The Barbarian Football Club, known as the Barbarians, is a British-based invitational rugby union club. The Barbarians play in black and white hoops, though players wear socks from their own club strip. Membership is by invitation. As of 2011, players from 31 countries had played for them. Traditionally at least one uncapped player is selected for each match.
In 2005, the British & Irish Lions rugby union team toured New Zealand for the first time since 1993, playing seven matches against first and second division teams from the National Provincial Championship, one match against the New Zealand Maori team, and three test matches against New Zealand. The Lions lost the test series 3-0, the first time in 22 years that they lost every test match on tour.
Stephen Michael Jones is a Welsh rugby union coach and former player who played primarily at fly-half. He played more than 100 times for Wales and six times for the British & Irish Lions.
Shane Mark Williams, is a Welsh former rugby union player most famous for his long and successful tenure as a wing for the Ospreys and the Wales national team. He also played scrum-half on occasion. Williams is the record try scorer for Wales, and is fourth on the international list of leading rugby union test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata, Bryan Habana and David Campese.
Alix Jon Popham is a Welsh former rugby union player who played as a number eight or flanker. Born in Newport, he began his career with Newport RFC in 1998, before moving to Leeds Tykes in 2002. He spent three years in England before returning to Wales with the Llanelli Scarlets in 2005. In 2008, he moved to France to play for Brive and was made captain ahead of the 2009–10 season. He retired due to injury at the end of the 2010–11 season, having made over 250 appearances in 13 years as a professional. He also played internationally for the Wales national team, earning 33 caps.
Alun Wyn Jones is a Welsh former international rugby union player who played as a lock. He played most of his career for Ospreys and for the Wales national team. He is the world's most-capped rugby union player, with 158 caps for Wales and 13 for the British & Irish Lions, and also holds the records for the most Wales caps and the second most Wales caps as captain. He retired from rugby in 2023.
Kenneth James Owens is a Welsh rugby union player who plays as a hooker for the Scarlets and Wales. He made his debut for the Scarlets in 2006, taking over from Matthew Rees as their first-choice hooker upon Rees' departure for the Cardiff Blues in 2013. He also served as backup to Rees, among others, for Wales following his debut against Namibia at the 2011 Rugby World Cup. In 2016, he took over as Wales' first-choice hooker, and in January 2023, following almost a year out with a back injury, he was named as captain for the 2023 Six Nations Championship.
The 2007 South Africa rugby union tour of Europe were a series of rugby union matches played in November and December 2007 in Europe featuring the 2007 Rugby World Cup winners South Africa. Although the matches had been arranged well in advance of the World Cup, the mini-tour was seen as an opportunity for South Africa to showcase their talents and to say farewell to their outgoing coach, Jake White, who retired after the second game. In the event, several members of the World Cup squad were unavailable for either game, because of retirement, injury, club commitments, or other reasons, and the captain, John Smit, who had just joined French club ASM Clermont Auvergne, was released to play only in the first match.
Rhys Priestland is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a fly-half for Cardiff Rugby and the Wales national team. Although he primarily plays as a fly-half, he is also capable of playing at full-back. Born in Llangathen, Carmarthenshire, he began his career with Llanelli RFC before progressing to the Scarlets regional side. After eight years with the Scarlets, he moved to England to play for Bath in the English Premiership, where he spent six seasons before returning to Wales with Cardiff Rugby. He made his Wales debut in 2011, and earned 50 caps – including being named in the squad for the 2011 and 2015 Rugby World Cups – before his move to England made him ineligible for selection.
The 2013 British & Irish Lions tour to Australia was a rugby union tour during June and July 2013. The British & Irish Lions played ten matches - a three-test series against Australia, and matches against the five Australian Super Rugby sides, a Combined New South Wales–Queensland Country team, and a match en route to Australia against the Barbarians.
