The Future of the Barbarians

The Barbarians is a franchise which holds a special place in the rugby world. A favourite of fans across the globe they stand for something bigger than trophies. They embody the spirit of the game, and that connection to the enjoyment of the game is the reason thousands of fans will still turn up to "pointless" games that don't even count towards caps.

With all that being said the Barbarians are at a critical tipping point. With the rise of professionalism, and club owners demanding full use of their players, the historic franchise may need to rethink their place in the world. So what is the future of the black-and-white hoops, and how can they stay relevant?

The Barbarians went on an entertaining tour across three countries this autumn,
 but should they consider changing their attitude to accepting matches.

Are you not entertained?

Japan showed they are one of the most exciting teams
on the planet, can you imagine the game we'd get
if they played the Barbarians.

Everybody knows what the Barbarians stand for, worry-free rugby played from anywhere on the pitch, designed to get the fans off their seats and staring at beautiful rugby with mouths agape. To that end I've always found it weird that they seem to keep playing teams like England, who turn up and consider it a test match, taking kicks at goal and playing a controlled and measured game. It's not rare to hear a chorus of boos as a fly-half lines up a kick at goal instead of kicking for the corner.

So why not, instead, focus on playing the teams which will join in with the festival atmosphere and promote the fun and free game. The Flying Fijians and the Brave Blossoms are two teams which spring to mind as attacking powerhouses, playing rugby which attracts supporters and audiences. Scotland is another under Townsend and lead by Finn Russell, who have a penchant for high-risk, high reward rugby which could look great alongside the Barbarians.

There's evidence for this approach, even against a Fiji team full of nobodies, over 50,000 people turned up at Twickenham to watch a festival of running rugby and outrageous offloads from two teams not shackled by professionalism or expectations. It seems to me if you want the crowds to come, guarantee them the show they are paying to see. Turn away from the frustrating games, and embrace the daredevil match ups.

Finding the new stars

Fiji took the field with a lot of untested players,
potential stars of the future.

Talent is so rarely "found" in modern rugby these days, instead it is cultivated from an early age. Players are targeted early and then brought up through age-grade rugby, academies, and big-name schools. What this means is professional sides often only look to sign big-name players to bolster the homegrown talent they already have. Which is a great concept, and one I fully support. However, this farming of players can so often see truly gifted players slip through the cracks. There are dozens of stories of players who didn't pick up a ball or discover how good they could be until much later in their lives. The academy structure doesn't get everybody.

These late bloom players often end up playing in lower divisions of rugby, and so aren't as restricted by forceful owners and can potentially get released for Barbarians games more easily. This presents a unique opportunity for the Barbarians to act as a talent finding club, able to put a spotlight on players who perhaps would be overlooked. Especially players from tier two nations, who would be enticing to Northern Hemisphere clubs looking to build strength in depth for the international windows where their own homegrown talent is busy.

As mentioned the Barbarians played a Fiji team of relative nobodies in Novemeber, and those Fijians put on a show. If there were any talent spotters in the crowd more than a few names would have been scribbled down on notepads and taken back to head coaches. The Barbarians could adopt a similar view point picking up those kind of players and surrounding them by great veterans who will allow them to shine on the biggest stage.

Team Up with World Rugby
My last, favourite, and perhaps least likely proposal to see is that the Barbarians actively work with the runners of the global game to utilise the history, legacy, and allure of the Barbarians to expand rugby globally and develop more quality national teams in the global game. The Rugby World Cup regularly highlights the disparity between the big names and the minnows. With blow out games a regularity and the quarter-final teams usually a foregone conclusion. World Rugby has consistently stated they are trying to expand the global game and reach new markets. The nature of the Barbarians could greatly aid this endeavour.

By being able to put out a team of well-known names, playing a style of rugby that attracts fans, while playing in a famous jersey should pull in crowds no matter where the games are being played. Can you imagine the Baabaa's doing a three-match tour of the United States, playing across the

The USA is a market waiting to be tapped by
World Rugby and the sport as a whole.

country, attracting 50,000 plus fans to each match, and inspiring a whole new crop of athletes to pick up a different oval ball for the first time? Or perhaps doubling down on the success of the World Cup and playing two games in Japan. Keeping the fires burning in the Far East and ensure Japan's quarter final appearance doesn't become a one time thing.

Unlike national Unions, the Barbarians don't have to concern themselves with playing tier one nations to pull in fans and make a profit, so they have opportunity to go to the less travelled countries and take the sport to new places. It's been so long since a team did a full tour of the Pacific Islands (Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga in one go), why don't the Barbarians go first, prove the appetite is there, and that should hopefully encourage national teams to follow. There isn't a rugby fan alive who doesn't want the Pacific Island nations to become true forces in the global game, a Barbarians tour could provide the spark.

It seems like a logical partnership between two steadfast entities of rugby, which can only greatly improve participation in the sport, and one I would fully support.

So there you have it, three ideas to keep the Barbarians relevant in a professional era. What do you think, do you have any other ideas which could make an impact? Let me know on social media.