Bristol Bears kick off their 2025/26 PREM Rugby Cup campaign away at Sale Sharks on Saturday
Louis Rees-Zammit of Bristol Bears (Photo by David Rogers/Getty Images)
Wales star Louis Rees-Zammit has been named on the bench for Bristol Bears PREM Rugby Cup opener away at Sale Sharks on Saturday having return from the NFL this summer.
Georgian international Luka Ivanishvili, who starts on the blindside flank, and full-back Josh Carrington, who arrived from Cardiff Met University in the summer, are named in the starting XV to make their debuts, while former Newcastle Falcons scrum-half Max Pepper joins Rees-Zammit on the bench.
Bristol director of rugby Pat Lam outlined how his side are approaching the opening game of the season. He said: “The most important thing is to build cohesion heading to the PREM game [at home to Leicester Tigers on September 28), but this is also a meaningful fixture and the win matters. It is something different that we have never done in the PREM before and we are certainly approaching it like a proper game, rather than a pre-season game, because it is with just 23 players able to play.”
Looking ahead to the trip to the Salford Community Stadium, which is one of the most secure fortresses in the PREM, Lam said: “Sale are consistently a tough side a team we struggle against, so it is nice to start the season he and understand where we are at.
“We know we will be tested, we need to hit the start line straight away, and we know we are going to get tested physically and mentally. It is a great test for us as we prepare for the start of the league campaign.”
The game kicks off at 3pm on Saturday.
Sale Sharks: 15.Ollie Davies, 14. Tom O’Flaherty, 13. Rob du Preez ©, 12. Rekeiti Ma’asi-White, 11. Obi Ene, 10. Tom Curtis 9. Nye Thomas; 1. Simon McIntyre, 2. Nathan Jibulu, 3. James Harper, 4. Ernst van Rhyn, 5. Ben Bamber, 6. Jacques Vermeulen, 7. Sam Dugdale, 8. Dan du Preez.
Replacements: 16. Ethan Caine, 17. Tumy Onasanya, 18. Patreece Bell, 19. Hyron Andrews, 20. Jos Gilmore, 21. Dom Hanson, 22. Sam Bedlow, 23. Tristan Woodman.
Bristol Bears: 15. Josh Carrington (debut), 14. Aidan Boshoff (3 apps), 13. Joe Jenkins (26 apps), 12. Benhard Janse van Rensburg (50 apps), 11. Gabriel Ibitoye (59 apps), 10. AJ MacGinty (53 apps), 9. Kieran Marmion (52 apps); 1. Jake Woolmore (169 apps), 2. Harry Thacker (133 apps), 3. George Kloska (65 apps), 4. Joe Owen (35 apps), 5. Joe Batley (75 apps), 6. Luka Ivanishvili (debut), 7. Fitz Harding (c) (97 apps), 8. Ben Grondona (20 apps).
Replacements: 16. Tomas Gwilliam (5 apps), 17. Sam Grahamslaw (12 apps), 18. Lovejoy Chawatama (5 apps), 19. Kenzie Jenkins (3 apps), 20. Kofi Cripps (3 apps), 21. Max Pepper (debut), 22. James Williams (55 apps), 23. Louis Rees-Zammit (debut).
Referee: Matthew Carley
Assistant Referees : Alex Thomas and Simon Harding