Barbarians F.C and the All Blacks represent two of the most iconic jerseys in the game.

They are jerseys that are steeped in history and tradition, and they transcend rugby and reach the wider the wider sporting world.

Matches between the sides stretch back more than 70 years and November 1st will see the next edition when the BaaBaas take on an All Black XV at GTech Stadium, Brentford FC.

Tickets available via: Ticketmaster

There have been 173 Kiwis who have pulled on the famous black and white Barbarians jersey over the years, from All Blacks legends Zinzan Brooke, Christian Cullen, Jonah Lomu, Justin Marshall, Carlos Spencer, Joe Rokocoko, Richie McCaw, Ma’a Nonu, Jerome Kaino, and more recently All Black captains Sam Whitelock and Sam Cane to name a few.

We take a look back at what is means to some of the most famous All Blacks to play and represent Barbarian F.C

SAM WHITELOCK:
All Black legend Sam Whitelock has pretty much seen it all in the game.

As a two-time Rugby World Cup winner and All Black appearance record holder (153), Whitelock has been at the heart of the world game since making his international debut back in 2010.

In the space of 12-month Whitelock went from making his final rugby appearance, playing for the Barbarians against Fiji at Allianz Stadium last June, to part of the club’s coaching team for the summer test against the Springboks in South Africa.

“The Barbarians is a very special club,” he said.

“You have to be invited to play and to be a part of it. It brings together different nationalities and from different competitions and everyone comes together for the love of the game – it is one of the coolest things in sport.

“It has an important place in the rugby world, it needs to be a priority in the game.  Its important for the players as well as the fans.

SAM CANE:
The former All Black captain made his first appearance for the Barbarians this summer in Cape Town and accordingly to him, the values of the club underpin everything that is important in rugby:

“The whole ethos is to connect, have fun and enjoy yourselves and the Barbarians remind us why we wanted to play rugby in the first place,” he said.

“All you want to do is go into the game, represent the jersey and do it proud.

“You strip everything right back, rugby is about expressing yourself and that is the whole ethos of the club.

“It is a great botherhood of rugby.”

CARLOS SPENCER
Carlos Spencer, who featured four times for the club between 2000-2006 summed up his experience:

“When I was approached to play it was a great privilege.

“It’s a jersey that means so much, especially because of the talent of the players who have worn it – something to cherish.

“Playing with players of a great calibre around you – some you’d always thought of as your enemies – made it special. The customs and the exciting brand of rugby you get to play always made it enjoyable.”

Saturday November 1st is set to be another epic encounter between the Barbarians and All Black XV.  Make sure you get your ticket via Ticketmaster