The Barbarian’s love affair with spiritual home of Penarth
Penarth and the Barbarian's have a love affair stretching back to 1901.
The ‘Baa-Baas’, as they are nicknamed, call the town in the Vale of Glamorgan their ‘spiritual home’.
They were formed in 1890 by Londoner William Percy Carpmael.
He decided to invite a group of players to join him on a tour to the north of England.
He saw this as an opportunity to play with friends from various clubs who were normally opponents.
The idea took off and they’ve been playing matches all over the world ever since in their famous black and white hoops, though players wear the socks from their own club strip.
You can only play for the club by invitation only and the club doesn’t have a home stadium or clubhouse.
But Penarth has always been where they belong. Or more specifically, the Esplanade Hotel, where the Barbarians always stayed on their Easter tours of Wales.
This week the Baa Baas returned to the town to prepare for their first clash against Wales for seven years on Saturday.
The annual Good Friday game against the Barbarians marked the start of their tour around south Wales, which also included playing Cardiff RFC on the Saturday, Swansea RFC on Easter Monday and then Newport RFC on the Tuesday.
The fixture was played 75 times until 1986 - with Penarth losing 11 times and drawing four games.
The bond between Penarth and the Barbarians remains - with the side choosing to train there before Saturday’s match in front of hundreds of local school children.
For Ireland’s Rory Best - who will play his last international match at the weekend - he says the Baa Baas go back to the “spirit of rugby”.
New Wales head Coach Wayne Pivac says the first meeting between the two sides since 2012 will be “really exciting.”
The Barbarians’ Welsh connection doesn’t end there.
That Gareth Edwards try in 1973 against the All Blacks is still regarded as rugby union's greatest try,
Watch our Sports Reporter Beth Fisher's report on the Barbarbian's love affair with Penarth here: