A Short History
Discover how the glorious concept of Barbarian FC came to life, right up to the present day.
Many years ago, a group of players were chosen to form an elite team. They had no ground, clubhouse or subscription and membership was by invitation only. In essence, they represented a glorious concept brought to life by the vision and enthusiam of one man, William Percy Carpmael. Inspired by his personal playing experiences with both Blackheath and Cambridge University, his dream was to spread good fellowship amongst all rugby football players.The dream became reality on December 27th 1890 at Friary Field, Hartlepool. There, all things great about the game - flair, courage, spirit and passion - were encapsulated in one great team. A team they called the Barbarians.
Worlds apart
The victorious 1973 Barbarian FC team
Outstanding talents have followed in their footsteps ever since. Not least the well remembered Edgar Mobbs. Sadly killed in The Great War, he showed the leadership and spirit required to wear the famous black and white hoops. In his honour, 'The Mobbs Memorial Match' has been an annual fixture since 1921.
Winning the world over
As a result of many scintillating performances, the Barbarians won respect worldwide and on January 31st 1948 they were invited to play the Australians at Cardiff Arms Park in the final match of the tour. The battle captured the imagination of millions and drew a capacity crowd of 45,000. So successful was the fixture that it became tradition for Australia, New Zealand or South Africa - whichever was touring the UK - to tackle the Barbarians in 'The Final Challenge.' This exciting event took place every three years, producing 24 titanic battles in total.
The Modern Game
Today, international rugby is a professional sport and traditional long tours have effectively disappeared from the game. Still, the Barbarians have continued to enjoy prestigious fixtures, playing South Africa in 2000 and Australia in 2001. It's contests like these that showcase the most exceptional players in the game and often inspire legendary sporting moments that will live in our memories forever.
