Forty-one new players can now call themselves Barbarians, having donned the famous black and white jersey in recent weeks.
The players earned their stripes in victories against Durham University RFC (to celebrate their 150th anniversary) and Glasgow Academicals RFC (to mark the 100th anniversary of Scotland’s 1925 Grand Slam success) earlier this month as Barbarian F.C helped celebrate these important anniversaries in the game.
First up the Barbarians took on Durham University RFC, coming out on top 52 v 33 and hat-trick hero from that fixture Charlie Walker talks us through his Barbarians experience;
“The invitation was a pretty surreal moment” said the Rosslyn Park and former Harlequins wing.
“We walked into the first meeting and were welcomed by club President John Spencer and it all became very real.
“The honour and the tradition are just huge and we all knew that and respected it. We were about to join a pretty exclusive group of players, and that honour was massive.
“Every aspect of the week was great to be a part of. It is just great how players from different teams, across different leagues come together. It was great to meet so many new players and to properly get to know lads on and off the field, that is a really big part of it.
“In terms of the match itself, I true Barbarian tradition, we wanted to play some entertaining rugby and enjoy every moment. Bringing the players together on the field with just a couple of days training is never easy but we all bought into it
“Durham Uni were a very well drilled team who have played together all season and they showed that, they were a class outfit. We enjoyed throwing the ball around early on, in Barbarian style but we had to knuckle down in part too and make sure we had that foundation.
“We wanted to enjoy the style of play and entertain but we knew winning is just as important too, that was drilled into us so we had to make sure we delivered too.
“On a personal note a hattrick in Barbarians colours is pretty special, its something to hold onto!
“We all came away from the match itself and the week with some amazing memories. The memories the jersey, the invitation letter, it all to be cherished and looked back on with pride in years to come.”
Barbarian F.C traveled further north a week later to Glasgow to face the Accies, the game was being staged to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Scotland’s fantastic 1925 Gram Slam success. A team that featured former Barbarian F.C President Herbert Waddell.
The match ended in a second victory for the Barbarians who came out on top 78v31 and man-of-the match Corey Baker looks back at the game and the week with pride:
“Looking back at the week, it is just such a life experience and life memory,” he said
“Looking back at it now, talking about it I’m having goose bumps all over again.
“It was a proper honour.
“For me the invitation came really out of the blue. It has been my first season playing in Nat 2 so to receive it off the back of that was pretty mad.
“I can remember being pretty excited but nervous at the same time ahead of that first meet up. Going into it you are just aware of how big an honour things are and its properly exciting but nerve wracking at the same time.
“It just such a special club to be joining its pretty hard to put into words.
“The week was just great being around different players and getting to know everyone.
“Its all the good elements of rugby, everyone who loves the game being brought together to enjoy it.
“The game itself was great and a lot of fun to play in.
“To wear that Barbarians jersey was an honour but to do it wearing your club socks means a hell of a lot. I wore a sock from my boyhood club Wells and a sock from the Hornets and that meant a lot to be presenting them on the day.”
BARBARIAN F.C Squad v DURFC
FORWARDS:
- DANIEL BIRCHALL (SALE / ENGLAND 20)
- FRED DAVIES (DONCASTER / ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- STEVE LONGWELL (GLASGOW ACADEMICALS)
- SAM BRADY (HARROGATE / YORKSHIRE)
- SAM LEWIS (BRISTOL)
- WILL WELCH (NEWCASTLE FALCONS / ENGLAND 20)
- JACK HILL (BARNES / SCOTLAND 20)
- SHAY SAINSBURY (CLIFTON/GLOUCESTERSHIRE)
- COREY BOWKER (FYLDE/LANCASHIRE)
- JASPER CAMERON (ROSSLYN PARK)
- NATHAN RUSHTON (CALDY / CHESHIRE)
- JOE HANNING (TYNEDALE / NORTHUMBRIA)
- JOE MAKIN HULL (IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- JACK DIGBY (ROSSLYN PARK)
BACKS:
- MICKY YOUNG (NEWCASTLE FALCONS / ENGLAND A / CAPTAIN)
- JOSH BRAGMAN (ROSSLYN PARK/ ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- JAMES CORDY-REDDEN (ROSSLYN PARK / ENGLAND 7s)
- KIERAN MEEK (PONTYPOOL)
- CONNOR WILKINSON (CALDY / LANCASHIRE)
- CHARLIE WALKER (ROSSLYN PARK / ENGLAND 7s)
- CAL MORRIS (LYMM / CHESHIRE)
- PATRICK BISHOP (FYLDE/ ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- OLLY WALKER (BARNES / ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- FERGUS MULCHRONE (SALE / LONDON IRISH)
- ALEX TAIT (NEWCASTLE FALCONS / ENGLAND 20)
COACHING TEAM:
- ALEX KEAY (LEAD COACH)
- GARETH NESBIT (ASSISTANT COACH)
- TOM CATTERICK (ASSISTANT COACH)
- PAUL BATY (TEAM MANAGER)
BARBARIAN F.C Squad v Glasgow Academicals RFC
FORWARDS:
- DANIEL BURCHALL (SALE / ENGLAND COUNTIES)
- FRED DAVIES (DONCASTER / ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- PETE ALTHAM (FYLDE / ENGLAND COUNTIES)
- CHRIS WEARMOUTH (TYNEDALE / NORTHUMBRIA)
- TOM STRADWICK (BLACKHEATH / KENT)
- GEORGE MEWBURN (HULL IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- COREY BAKER (HORNETS / CORNWALL)
- MARCUS RHODES (DURHAM UNIVERSITY / ENGLAND U20)
- JASPER MCGUIRE (DONCASTER/ ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- JOE PLUNKETT (LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY/ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- OSCAR CAUDLE (TYNEDALE/NORTHUMBRIA), JOE MAKIN (IONIANS)
- JAMES SANDERSON (HULL IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- JOE MAKIN HULL (IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- TOM BALDWIN (BLACKHEATH / KENT)
BACKS:
- HARRY CRAVEN (CHESTER / ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- JOSH BRAGMAN (ROSSLYN PARK/ ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- JAMES CORDY (REDDEN ROSSLYN PARK / ENGLAND 7s)
- BEN SMITH (HULL IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- WILL OWEN (CLIFTON / GLOUCESTERSHIRE)
- CHRIS PREEN (LOUGHBOROUGH UNIVERSITY/ENGLAND STUDENTS)
- CAL MORRIS (LYMM / CHESHIRE)
- WILL ROBERTS (TYNEDALE/NORTHUMBRIA)
- LEWIS MINIKIN (HULL IONIANS / YORKSHIRE)
- CHARLIE CARTER (HORNETS / CORNWALL)
- BENJI MARFO (ROSSLYN PARK)
COACHING TEAM:
- BRIAN ASHTON (COACH)
- ALEX KEAY (COACH)
- SI CULLEY (COACH)
- STUART DARBY (TEAM MANAGER)
