Eight new signings are set to pull on the Blue & Black for the first time as Cardiff Rugby kick-off their pre-season against Richmond FC on Saturday (3pm).
Ioan Lloyd, Taine Basham, George Nott and Sam Wainwright all start at the Arms Park, and they are joined by loan-signing Ioan Emanuel in the starting line-up.
Fellow summer recruits Javan Sebastian and Tom Cottle are named among the replacements, as is Ieuan Davies who arrived alongside Emanuel from Bath for the 2025-6 season.
Josh McNally captains the side, in the absence of Wales’s summer tourists, while there is a welcome return to action for Mason Grady.
Cardiff head coach Matt Sherratt said: “Saturday is the first step towards Emirates Lions on September 27, and everyone is looking forward to getting back on the pitch and focussing on rugby.
“Richmond are an ambitious club, back in the Championship, and will give us the perfect challenge to test our wider squad.
“We really want to build on last season, and we have challenged the boys to continue showing that fight and attacking ambition. We want to show everyone what Cardiff look like and to ensure they are back queuing for tickets for the first league game of the campaign.
“It’s the ideal run out with a lot of new players, whether new signings, guys returning or progressing from the academy, getting their first taste of action. We have new combinations and players filtering back in following their various summer involvements.
“The most important thing is gelling as a team and trying some new things in a friendly fixture and gradually getting better each week ahead of the big kick-off in the URC.
“It’s also Summerfest, so it will be a great day full of activity for the whole family, with the weather also looking good. We’re all looking forward to getting out there and seeing our supporters again.”
Sherratt has named an extended 29-man squad for the friendly fixture with several academy stars getting their first taste of first team action.
Following Saturday’s encounter, Cardiff travel to face reigning BKT United Rugby Championship holders, Leinster on September 13.
Tickets for Summerfest and the Championship opener against Emirates Lions are available now, but Season Memberships offer the best possible value.
Cardiff Rugby: Tom Bowen; Mason Grady, Harri Millard, Rory Jennings, Elijah Evans, Ioan Lloyd, Ellis Bevan; Ioan Emanuel, Evan Lloyd, Sam Wainwright, Josh McNally (capt), George Nott, Ben Donnell, Dan Thomas, Taine Basham.
Replacements: Daf Hughes, Rhys Barratt, Cam Tyler-Grocott, Javan Sebastian, Joe Cowell, Tom Cottle, Alun Lawrence, Evan Rees, Lucas de la Rua, Ieuan Davies, Callum Sheedy, Harri Wilde, Steffan Emanuel, Osian Darwin-Lewis