- Barbarian F.C.
-
Barbarians 
Nickname(s) Baa-Baas Most appearances 
Tony O'Reilly (30)Top scorer Tony O'Reilly (38 tries)
Team kitFirst match Hartlepool Rovers 4 – 9 Barbarians
(27 December 1890)Largest win 
Belgium 10 – 84 Barbarians
(24 May 2008)Largest defeat 
Australia 55 – 7 Barbarians
(06 June 2009)Official website www.barbarianfc.co.uk The Barbarian Football Club, usually referred to as the Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team based in Britain. The Barbarians play in traditional black and white hoops, though players retain the socks from their "home" club strip.
Membership is by invitation and the only qualifications considered when issuing an invitation are that the player's rugby is of a high enough standard and secondly that he should behave himself on and off the field. Being asked to become a Barbarian is an honour and not one restricted to British players; in addition to all four of the Home Nations, players from 27 other countries have worn Barbarian colours.[1] Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match.
The Barbarians traditionally played six annual encounters, Penarth, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport during their Easter Tour; a Boxing Day game with Leicester and the Mobbs Memorial Match against East Midlands in the spring. In 1948, the Barbarians were invited to face Australia as part of that team's tour of Britain, Ireland and France. Although initially designed as a fund raiser towards the end of the tour, the encounter became a popular fixture for most touring nations to Britain, and a Barbarian tradition.
On 29 May 2011, during halftime of the Barbarians' match against England at Twickenham, the Barbarians and their founder William Percy Carpmael were honoured for their unique contributions to the sport with induction to the IRB Hall of Fame.[2]
The Barbarian Football Club should not be confused with the Barbarian Rugby Club, also known as the French Barbarians, one of many invitational clubs based on Barbarian F.C. around the world.
Contents
History
Barbarians team that faced Huddersfield, December 1891
The Barbarian Club was formed by William Percy Carpmael, who had played rugby for Cambridge University,[3] and had been part of the Cambridge team which had undertaken a tour of Yorkshire in 1884.[4] Inspired by the culture behind short rugby tours he organised his first tour in 1889 with Clapham Rovers,[4] which was followed by an 1890 tour with an invitational team calling themselves the Southern Nomads.[5] At the time practically every club ceased playing in early March and there were no tours and players just 'packed up' until the following season. In 1890 he took the Southern Nomads – mainly composed of players from Blackheath – on a tour of some northern counties of England.
His idea – collecting a touring side from all sources to tackle a few leading clubs in the land – received strong support from leading players, particularly ex-university players. On 9 April 1890 in Leuchters Restaurant at the Alexandra hotel in Bradford, the concept of the Barbarians was agreed upon.[6] The team toured later that year and beat Hartlepool Rovers 9 – 4 on 27 December in their first fixture.
The team was given the motto by Walter Julius Carey, former Bishop of Bloemfontein and a former member of the Barbarians:[7]
- Rugby Football is a game for gentlemen in all classes, but for no bad sportsman in any class.
Penarth, Barbarians HQ
The now demolished Esplanade Hotel, photographed in 1970 and seen here just on the other side of the Penarth swimming pool and baths. "The Esp", as it was known, was the spiritual home and headquarters of the Barbarians Football Club for over 75 yearsThe concept took hold over the years and the nearest thing to a club home came to be the Esplanade Hotel, Penarth in South Wales, where the Barbarians always stayed on their Easter tours of Wales.[8] The annual Good Friday games against the Barbarians was the highlight of the Penarth club's year and were always attended by enthusiastic capacity crowds. This fixture marked the start of the "Baa-Baas" annual South Wales tour from their "spiritual home" of Penarth, which also encompassed playing Cardiff RFC on the Saturday, Swansea RFC on Easter Monday and Newport RFC on the Tuesday.
The non-match day of Easter Sunday would always see the Barbarians playing golf at the Glamorganshire Golf Club,[9] in Penarth, while the former Esplanade Hotel, that was located on the seafront at Penarth would host the gala party for the trip, sponsored by the Penarth RFC club. The first match took place in 1901,[8] and over the next 75 encounters, Penarth won eleven games, drew four and lost 60. Between 1920 and the first Athletics Field game in 1925 the Good Friday games were hosted on Penarth County Grammar School's sports field.
