Rugby: Big week for Barbarians

New Zealand Provincial Barbarians welcome in Whangarei Barbarians captain and hooker, Otago's Sam Anderson 29 May 2017 Northern Advocate photograph by John Stone.

The germ of the idea for the NZ Barbarians to open the Lions tour came well before the club defeated the 2015 Maori All Blacks in fine style at Eden Park.

Some of the early drivers for the game were 2010-11 club president John Mills, former club secretary John Cresswell, 2012-13 president Mike Mills and 2014-15 president Bryan Williams.

The 34-17 victory over the Maori showcased all that was positive about the 80-year-old club as a strong side, led by Brad Shields, did the famous scarlet jersey proud. The name of the team and the make-up of its selections, however, were altered slightly. It is now the NZ Barbarians Provincial XV and full of provincial and fringe Super talent, plus Peter Rowe of the Heartland Championship.

"It's turned out for the best because now we are giving young guys from around the country an opportunity they may not have got and are really representing the provinces," says Barbarians President and former All Blacks and Fiji prop Ron Williams.

The club is preparing for perhaps the biggest six weeks of its existence. Saturday's clash is its highest profile home fixture ever, attracting interest from a large percentage of its membership, including the 15 or so who reside in Northland. One of them, former All Blacks centre Bruce Robertson, has offered to billet Lions rugby tourists at his Whangarei home for a few days around the match. Then follows the June 7 Blues v Lions clash, three test matches, including All Blacks v Samoa, and the club's annual primary schools fun day on June 25 to keep the membership busy. July 6 sees a Rugby Ties dinner in Auckland, which is open to the public and will see old foes from past Lions tours reunite.

Williams himself will enjoy the chance to catch up with his old All Blacks teammate Warren Gatland, with whom he toured in 1988 (to Australia) and 1989 (UK). Gatland and Lions manager John Spencer, a 1971 Lions threequarter in New Zealand, are both Barbarian members.

While there is no official Barbarians presence in the Barbarians team management - the side was chosen by New Zealand Rugby, and not the club - former All Blacks trialist Mike Mills has been the liaison, while club patron 'Beegee' Williams is currently with the team in Whangarei. Senior club management, including club captain and former Counties halfback Mark Moore, will be at Friday's captain run, before a team dinner. Barbarians vice-president Alan Whetton will do the jersey presentation.

Last Saturday night's team dinner at the Eden Park clubrooms was an ideal scene-setter for a big week.

"It was excellent and good for the guys to get a feel for what we are doing, the history and the background to the game, and meet the likes of (vice-president and former Auckland captain) Neil Cullimore, Beegee, and life members," says Williams.

The hope is that the Barbarians will be able to mount another tour of the UK, perhaps in 2018 or 2019 to follow in the footsteps of successful tours in 1987, 1996 and 2003.