BARBARIANS RUGBY FOOTBALL CLUB -NIGEL STARMER-SMITH – THE BARBARIANS
Barbarians Rugby Football Club. The belief that rugby should be played as an attacking game was firmly held by W.P. Carpmael, the founder of the Barbarians. It was to justify this belief that he formed the club in 1890. Those invited to join him on the short tours that he arranged had not only to share his enthusiasm for hard, clean, attacking rugby, but also to be good company on and off the field.
The book is real ‘old-school’, but has some great details of the Barbarians Rugby Football Club tours and off-field activities. Written by Nigel Starmer-Smith who was capped by England at scrum-half between 1969 and 1971, and represented the Barbarians on fourteen occasions between 1967 and 1972, including the tour of South Africa in 1969. Following retirement he joined BBC Radio Outside Broadcasts and later became rugby commentator for BBC Television.
Not easy to get a copy, but worth the effort to search online. I found it on Amazon.
Also, why not take a look at the Ellis Rugby Invitation XV Rugby Shirt Vintage Retro Heritage Style, Rugby Invitation XV Shirt Polo Heritage Style and our Vintage Rugby Team T-Shirt Invitation XV that includes the famous Barbarians Rugby motto –
“Rugby Football is a game for gentlemen in all classes, but for no bad sportsman in any class”
Here’s the Barbarians Rugby Football Club Book Preview –
The Barbarians are the most famous rugby club in the world. The Barbarian Rugby Football Club has no ground, no subscription, and virtually no funds – but the honour of being invited to wear the black and white colours of the Baa-Baas is generally acknowledged to be second only to that of representing one’s country.
The Barbarians traces the fascinating story of the club’s development, from its origins as a scratch touring team brought together by founder Percy Carpmael in 1890, to its present pre-eminent position in the game. Amongst its two thousand members the club can boast almost every rugby name of the last 87 years – from Aston, Stoddart and Sammy Woods, to Edwards, McBride and Mervyn Davies of recent times. The Barbarians have close associations too with the leading rugby players abroad: not only have many famous players New Zealand, South Africa, France and Australia represented the club, but the Barbarians make tours overseas, and since 1948 have customarily played all the major touring sides who visit England.
‘Barbarian Rugby’ has been coined as a general term to describe the attacking, running style of play that is such an attractive club tradition. But Baa-Baas traditions extend far beyond the game itself – to the Esplanade Hotel, Penarth, the headquarters of the now famous annual Easter tour of South Wales. There are boisterous good humour of the players characterises the unwritten code of behaviour and the unique fellowship of rugby-playing Barbarians all over the world.
The Barbarians recalls the many great matches, and the sport both on and off the field, of a club whose beneficial influence on the rugby game is surely second to none.