The final Penarth v Barbarians game was played in 1986 by which time the Penarth club had slipped from its former prominent position in Welsh rugby. However, a special commemorative game, recognising the 100 years since the first Good Friday match, took place in 2001 and was played at the Athletic Field next to the Penarth clubhouse the day before the Barbarians played Wales at the Millennium Stadium. Gary Teichmann captain of both the South African International squad and the Barbarians, unveiled a plaque at the clubhouse to mark the event.
The Final Challenge
After the Second World War in 1948 the Barbarians were asked by the Home Unions to raise a side to play the touring Australian side. This started the tradition of the Final Challenge – played as the last match in a tour of Britain and Ireland by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.
That game, that try
The Barbarian Final Challenge match with the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park on January 27, 1973 is celebrated as one of the best games of rugby union ever played. It was a game of attack and counter attack.
Cliff Morgan described that try by Gareth Edwards:
- Kirkpatrick to Williams. This is great stuff! Phil Bennett covering chased by Alistair Scown. Brilliant, oh, that's brilliant! John Williams, Bryan Williams. Pullin. John Dawes, great dummy. To David, Tom David, the half-way line! Brilliant by Quinnell! This is Gareth Edwards! A dramatic start! What a score!!.....Oh that fellow Edwards....If the greatest writer of the written word would've written that story no-one would have believed it. That really was something.[10]
Gareth Edwards said of the match:
“ "People tend only to remember the first four minutes of the game because of the try, but what they forgot is the great deal of good rugby played afterwards, much of which came from the All Blacks." "For us after the success of the 1971 Lions tour, which captured the imagination of the whole country, it was an opportunity to bring a lot of that side together again."
” The Barbarians won the match 23 – 11 (27 – 13 in today's scoring system), handing the All Blacks their fourth defeat of the tour.
Scorers:
- Barbarians: Tries: G.O. Edwards, J.F. Slattery, J.C. Bevan, J.P.R. Williams; Conversions: P. Bennett (2); Penalty: P. Bennett
- All Blacks: Tries: G.B. Batty (2); Penalty: J.F. Karam
Past presidents
The office was first instituted in 1913:
- W.P. Carpmael, held office from 1913–1936; (the founder of the Barbarians)
- Emile de Lissa, held office from 1936–1955; associated as Secretary, Treasurer, Vice-President and President from 1901–1955
- Jack "Haigho" Smith, held office in 1955, (term lasted for only a few weeks before his death, having previously given devoted service as Honorary Secretary for more than 30 years)
- Brigadier Glyn Hughes, held office from 1955–1973;
- Herbert Waddell, held office from 1973–1988;
- Micky Steele-Bodger, held office since 1988.
Traditional matches
The nature of the Barbarians as a touring side made for a diverse fixture list, but at a number of points in the club's history they have settled for a time into a regular pattern. Some of these regular matches have fallen by the wayside, whilst others continue to the present day:
- Boxing Day fixture against Leicester Tigers – this began in 1909 as the third and final match of the Christmas Tour. No longer played.
- The Edgar Mobbs Memorial Match – held for Edgar Mobbs, who was killed in The First World War. Played at Franklins Gardens against Northampton Saints, Bedford Blues or The East Midlands select XV. The first took place on 10 February 1921, and in later years became a tradition on the first Thursday in March. The last Mobbs Match to feature the Barbarians took place in April 2011. The fixture will continue, but the invited opposition in the future will be a British Army side instead of the Barbarians.[11]
- Easter Tour – traditionally four matches against Penarth RFC (Good Friday), Cardiff RFC/Cardiff Blues (Easter Saturday); Swansea RFC (Easter Monday) and Newport RFC (Tuesday following Easter Monday). The Penarth match was dropped after the 1986 match as a regular fixture although in 2001 a special commemorative game, recognising the 100 years since the first Good Friday match, took place in 2001 and was played at the Athletic Field next to the Penarth clubhouse the day before the Barbarians played Wales at the Millennium Stadium.
- The Final Challenge — played as the last match in a tour of the UK by Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Because of the changes in the game in recent years, long tours have effectively disappeared from the game and there is less scope for this challenge. The fixture returned on December 3, 2008 when the Barbarians played Australia at Wembley Stadium, the first rugby union match to be played there since its redevelopment.
