Misplaced Pages

Australian Barbarians Rugby Club

Logo of the Australian Barbarians
Founded	1957
Coach(es)	Michael Magriplis Scott Podmore

The Australian Barbarians, nicknamed the "Baa-Baas", is an invitational rugby union team that has been a major part of Australian rugby since the team was founded in 1957. The club is based in Australia. The idea came from the concept of the Barbarian F.C. formed in Britain in 1890.

History

Founded in 1957, the Australian Barbarians was envisioned as an invitational side built off the original concept of the Barbarian F.C. side - adding opportunity for players to play against international touring sides - similar to other corresponding sides in other nations like the New Zealand Barbarians, South African Barbarians and French Barbarians, with all programs continuing into the era of professionalism.

Following their inception, the Australian Barbarians featured in several tours, with fixtures against the All Blacks, Western Samoa, France, Scotland and Fiji, plus fixtures against development sides from England and Canada.

Outside international clashes, the side regularly takes part in domestic fixtures against Super Rugby development sides and the Junior Wallabies - with their most recent clash taking place in 2023.

Several junior Barbarians sides have also been produced for both domestic and international fixtures. An Australian Barbarians Under 20s side has also been produced, with their most recent clash taking place in 2015 defeating Tonga U20s 40-36.

The program was revived in 2015 following the completion of the second season of the National Rugby Championship, with players from the competition who were not contracted for Super Rugby embarking on a two-match tour of New Zealand against a side chosen from the Heartland Championship, named the New Zealand Heartland XV. The Barbarians won both fixtures.

After several years playing domestic fixtures, 2022 marked the first ever female Australian Barbarians clash, with the side playing an international fixture against Japan as part of their tour against the Australia women's national rugby union team. Japan won the fixture, 10-24.

The team is set to be revived in 2025 to play their first-ever fixture against the Japan Development XV, the secondary feeder team to the Japan national rugby union team as part of the Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby.

International Results

Matches against international teams only. The listing may be incomplete.

Men

Date	Tournament	Location	Venue	Opponent	Result	Score	Ref
17 June 1957	New Zealand tour of Australia	Sydney	North Sydney Oval	New Zealand	Loss	6–23
25 July 1991	Manu Samoa tour of Australia	Sydney	Manly Oval	Western Samoa	Loss	24–36
25 June 1997	France tour of Australia	Newcastle	Topper Stadium	France	Win	26–24
9 June 1998	Scotland tour of Oceania	Penrith	Penrith Stadium	Scotland	Win	39–34
28 August 1999	Fiji tour of Australia	Sydney	North Sydney Oval	Fiji	Win	31–25
8 June 2010	England tour of Australasia	Perth	Subiaco Oval	England XV	Draw	28–28
19 June 2010	England tour of Australasia	Gosford	Central Coast Stadium	England XV	Loss	9–15
26 August 2011	Pre-RWC international match	Gold Coast	Skilled Park	Canada XV	Win	38–14
10 November 2015	2015 tour to New Zealand	Levin	Levin Domain	NZ Heartland XV	Win	38–32
13 November 2015	2015 tour to New Zealand	Wanganui	Cooks Gardens	NZ Heartland XV	Win	40–24
5 April 2025	Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby	Coffs Harbour	Coffs Harbour International Stadium	Japan Development XV

|} Notes:

^a Trial matches against the Australian Under-20 side, and other age-group teams, to assist in their preparation for international tournaments have also been played by the Australian Barbarians Rugby Club, but these results are not listed here.

^b The Australian Barbarians team was nominated by the ARU as the second national team to play two matches against England in 2010. As such, it was essentially Australia A by another name for the 2010 England tour. The Australian Barbarians also played a pre-World Cup friendly against Canada in 2011.

Overall

Against	Played	Won	Lost	Drawn	Win %
Canada XV	1	1	0	0	100.00%
England Saxons	2	0	1	1	00.00%
Fiji	1	1	0	0	100.00%
France	1	1	0	0	100.00%
New Zealand	1	0	1	0	00.00%
NZ Heartland XV	2	2	0	0	100.00%
Scotland	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Western Samoa	1	1	0	0	100.00%
Total	10	7	2	1	70.00%

Updated: 21st November 2024

Women

Date	Tournament	Location	Venue	Opponent	Result	Score	Ref
6 May 2022	2022 Australian Tour	Brisbane	Wests Rugby Club	Japan	Loss	10–24

Current squad

Former players

See also

• Brussels Barbarians
• Fiji Barbarians
• French Barbarians
• New Zealand Barbarians
• South African Barbarians

References

1. "Brumbies 20s dominate Australian Barbarians selections – Brumbies Rugby". brumbies.com.au. 27 February 2015. Archived from the original on 9 August 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
2. McCormack, Ian (21 August 1969). "RU Barbarians to re-form next year". The Canberra Times. p. 28. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
3. "Japan hold on for victory over Barbarians". rugby.com.au. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2024.
4. "Coffs Coast Festival of Rugby to Showcase a Spectacular Celebration of the Game". nsw.rugby. 13 December 2024. Retrieved 13 December 2024.
5. "Sport results and detail". The Canberra Times. 27 July 1991. p. 44. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
6. "Warner sticking with Wicks". The Sydney Morning Herald. 23 June 1997. p. 32. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
7. "Larkham and Eales eager to play for Bledisloe Cup". The Sydney Morning Herald. 19 August 1999. p. 49. Retrieved 16 August 2016.
8. "Australia U20s vs Australian Barbarians: Highlights, result". theroar.com.au. 24 May 2016. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
9. "Australian U20s defeat Australian Barbarians in pre World Championship hit out". aru.com.au. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
10. "England to play Australian Barbarians". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 18 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
11. "Wallabies power Barbarians' victory". ESPNscrum. 26 August 2011. Archived from the original on 9 March 2014. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
12. "Japan hold on for victory over Barbarians". rugby.com.au. 6 May 2022. Retrieved 6 May 2024.

External links

• Australian Barbarians on Facebook

• Barbarian F.C.
• International rugby union teams
• Rugby union teams in Australia
• Rugby clubs established in 1957
• 1957 establishments in Australia