The future of Barbarians Rugby in the UK

First topic message reminder :

I love the Baa Baa fixtures, they have had some fantastic games in the past. The teams have fashioned some of the worlds greatest players playing indicative of the clubs reputation for fun and fancy rugby. "Get out there and show us what you've got".

Though over the last ten years and more the Baa Baas have lost their shine for me as they now very rarely represent anything of the British Isles or Ireland when the play in one of the Home nations.

These days the fixture is inevitably at Twickenham and the team containing a group of out of work Southern Hemisphere players that may or may not be big names. The tests are also invariably not at Murrayfield, Landsdown or Cardiff...!

Gone are the days when the Baa Baas consisted of the Home nations finest, plus that traditional uncapped player. It was a further opportunity to see our stars in a semi Lions-esq team.

I have seen the side to play Australia in the up coming test, but I would rather the side looked a little more like this...


1. Gethin Jenkins (Blues)
2. Ross Ford (Edinburgh)
3. Dan Cole (Leicester)
4. Richie Gray (Glasgow) CAPTAIN
5. Donacha Ryan (Munster)
6. Tom Croft (Leicester)
7. Tom Young (Blues)
8. Ben Morgan (Scarlets)
9. Connor Murray (Munster)
10. Matthew Morgan (Ospreys)
11. Shane Williams (Ospreys)
12. Adam Warren (Scarlets)
13. Eoin O'Malley (Leinster)
14. Charlie Sharples (Gloucester)
15. Steffan Jones (Dragons)

englandglory4ever wrote:Proper world test teams contract their players directly to their Unions.

Has anyone told France that?

The last three WC finals have all featured a team that wasn't contracted by their national union.

englandglory4ever wrote:England borrow players from the clubs much to the clubs chagrin.

Thank god for that, if the last set of coaches had had permanent access to them, who knows what state they'd be in at the moment.



Club rugby predates international, it is the origin of all true rugby supporters and what breathes life into player development. It is as, if not more important than the national side.

stlowe wrote:

englandglory4ever wrote:Proper world test teams contract their players directly to their Unions.

Has anyone told France that?

The last three WC finals have all featured a team that wasn't contracted by their national union.

The last 4 finals, or every World Cup Final in the professional era if you'd rather. Still, I'd rather have central contracts than not.

red_stag wrote:I agree with this enitrely. I was very annoyed to see that Scarlets wouldn't release S.Jones for the Baabaas game.

BTW Maesteg - its Donnacha Ryan not Dean Ryan. Just FYI. Thats a good team.

Why the hell should they?
The Scarlets pay his wages and Jones has already been off with Wales duty for the first third of the season.

The Barbarians were stupid to arrange such a fixture and expect northern hemisphere players to be available.
I liked what they represented in the amateur era, but like the Lions they belong in the past and need to be disbanded.