Tangaki Taulupe Faletau, commonly known as Toby Faletau but professionally as Taulupe Faletau, is a Welsh professional rugby union player for Cardiff Rugby in the United Rugby Championship and has represented the Wales national team for over 10 years. The back row forward played for Cross Keys RFC, Newport RFC and Newport Gwent Dragons in Wales before joining Bath in England in 2016. He joined present club Cardiff in 2022.
As part of their tour to North America and Europe in 1972–73, the New Zealand national rugby union team played the Barbarians at the National Stadium in Cardiff in their last match in Great Britain. It is considered to be one of the best rugby union matches ever played, and featured what has been described as "the greatest try ever", scored by Gareth Edwards in the first few minutes. The Barbarians won the game 23–11. It was the first time New Zealand lost to the Barbarians.
The Wales national rugby union team toured South Africa in June 2002 for a two-match test series against the South Africa national team. Wales lost the series 2–0, going down 34–19 in the first test and 19–8 in the second. They also played a pre-tour match against the Barbarians, losing 40–25 at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff.
The Wales national rugby union team toured Australia and New Zealand in June 2003, playing test matches against the Australia and New Zealand national teams as part of their preparations for the 2003 Rugby World Cup. Wales lost both test matches, first going down 30–10 to Australia in Sydney, before a 55–3 defeat to New Zealand in Hamilton.
In June 2004, the Wales national rugby union team toured Argentina and South Africa. They played two test matches against the Argentina national team in Buenos Aires, losing 50–44 in the first on 12 June before winning the second 35–20 on 19 June, before playing the South Africa national team on 26 June 2004, losing 53–18 in Pretoria on 26 June. Before leaving for the tour, they also played an uncapped match against the Barbarians at Ashton Gate Stadium in Bristol, winning 42–0. The tour saw call-ups for three uncapped players for Wales – Barry Davies, Peter Sidoli and Jason Forster – but only Forster played in any of the three games, scoring Wales' second try in the first test against Argentina.
The British & Irish Lions toured New Zealand during June and July 2017. The Lions, a rugby union team selected from players eligible to represent England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales, played ten matches: against all five New Zealand Super Rugby franchises, the NZ Provincial Barbarians, the Māori All Blacks and three test matches against New Zealand.
In June 2006, the Wales national rugby union team travelled to Argentina for a two-test series against the Argentina national team. The first test was played on 11 June in Puerto Madryn, a city in the heart of the former Welsh colony in Patagonia, founded by Welsh settlers in 1865. The second test was played in Buenos Aires a week later. They were Wales' first matches under the management of new head coach Gareth Jenkins, who had been appointed to replace Mike Ruddock in April 2006. The test series was thrown into doubt earlier in the year after 60 Argentine players threatened to retire from international duty due to a dispute with the Argentine Rugby Union (UAR), but this was resolved at the end of May 2006. Argentina won both tests, claiming a 27–25 victory in Puerto Madryn before a more convincing 45–27 win in Buenos Aires.
Thomas Michael Curry is an English professional rugby union player who plays as a flanker for Premiership Rugby club Sale Sharks and the England national team.
In 2009, the Wales national rugby union team toured North America to play tests against Canada and the United States. They won both matches, beating Canada 32–23 in Toronto on 30 May, before a 48–15 win over the United States in Chicago on 6 June. Wales travelled with an inexperienced touring party due to several senior players being included in the British & Irish Lions' squad for their tour to South Africa. Five players earned their first Wales caps on the tour, including future captain Sam Warburton and centre Jonathan Davies.
In 2017, the Wales national rugby union team's summer tour saw them play test matches against Tonga on 16 June and Samoa on 23 June. The match against Tonga was played in Auckland, New Zealand, due to concerns over the state of Teufaiva Sport Stadium in Nukuʻalofa. Wales won the match 24–6, before beating Samoa 19–17 in Apia. A veteran of the 2009 and 2013 Lions tours but unselected for their 2017 tour to New Zealand, centre Jamie Roberts captained Wales on this tour, which also saw lock Adam Beard make his international debut; Beard went on to play for the Lions on their 2021 tour to South Africa.
Japan 