- Remembrance Day game against the Combined Services, played in early November.
They typically compete against teams from the home nations (England, Wales, Scotland and Ireland) as well as other international sides.
1908 Olympic rugby union centenary celebration match
Australia was approached by the British Olympic Association to play the Barbarians at Wembley Stadium on 3 December 2008. The match formed part of the BOA's programme of events to celebrate the centenary of the first London Olympic Games where Australia defeated a Great Britain (Cornwall) side in the final 32 – 3.[12] In 1908 France were the defending Olympic champions but when they withdrew from the event, leaving just Australia and Great Britain to contest the gold medal, it was then County champions Cornwall who took to the field to represent the host nation. Cornwall had already been defeated in Australia's earlier 31-match tour. The contribution of Cornwall 1908 contribution was also further recognised by the presentation of the Cornwall Cup to the winning captain at Wembley, with the players of the respective sides receiving gold or silver commemorative medals. The game was the first rugby union fixture to take place in the new Wembley Stadium, the old stadium having been last used for Wales' last gasp 32–31 victory over England in the then Five Nations in 1999.[13] Australia went on to win 18 points to 11.
In a change to the tradition of the Barbarians players wearing their own club socks, in this game, they all wore Cornwall's black and gold socks. The break with the tradition was highly regarded by the secretary of the Cornwall Rugby Football Union, Alan Mitchell, who was said to have been humbled by the honour.[13]
Notes
Matches against International sides
Opposing Teams For Against Date Venue City Competition 
Wales26 10 1915-04-17 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Tour Match
To raise 'patriotic funds' Australia9 6 1948-01-31 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
South Africa3 17 1952-01-26 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
New Zealand5 19 1954-02-20 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge Australia11 6 1958-02-22 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge Terms of Use before you submit it. 
East Africa52 12 1958-05-28 RFUEA Ground Nairobi Tour Match South Africa6 0 1961-02-04 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
Canada3 3 1962-11-17 Gosforth Tour Match New Zealand3 36 1964-02-15 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge Australia11 17 1967-01-28 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge New Zealand6 11 1967-12-16 Twickenham London Final Challenge 
Rhodesia24 21 1969-05-26 Tour Match South Africa12 21 1970-01-31 Twickenham London Tour Match 
Scotland17 33 1970-05-09 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match
In aid of 1970 British Commonwealth Games
Fiji9 29 1970-10-24 Gosforth Final Challenge New Zealand23 11 1973-01-27 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge New Zealand13 13 1974-11-30 Twickenham London Final Challenge Australia19 7 1976-01-24 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
Canada29 4 1976-06-12 Toronto Tour Match British Lions 14 23 1977-09-10 Twickenham London Silver Jubilee Match New Zealand16 18 1978-12-16 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge Scotland26 13 1983 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match Australia30 37 1984-12-15 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
Italy23 15 1985-05-26 Tour Match Australia22 40 1988-11-26 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge New Zealand10 21 1989-11-25 Twickenham London Final Challenge 
England16 18 1990-09-29 Twickenham Tour Match
Centenary celebrations Wales31 24 1990-10-06 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Tour Match
Centenary celebrations
Argentina34 22 1990-11-17 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge Scotland16 16 1991-09-07 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match 
Russia23 27 1992-06-06 Tour Match Australia20 30 1992-11-28 Twickenham London Final Challenge New Zealand12 25 1993-12-04 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Final Challenge 
Zimbabwe21 23 1994-06-04 Tour Match 
South Africa23 15 1994-12-03 Lansdowne Road Dublin Final Challenge Ireland70 38 1996 Lansdowne Road Dublin Tour Match
Peace International Scotland45 48 1996-08-17 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match
