In London to cover the last two games of the Springbok tour to the UK, it seems I am part of an ever shrinking group of people that not only believe in, but love the Barbarians concept.
In this professional era it seems we are happy (or forced) to let the once legendary traditions of rugby past just to slide into ignominy…
Tank Lanning
First it was the jar of Vaseline as the cycling short arrived, then it was the prop friendly cotton rugby jersey as players became fitter and Canterbury improved their product, then it was the post match beer with your direct opponent as energy goo and rehydration drinks came into fashion, then it was the traditional tour as Super Rugby and the Tri-Nations arrived, and now it seems the Barbarians might also be on their way out.
Certainly the Boks are happy to send in a young makeshift side rather than a full strength one, and you will definitely be able to buy a ticket at the stadium on Saturday, even though they are less than half the price of tickets to the England game last week.
It used to be the best of the UK players against a touring Southern hemisphere side, but with the IRB enforcing a “Test window” these days and this weekend not falling in that window, it will be more like a best of All Black and Wallaby side against the worst of the Boks …
I understand that players play too much rugby these days, and that this game is a bridge too far in a monumentally long season, but it would be great to find a place for the fixture.
Instead, using the official Barbarian website, a bit of an ode to a fantastic tradition …
The Barbarian concept was conceived by WP Carpmael in 1890 at Leuchters Restaurant in Bradford. His idea was to put together a touring side from all sources to take on a few leading clubs in the land.
Carpmael suggested that the Barbarian Club be absolutely cosmopolitan with the aim of spreading good-fellowship amongst all rugby football players. Membership is by invitation and the only qualifications considered are that the player’s football be of a good enough standard and that he should behave himself on and off the field. There is no discrimination whatsoever.
The Barbarian motto, instituted by the Right Reverend W.J. Carey, a former Bishop of Bloemfontein, is: “Rugby Football is a game for gentlemen in all classes, but for no bad sportsman in any class”.
The Barbarians have no ground, no clubhouse, no entry fee, no subscription, and the clubs they visit pay their expenses in the main. The jersey has always been black and white with a monogram on the left breast, worn with dark shorts and the player’s club socks.
In 1930 a new badge was designed consisting of two shields, one with the Rose, Thistle, Shamrock and Prince of Wales’ Feathers, emblems of the Home Countries, and the other the Fern of New Zealand, Springbok of South Africa, and the Waratah of New South Wales (since, at that time, there was no Australian Rugby Union), the shields being surmounted by two lambs, jumping from one shield to the other in pursuit of a rugby ball.
In 1948 the Barbarians were asked by the Home Unions to put a side together to play the Wallabies as a fund raising exercise to enable the Wallabies to return home via Canada. The match proved an outstanding success, both in terms of the rugby on the field, and in achieving its aim. So much so that the Barbarians have since had the honour of playing subsequent International Touring sides at the end of their respective tours of Great Britain.
One of the bigger Barbarian occasions was when they took on the British Lions on their return from New Zealand in 1977. Although losing 23-14, the match generated £100 000 for the Jubilee Trust Fund and produced some sparkling rugby.
I hope this won’t be the last time the Springboks play the Barbarians, but it would not surprise me if it was, sadly …
Baa Baa squad (incomplete):
Backs: James O’Connor (Aus), Joe Rokocoko (NZ), Drew Mitchell (Aus), Adam Ashley-Cooper (Aus), Ma’a Nonu (NZ), Matt Giteau (Aus), Will Genia (Aus).
Forwards: Keven Mealamu (NZ), Stephen Moore (Aus), John Hayes (Ire), Salvatore Perugini (Ita), Neemia Tialata (NZ), Chris Jack (NZ), Tom Donnelly (NZ), Quintin Geldenhuys (Ita), Martyn Williams (Wal), Rodney So’oialo (NZ), Colin Bourke (Chiefs), Daniel Braid (NZ).
Coach: Nick Mallett
Assistant coach: Alan Solomons
Probable Springbok side:
15 Gio Aplon, 14 Odwa Ndungane, 13 Adi Jacobs, 12 Patrick Lambie, 11 Lwazi Mvovo, 10 Elton Jantjies, 9 Francois Hougaard, 8 Willem Alberts, 7 Juan Smith (captain), 6 Keegan Daniel, 5 Alistair Hargreaves, 4 Bakkies Botha, 3 CJ van der Linde, 2 Adriaan Strauss, 1 Coenie Oosthuizen
Bench: 16 Bandise Maku, 17 Tendai Mtawarira, 18 Jannie du Plessis, 19 Flip van der Merwe, 20 Ryan Kankowski, 21 Charl McLeod, 22 Zane Kirchner
Date: Saturday 5 December
Venue: Twickenham
Kick-off: 16:30 SA Time
Mmmm, only 3 or 4 regular Bokke starters in the run-on team suggested by Tank…
This is NOT a good Bokke side…
Folks were up in arms against me yesterday (Ouma Puma & Sammajoor 4man) for me suggesting the Bokke should play to their strenghts in this match and not run the ball at all costs in the tradition of Festival Barbarians rugby…
The question that I ask is how much in the spirit of respecting a BaaBaas “Test” is it to play them with a B-side?
