Many years ago, a group of players were chosen to form an elite team. They had
no ground, clubhouse or subscription and membership was by invitation only. In essence, they represented a glorious concept brought to life by the vision and enthusiam of one man, William Percy Carpmael. Inspired by his personal playing experiences with both Blackheath and Cambridge University, his dream was to spread good fellowship amongst all rugby football players.The dream became reality on December 27th 1890 at Friary Field, Hartlepool. There, all things great about the game - flair, courage, spirit and passion - were encapsulated in one great team. A team they called the Barbarians.
The Barbarian Football Club, typically referred to as Barbarians and nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team. 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. Traditionally one uncapped player is selected for each match.As the name suggests the club philosophy is based on attack with flowing running rugby with lots of tries, particularly in contrast to early Home Nation sides dominated by forward play.
A star studded Barbarians side took on the World Champion South Africans at
Twickenham on Saturday. For the Barbarians there was a sense of revenge on the
cards. The opportunity to claim the scalp of a World Champion side is something
every international player dreams of. And, they weren't disappointed.