Dunblane Disaster Fund Match Wales31 10 1996-08-24 Cardiff Arms Park Cardiff Tour Match Australia12 39 1996-12-07 Twickenham London Final Challenge Ireland31 30 2000–05 Lansdowne Road Dublin Tour Match Scotland45 42 2000-05-31 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match 
Germany47 19 2000-08-12 Eilenriedestadion Hanover Tour Match
German Rugby Federation Centenary Match South Africa31 41 2000-05-31 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Final Challenge Wales40 38 2001-05-20 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Tour Match Scotland74 31 2001-05-24 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match England43 29 2001-05-27 Twickenham Tour Match Australia35 49 2001-11-28 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Final Challenge England29 53 2002–05 Twickenham Tour Match Wales40 25 2002–05 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Tour Match Scotland47 27 2002–06 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match England49 36 2003–05 Twickenham Tour Match Scotland24 15 2003–05 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match Wales48 35 2003–05 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Tour Match Scotland40 33 2004-05-22 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match Wales0 42 2004-05-27 Ashton Gate Bristol Tour Match England32 12 2004-05-30 Twickenham Tour Match 
Portugal66 34 2004-06-10 Universitário Lisboa Lisbon Tour Match New Zealand19 47 2004-12-04 Twickenham London Final Challenge Scotland9 38 2005-05-24 Pittodrie Aberdeen Tour Match England52 39 2005-05-28 Twickenham Tour Match England19 46 2006-05-28 Twickenham Tour Match Scotland19 66 2006-05-31 Murrayfield Edinburgh Tour Match 
Georgia28 19 2006-06-04 Mikheil Meskhi Stadium Tbilisi Tour Match 
Tunisia33 10 2007-05-19 Stade El Menzah Tunis Tour Match 
Spain52 26 2007-06-23 Martínez Valero Elche Tour Match South Africa22 5 2007-12-01 Twickenham London Final Challenge Belgium84 10 2008-05-24 Stade Roi Baudouin Brussels Tour Match Ireland14 39 2008-05-27 Kingsholm Gloucester Tour Match England14 17 2008-06-01 Twickenham London Tour Match Australia11 18 2008-12-03 Wembley Stadium London Final Challenge / Cornwall Cup England35 26 2009-05-03 Twickenham London Tour Match [14] Australia7 55 2009-06-06 Sydney Football Stadium Sydney Tour Match [15] New Zealand25 18 2009-12-05 Twickenham London Final Challenge England26 35 2010-05-30 Twickenham London Tour Match Ireland29 23 2010-06-04 Thomond Park Limerick Tour Match South Africa26 20 2010-12-04 Twickenham London Final Challenge England38 32 2011-05-29 Twickenham London Tour Match Wales31 28 2011-06-04 Millennium Stadium Cardiff Tour Match
Celebration of 130th anniversary of the WRU; fully capped match for Wales Australia2011-11-26 Twickenham London Final Challenge England2012-05-27 Twickenham London Tour Match British and Irish Lions 2013-06-01 Hong Kong Stadium So Kon Po Lions Tour Match [16] Squad for 2011 Autumn tour
Barbarians squad for their match on 26th November against Australia .[17]
Note: Flags indicate national union as has been defined under IRB eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-IRB nationality.
Player Position Union Keven Mealamu ( Auckland)Hooker New ZealandAdriaan Strauss ( Cheetahs)Hooker South AfricaEusebio Guiñazú ( 
Toulouse)Prop ArgentinaSylvain Marconnet ( Biarritz)Prop FranceSalvatore Perugini ( Aironi)Prop ItalySimon Shaw ( Toulon)Lock EnglandVictor Matfield ( Toulon)Lock South AfricaMarco Bortolami ( Aironi)Lock ItalyJerome Kaino ( Auckland)Flanker New ZealandMauro Bergamasco (Unattached) Flanker ItalyJason White ( Clermont)Flanker ScotlandAdam Thomson ( Otago)Number 8 New ZealandPlayer Position Union Nemia Kenatale ( Tailevu)Scrum-half FijiPeter Stringer ( Munster)Scrum-half IrelandDanny Cipriani ( Rebels)Fly-half EnglandRobbie Frueanuc ( Canterbury)Centre New ZealandStirling Mortlock ( Rebels)Centre AustraliaSeru Rabeni ( La Rochelle)Centre FijiBryan Habana ( Western Province)Wing South AfricaRichard Kahui ( Waikato)Wing New ZealandIsaia Toeava ( Auckland)Fullback New ZealandSam Tomkinsuc ( Wigan Warriors)Fullback Englanduc: denotes player uncapped at International Level (15 a-side)Coaching staff
- Graham Henry ( All Blacks) – Head Coach
- Steve Hansen ( All Blacks) – Assistant Coach
Notable players
The 16 players chosen by the Barbarians official website as the outstanding players to represent the club.[18]
Original members of the Barbarians, 1890–1891
- England international, Scotland international, Wales international,
British Isles international - Oxon. – Oxford University player, Cam. – Cambridge University player
- Frederic Alderson Cam.