If one wants to have the BaaBaas tradition alive, like Tank Lanning suggests and which I agree with, one needs to run your strongest possible squad against them.
That would have meant not sending Morné Steyn, Pierre Spies or Deon Stegmann home and would have meant we start with our fit Test front row of Beast, Bissie and Jannie… only losing the injured Vic Matfield and Jean de Villiers as well as the 2 departing Northern Hemisphere players (Frans Steyn & Ruan Pienaar) from last week’s match. It would also mean keeping the back 3 in place as against England.
Suggesting this current mish mash side is deserving of the game in the BaaBaas spirit, is farcical!
Would love to see a SANZAR (3N) Baabaa team play a UK (6N) Baabaa team.
@ grootblousmile:gbs, I still stick with what I said yesterday, think we should go out and play a expansive game. Patched up team or what ever you call it we should play to the spirit of a Baa Baas game.
Stegmann? Our best? Come again gbs, he was really not up to this level. NOT even on Saturday, only made one steal brother. Alberts would have been better to start on Saturday from the start.
Anyhow I prefer Slumtowns team he posted yesterday on keo to Tanks team.
This was Slumtowns team and the reason for some left on the bench. Or to start later. I agree with him this would be the best team to start.
1. Oosthuizen (Beast needs a rest)
2. Bissie
3. Jannie
4. Bakkies
5. Hargreaves
6. Keegan
7. Juan (capt
8. Alberts
9. McLeod
10. Lambie (eventually move Lambie to FB and bring on Elton)
11. Mvovo
12. Adi
13. Hougaard (Hougaard played well at outside centre for the Bulls)
14. Gio
15. Zane.
Bench: Stuass, Beast, CJ, Flip, Kanko, Elton, Odwa
gbs
how about the king is dead, long live the king?
@ Ashley:
what king?
bullscot @ 3
😀 i was just commenting on gbs’ “long live the barbarians”
@ Ashley:
Aahhh thanks ek verstaan 🙂
ok, my 5c worth … as ive said the king is dead, and has been for a long time … the only way the baabaas tradition can be kept alive (an interesting) is either as mr-t suggested at 2 where you have the best of the 2 hemispheres play each other
or
play the baabaas once in 4 years like eg after the wc final where they’d face the new crowned wchampions … that would also get rid of the dreaded 3rd/4th place game … yes, it would mean that if youre in the baabaas side, then you didnt make it at the wc, but i’d think players would rather have a go at the wchamps than play that 3rd place game.
another
suggestion might be that only the best players of a certain year are invited to play for the baabaas plus the one or 2 uncapped players … again, it would keep some interest around the baabaas
#8
not only will the above and maybe other better suggestions make the baabaas more intersting
but
it would give the team they face further incentive to WANT to win that game at all costs
cause it would give the game something it lacks at the moment …. some importance!!
OK I’m back again.
The whole idea is that the game isnt important, the idea is that people play rugby for the fun of it. Most guys who play S14 are probably good enough to be Internationals or close to it. It is an opportunity for guys to display their skills and have fun while doing it. It is also meant to be fun for the watching public…and running rugby is fun rugby (although the way things are going it will be slip and slide in the snow).
Perhaps one should ask the International players how they feel about playing for the Baa baas….I’m happy to take a bet that they will all be for it.
It is an exclusive honour to be asked to play for the Baa baa’s.
Our team on Saturday is made up of top rate players…so the Boks havent down graded the occasion.
A couple of years ago the English/Lions Hooker (forget his name…Rob something) actually went against the wishes of his team (Wasps) as he had been chosed as Captain of the Baa baa’s and he said any fine they could impose would not outweigh the honour that he was receiving from the Baa baa’s by being asked to Captain the side. Some big businessmen linked with rugby came out of their corners and said they would pay any fine imposed.
It is a singular honour to play for and against the Baa baa’s and the tradition is to run….we have done away with so much tradition that we should cling to this for dear life.
I’ll never forget how dissapointed I was the alst world cup when SA didnt come back out of their changeroom and sing humns with the Samoans after beating them…like they had done before.
Rugby is a brotherhood that will take you around the world and you will always have a place to lay your head.
My friend Brian Ferraz has just published his book “Pacific Odyssey” and one of the things he talks about in that book is the cameraderie of rugby. he took his wife with him to Fiji recently (he is now in his 70’s) and met up with the family where he lived as a young man when he played rugby for the village team and lived in a longhouse with the rest of the bachelors. He was remembered with great honour…..you cant match this and we have to keep some tradition alive.
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