Eighteen players with test experience from across the world touched down in Cape Town at the start of the week, reporting for duty for the Barbarians ahead of Saturday’s Qatar Airways Cup clash against the Springboks at DHL Stadium.
Landed 🛬
— Barbarian FC (@Barbarian_FC) June 23, 2025
Cape Town 📍#Baabaas #QatarAirwaysCup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/0UMR9cgQ3M
The 23-man squad, which includes former Junior Springbok lock Ruben van Heerden of the DHL Stormers and coached by Robbie Deans, are preparing to take on the Springboks for the first time on South African soil.
The first five players confirmed for the fixture were the Irish centurion trio of Cian Healy (prop), Peter O’Mahony (flanker) and Conor Murray (scrumhalf), while former All Black captain Sam Cane and his Kiwi teammate Shannon Frizell (both loose forwards) were also locked in.
They will be joined by five more capped All Blacks in Hoskins Sotutu (loose forward), Tawera Kerr-Barlow (scrumhalf), Peter Umaga-Jensen (utility back), Leicester Fainga’anuku (wing) and Mark Tele’a (wing).
Furthermore, Joe Marchant (England), Melvyn Jaminet (France), Santiago Arata Perrone (Uruguay), David Ribbans (England), Camille Chat (France), Will Collier (England), Hassane Kolingar (France), and Paul Alo-Emile (Samoa) are all capped at test level.
Limited tickets for the fixture are available via Ticketmaster.co.za.
Barbarians squad:
Forwards:
Cian Healy (Leinster)
Will Collier (Castres)
Hassane Kolingar (Racing 92)
Paul Alo-Emile (Stade Francais)
Camille Chat (Lyon)
John “Ricky” Riccitelli (Blues)
David Ribbans (Toulon)
Ruben van Heerden (DHL Stormers)
Josh Beehre (Blues)
Hoskins Sotutu (Blues)
Peter O’Mahony (Munster)
Sam Cane (Tokyo Sungoliath)
Shannon Frizell (Toshiba)
Lachlan Boshier (Wild Knights)
Backs:
Tawera Kerr Barlow (La Rochelle)
Santiago Arata Perrone (Castres)
Melvyn Jaminet (Toulon)
Josh Jacomb (Chiefs)
Peter Umaga-Jensen (Hurricanes)
Leicester Fainga’anuku (Toulon)
Mark Tele’a (Blues)
Jacob Ratumaitavuki-Kneepkens (Highlanders)
Joe Marchant (Stade Francais)