The Griquas are locked and loaded to take to the field on Saturday when they tackle the Pumas in Welkom in what will be the opening game of the Airlink Cup.

The new competition will feature the Currie Cup runners-up, the Pumas as well as the Griquas, Griffons and Leopards.

The tournament will feature a double-header of matches each Saturday for the next month, while they will be played in four different cities as well. The first game is set for Welkom, while the rest of the series will be played in Kimberley, Potchefstroom, and Nelspruit.

This gives the so-called smaller unions an opportunity to play as it is not uncommon for these teams to experience breaks of more than six months between matches.

The Griquas team to face the Pumas has quite a new look and feel to it as there are five debutants in the match 23, with four of them playing off the bench.

The fullback, Cameron Hufke, is the only debutant in the starting XV, while Leon Lyons, Athi Khetani, Lourens Oosthuizen and Thomas Bursey will all make their debut from the bench.

The Griquas coach, Pieter Bergh, told OFM Sport that while it’s only four games that they get to play, it’s more than what they had.

“Our last match was on the 10th of June, and if it wasn't for this competition, we'd go six months without any rugby,” said Bergh.

“We'd normally start in January and February to build towards the SA Cup, which I think will start in March.

“Jimmy Stonehouse and I have said it for at least two years - the Griquas and Pumas as well as the other smaller unions need more games.

“It's only four matches, but at least it is four matches and it has given our players and coaches something to work towards.”

This match in Welkom will kick-off at 13:00 on Saturday afternoon. At 15:00 the Griffons will tackle the Pumas.

Griquas - 15 Cameron Hufke, 14 Sako Makata, 13 Jay-Cee Nel, 13 Tertius Kruger, 11 Luther Obi, 10 George Whitehead (captain), 9 Bobby Alexander, 8 Carl Els, 7 Stephan Smit, 6 Thabo Ndimande, 5 Derik Pretorius, 4 Dylan Sjoblom, 3 Cebo Dlamini, 2 Janco Uys, 1 Eddie Davids

Replacements - 16 Gustav du Randt, 17 Leon Lyons, 18 Janu Botha, 19 Athi Khetani, 20 Niel Otto, 21 Lourens Oosthuizen, 22 Thomas Bursey, 23 Eddie Fouché

Pumas - 15 Andrew Kota, 14 Lundi Msenge, 13 Stephan Coetzee, 12 Wian van Niekerk, 11 Phiko Sobahle, 10 Brandon Thomson, 9 Giovan Snyman, 8 Kwanda Dimaza, 7 Franna Kleynhans, 6 André Fouché, 5 Shane Kirkwood (captain), 4 Malembe Mpofu, 3 Sampie Swiegers, 2 Llewellyn Claasen, 1 Etienne Janeke.

Replacements - 16 PJ Jacobs, 17 Njabulo Gumede, 18 Simon Raw, 19 Jeandré Leonard, 20 Ruwald van der Merwe, 21 Ross Braude, 22 Clinton Swart, 23 Tino Swanepoel.

Morgan Piek OFM Sport