Rugby history will be rewritten on Saturday, 28 June at the DHL Stadium in Cape Town when the Springboks launch their 2025 season against a star-studded Barbarians team for the Qatar Airways Cup, in what will be the first time the famous international invitational outfit will take on the Boks on South African soil.
The Barbarians are renowned for their flair and creativity, and will be coached by the experienced Robbie Deans, a former All Black who was also in charge of the Wallabies and the Crusaders in a coaching career spanning almost three decades.
The first five players are from Ireland and New Zealand and includes four Test centurions with a combined total of 522 Test caps between them.
Sam Cane, who captained the All Blacks at the Rugby World Cup in France in 2023, lifted the Webb Ellis Cup with New Zealand in 2015. The flanker made his Test debut in 2012 and finished his international career with 104 caps.
Shannon Frizell represented New Zealand in 33 Tests, including the RWC final in Paris in 2023. Last year, he transferred to the Toshiba Brave Lupus, who were crowned back-to-back Japan Rugby League One champions recently.
Cian Healy is not only Ireland’s most capped player but Leinster’s too. The versatile prop who can pack down on either side of the front row, made his Test debut in 2009 and retired from international rugby after the Six Nations earlier this year, having amassed 137 caps.
Peter O’Mahony played the first of his 114 Tests for Ireland in 2012 and captained the side from flanker on a number of occasions. He also played one Test for the British & Irish Lions, against New Zealand in 2017.
Experienced scrumhalf Conor Murray, like O’Mahony a stalwart of Irish giants Munster, made his Test debut in 2011, played 125 Tests for Ireland and eight for the British & Irish Lions, including all three Tests against the Boks in Cape Town in 2021.
Springbok coach Rassie Erasmus said this match is the perfect opportunity to get the Boks match-ready for the Test season: “There is nothing like a proper international with the full build-up and the pressure to get the players battle ready, so this is a great occasion for us.”
Deans said: “When putting a squad together, we always look for players who have a number of attributes – versatility, experience, skill set, flair, combinations and know each other’s games at club or international level, but most importantly respect and value the privilege of playing for the Barbarians.”
Deans will be assisted by Patrice Collazo (Racing 92, France), Atsushi Kanazawa (Saitama Wild Knights, Japan) and former All Black lock Sam Whitelock.
The match in Cape Town will be the ninth between the Boks and the BaaBaas, and the first since 5 November 2016, when the teams played to a 31-31 draw at Wembley Stadium in London.
Since the first clash between the sides in 1952, the Barbarians have won four games and the Springboks three, to add to the draw nine years ago. The Boks’ last victory over the Barbarians was on 10 December 2000 in Cardiff, by 41-31.
It will also be the third edition of the Qatar Airways Cup. The Springboks won both previous encounters for the trophy, against New Zealand in 2023 and Wales last year, both in London.
The match, hosted in collaboration with Pitch International, forms part of Qatar Airways’ growing footprint in global rugby, complementing their sponsorships of the Vodacom URC and European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) competitions, as well as the forthcoming Qatar Airways Lions Tour to Australia, later in 2025.
Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer, Thierry Antinori, said: “We are thrilled to introduce the Qatar Airways Cup to Cape Town for the first time, a city we have proudly served for two decades. Rugby has a rich heritage in South Africa, uniting communities across continents, and this match between two of the sport’s most storied teams is a fitting celebration of that spirit.”
Tickets are available exclusively from Ticketmaster – click here: https://www.ticketmaster.co.za/artist/barbarians-tickets/87163
