 | ||
| Full name | Barbarian Football Club | |
|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Baa-Baas | |
| Founded | 1890 [1] | |
| Coach(es) |  Eddie Jones | |
| Most appearances |  Tony O'Reilly (30) | |
| Top scorer | Tony O'Reilly (38 tries) | |
| ||
| First match | ||
| Hartlepool Rovers 4–9 Barbarians (27 December 1890)[2] | ||
| Largest win | ||
Belgium  10–84 Barbarians(24 May 2008) | ||
| Largest defeat | ||
England XV  73–12 Barbarians (31 May 2015)[3] | ||
| Official website | ||
| www | ||
The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians, is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip.[4] Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, players from 31 countries had played for them.[5] Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match.[4][6]
Until rugby union became a professional sport, the Barbarians usually played six annual matches: with Penarth, Cardiff, Swansea and Newport at Easter; a game with Leicester on 27 December and the Mobbs Memorial Match against East Midlands in the spring. In 1948, the Barbarians were invited to face Australia as part of the Wallabies' tour of Britain, Ireland and France. Although initially designed as a fundraiser towards the end of the tour, the encounter became a popular and traditional fixture. Initially played every three years, it has become more frequent in the professional era, with the Barbarians now often playing one of the national teams visiting Britain each autumn.
On 29 May 2011, at halftime in the Barbarians' match against England at Twickenham, the Barbarians and their founder William Percy Carpmael were honoured with induction to the IRB Hall of Fame.[7] A women's team was established in 2017.
Many rugby clubs around the world are based on the Barbarians model of an invitational scratch team, including the French Barbarians, Australian Barbarians, New Zealand Barbarians and South African Barbarians.
- ^ The founding at Baarbarian FC
- ^ History of the Barbarians at Barbarian FC
- ^ "Rugby Union News | Live Scores, Odds | Sporting Life". Archived from the original on 2 June 2015. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
- ^ a b "Odd socks and bi-lingual referees". ESPN. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ "Mason on bench for Baa Baas". ESPN Scrum. 25 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2011. Retrieved 25 May 2011.
- ^ "Barbarians announce team to face England". Sky Sports. 31 May 2019. Retrieved 5 December 2020.
- ^ "Carpmael and Barbarians in Hall of Fame" (Press release). International Rugby Board. 29 May 2011. Archived from the original on 7 June 2011. Retrieved 29 May 2011.