Barbarians to play Springboks in Cape Town

Barbarian FC and South Africa Rugby Union announced last week that they will face each other for a third time this September.

Kicking off prior to the Rugby Championship match between the Springboks and All Blacks, the South Africa Women’s XV and the Barbarian Women will compete in the showpiece fixture at the DHL Stadium on Saturday 7th September.

Barbarian Women were victorious in the first meeting between the two, seeing off the Springbok Women 60-5 in front of what was a record-breaking crowd at Twickenham Stadium in 2021.

The scoreline in their second match two years later was far closer, with the Barbarians clinching the 38-26 win in Cape Town.

Ahead of their return to Cape Town this autumn, the Barbarians have appointed one of their former captains, Rugby World Cup-winning Black Fern Linda Itunu as Head Coach. They have additionally named former Spanish international, Barbarian, and Exeter Chiefs player Patricia García Rodriguez as Assistant Coach.

Ten years after winning the 2014 Rugby World Cup with England, Rochelle “Rocky” Clarke is one of the first names listed in the squad, which will feature representatives from seven unions.

The USA will be represented by Cheta Emba and Joanna Kitlinski while Abi Meyrick joins from Wales. Black Fern and Chiefs Manawa assistant coach Carla Hohepa is also named in the squad, with more names to be unveiled in due course.

The fixture comes at a key point for the Springboks Women as they prepare to host WXV 2 in Cape Town.

Starting their campaign against Japan just 20 days later on 27th September, they will also face Australia and Italy as they look to secure the best preparation for next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup.

Tickets for WXV 2 are available to buy now, with the price of adult tickets starting at R35. You can book your tickets here.

Their match against the Barbarians is an additional layer in their hopes to continue to develop the Springboks Women to compete on the world stage, and comes after the announcement of their groundbreaking plans to centrally contract 150 players as part of a new league.

SA Rugby’s High-Performance Manager for Women’s Rugby, Lynne Cantwell said: “Any match against the Barbarians has a special feel to it and we are really honoured, privileged and massively thankful for their willingness to travel all the way to South Africa for this.

“Like last year, this will help us prepare for WXV and we are very pleased that they agreed to visit our shores again. To play them as a curtain-raiser to one of the biggest sporting events in Cape Town this year, when the Boks and All Blacks meet, is huge for both teams.

“We have not seen their squad, but we know it will be packed with international experience and class. Their presence will be a massive boost to the exposure of WXV 2 and DHL Stadium, where we start our campaign against Japan on 27 September.”

John Spencer, President of Barbarian F.C., said: “We are delighted to be playing Springbok Women in Cape Town once again. It is a privilege to be invited back to Cape Town, playing in the magnificent DHL Stadium against a team who are fast becoming great rivals and friends of the Barbarians.

“These fixtures exemplify the fiercely-held values of our club – those of flair, courage, spirit and passion, alongside integrity, friendship and enjoyment – values that have been very much on display in the last two meetings between the Springboks Women and Barbarians Women, and which we will surely see again in September.”

Fiona Stockley, Barbarian F.C. and Women’s Team Manager, added: “Barbarian Women have demonstrated time and again the wonderful values of the Barbarians. Bringing these squads together is a privilege, seeing such close friendships form between the stars of the women’s game.

“It has been a pleasure to bring the team together with Linda and Pat. Our strong rugby values help us build a year-on-year rugby friendship with the Springboks, which always results in increasingly close matches and strong bonds.

“We are looking forward to confirming more star names as the match nears, and I can promise a stellar cast to take on the Springbok Women in Cape Town.”