The Barbarians Rugby Club

The history of the Barbarians Rugby team dates back to 1890 when the club’s founder created a touring side with the aim of taking on the best rugby clubs in Britain. The concept was well supported and a number of leading players immediately joined the side.

In fact, the fixture between the Barbarians Rugby team and Penarth quickly became a highlight of the annual rugby calendar and the touring Barbarians team soon gained prominence. In 1915, the side played in their first international fixture, and they handily beat Wales 26-10.

Several outstanding team performances followed and the Barbarians Rugby side were firmly placed on the rugby map in 1948 when they were invited to face a strong touring Australian side. The Barbarians not only won the match, but they also captured the hearts and minds of the public by playing scintillating rugby. The fixture was so successful (45,000 people attended), that it became a regular feature of the rugby calendar, with the Barbarians playing against a touring Southern Hemisphere side in their last game of the tour.

In the professional era of rugby, the Barbarians Rugby side have managed to gain more regular fixtures against international opponents. The team’s glory years occurred between 2007 and 2009, when the side beat South Africa, England and New Zealand at Twickenham and hosted the first rugby union match at the rebuilt Wembley Stadium.