 15. Josh Barton
16. Samson Adejimi 17. Rich Barrington 18. Jevaughn Warren 19. Kennedy Slyvester 20. Ollie Mullarkey 21. Kima Ravuvu 22. Alex Davies23. Matt Salisbury