- Alfred Allport
- Darsie Anderson
- Randolph Aston Cam.
- Edward Bromet Cam.
- Richard Budworth Oxon.
- William Percy Carpmael Cam.
- R.F. Chaldecott
- Percy Christopherson Oxon.
- Paul Robert Clauss Oxon.
- Percival Coles Oxon.
- F.C. Cousins Oxon.
- Feltrim Edward Duckworth Cam.
- E. Emley
- David William Evans Oxon.
- Ralph Sweet-Escott Cam.
- Frank Evershed
- Francis Hugh Fox
- Frederick Goodhue Cam.
- John Hammond Cam.
- Froude Hancock
- L. Hickson
- Charles Hooper Cam.
- George Hubbard
- Hugh Ingledew
- A.S. Johnston
- R.O.B. Lane Oxon.
- William Leake Cam.
- Gregor MacGregor Cam.
- H. McNiven
- W.H. Mansfield
- Howard Marshall
- Philip Maud
- Walter Nathaniel Mayne Cam.
- William Grant Mitchell Cam.
- Piercy Morrison Cam.
- Eustace North Oxon.
- Charles Nicholl Cam.
- Launcelot Percival Oxon.
- John Rogers
- Mason Scott Cam.
- William Martin Scott Cam.
- E.W. Senior
- Thomas Storey Cam.
- Andrew Stoddart
- Aubone Surtees Cam.
- C.J. Vernon
- Thomas Sherren Whittaker
- Sammy Woods Cam.
- William Yiend
See also
- Australian Barbarians
- Brussels Barbarians
- French Barbarians
- New Zealand Barbarians
- South African Barbarians
Bibliography
- Starmer-Smith, Nigel (1977). The Barbarians. Macdonald & Jane's Publishers. ISBN 0860075524.
References
- ^ "Mason on bench for Baa Baas". ESPN Scrum. 2011-05-25. http://www.espnscrum.com/barbarians/rugby/story/140404.html. Retrieved 2011-05-25.
- ^ "Carpmael and Barbarians in Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 29 May 2011. http://www.irb.com/history/halloffame/newsid=2043073.html#carpmael+barbarians+hall+fame. Retrieved 29 May 2011.
- ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 13.
- ^ a b Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 14.
- ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 15.
- ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 20.
- ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 10.
- ^ a b Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 37.
- ^ Starmer-Smith (1977), pg 38.
- ^ Morgan fears for game that has lost its sense of fun independent.co.uk 2003-01-25
- ^ Richards, Huw (22 April 2011). "The end of an era". ESPN Scrum. http://www.espnscrum.com/barbarians/rugby/story/138641.html. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
- ^ "Australia approached to mark Cornwall v Australia centenary match". Sportinglife.com. http://www.sportinglife.com/rugbyunion/news/story_get.cgi?STORY_NAME=rugby/08/01/30/RUGBYU_Olympics.html. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ a b Cornish rugby to be honoured at Wembley Wednesday, December 03, 2008, 10:00
- ^ "BBC SPORT | Rugby Union | English | England omit Cipriani from squad". London: BBC News. 19 May 2009. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/english/8057463.stm. Retrieved 2009-05-21.
- ^ "The Barbarians – News". Barbarianfc.co.uk. 2008-12-22. http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/news.cfm?categoryID=55&id=238. Retrieved 2009-05-21.[dead link]
- ^ "Lions line up match in Hong Kong". BBC News. 2010-10-18. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_union/9102421.stm.
- ^ "Graham Henry and Steve Hansen to coach Barbarians at Twickenham". Barbarian FC. 2011-10-23. http://www.barbarianfc.co.uk/news/498/graham-henry-and-steve-hansen-to-coach-barbarians-at-twickenham/.
- ^ Roll of Honour
External links
Categories:- Barbarian F.C.
- International rugby union teams
- IRB Hall of Fame inductees
- Multinational rugby union teams
- British rugby union clubs
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