Rugby: NZers to feature for Baa-Baas

Joe Rokocoko and Rocky Elsom during last year's match between the Barbarians and the All Blacks at Twickenham. Photo / Getty Images

New Zealand players Byron Kelleher and Xavier Rush will run out for the Barbarians on the invitation London club's 2010 summer tour.

Players from around the world have accepted invitations to play in the festival-like atmosphere that surrounds Barbarians matches.

All Blacks' scrum-half Byron Kelleher teams up with his Toulouse club mate Jean-Baptiste Ellisalde at half-back, where Australian fly-half Brock James will also be joining the squad.

In a particularly strong back-row for the "Baa-Baas", Wallabies' record cap-holder George Smith is flying over to join another world-class flanker Martyn Williams of Wales, Ireland's Alan Quinlan, and Cardiff Blues' talismanic New Zealand number 8, Xavier Rush.

Elsewhere in the pack, Argentina's Rodrigo Roncero, Springbok Jannie du Plessis and David Barnes provide formidable selection options in the front row.

The prominent French flavour includes Cedric Haymans and Florian Fritz behind the scrum and Jerome Thion and Sebastien Bruno in it while England's Paul Sackey and Fijian flyer Napolioni Nalaga provide further pace and power on the wings.

The Barbarians' schedule includes the MasterCard Trophy match against England at Twickenham on Sunday 30 May and continues the following Friday, 4 June, with another MasterCard Trophy match against Ireland at Thomond Park, Limerick.

Barbarians' president Micky Steele-Bodger said, "It is one of the delights of our tours that so many players from so many different backgrounds readily accept our invitations to return or, indeed, make their first appearances for the Barbarians.

"We have a particularly tough tour this year with both England and Ireland likely to be at full strength ahead of their own test matches in the southern hemisphere.We are confident that we will again meet the challenge in the best spirit and traditions of the Barbarians."

The Barbarians' squad will be coached by Philippe Saint-Andre, assisted by Kingsley Jones. Both were proud Barbarians in their playing days and have worked successfully together in recent years as coaches with Sale Sharks. They have seized the opportunity to be re-united as Barbarians coaches.

Philippe Saint-Andre, now the director of rugby at Toulon, played three times for the Barbarians in the 1990s, including the 1994 match against South Africa when he was a try-scorer in the famous 23-15 victory for the club. Kingsley Jones represented the Barbarians twice on the 2000 summer tour.

The full Barbarians' squad will be announced on Monday 24 May.