Brussels Barbarians

Brussels Barbarians
Full name Brussels Barbarians Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s) The Babas
Founded 1968
Ground(s) The Elephant Pitch
President Jimmy Parker
League(s) Flander's Regional 1st Division
2011-2012 4th
1st kit
2nd kit

The Brussels Barbarians Rugby Football Club (also known as the Babas) are a Rugby Union club in Belgium. The club consists of two men's teams and one women's team.

Brussels Barbarians are one of two expatriate rugby clubs in Belgium. The club was formed in 1968. The men play competitively in matches every Sunday afternoon between September and May in the Flander's Regional 1st Division. The ladies play every Saturday in the Belgian National Second Division. Matches are played throughout Belgium.

Teams play at their home ground, named the Elephant Pitch, in Tervuren, a suburb of Brussels. The home off the pitch is "The James Joyce", located in the Schuman area of Brussels. The Babas are a multi-national, multicultural club, with members from over 30 nationalities turning out in the last 2 seasons.

The Babas are a partner club of Saracens .

History

In September 1968 James D Adams(known as Jim and who had been the Captain of the league and cup winning team called ASUB the previous season) and his then fiancée, Judy Robb decided to form a club in order to continue playing the sport in the manner in which they were accustomed back home, especially the

social aspects.The most important reason was the decision to play on Saturdays, unlike the Belgian League which played on Sundays.Celebrating on a Sunday evening after a game was not satisfactory when we all needed to be up early for work on each Monday.At this time the club did not, therefore, play in the

Belgian League but managed fixtures with South Coast English sides. British Army and Dutch teams.

Over the next few years things developed rapidly. In 1970, the second XV was born, by 1972 the Belgian National side had been beaten and the Belgian Cup won.

In 1973, the third XV was launched and with a steadily improving fixture list they were playing with credit such sides as Coventry, Blackheath, Newbridge and Public School Wanderers.

In 1974 the Barbarians won the Belgian Cup for the second time, and in May 1978 they went on a successful seven-match tour of the USA, winning all their games.

Since 1978 the club has remained one of the most active and successful expatriate clubs in Europe. During this latter period the standard of Belgian Rugby and the number of clubs has increased significantly.

In 1982 they won the Belgian Cup for the third time and finished off with a successful tour to Canada.

In 1980 the Babas entered the Belgian League division five. During the following years they worked their way through the divisions gaining promotion in successive seasons and took the championship of the Premier Division at their first attempt in 1985.

At the end of that season the club celebrated with their third major tour, this time to Colorado, USA. Whilst since then they have failed to repeat their championship win, they have had successful tours to Spain, Czechoslovakia, Boston, Estonia and Majorca.

The club has also organised international charity rugby matches in 1986,1987, 1990 and 1991. These brought to Belgium many of the most famous rugby players of the 1970s and early 1980s from the Five Nations to play against a Belgian Select side, which at the same time raised over 2.5 million Francs for various deserving charities. The last occasion in 1991 was for the support of the Belgian wife and children of Brussels British's captain Leslie Joyce following his death in a car crash a few months earlier.

Whilst the majority of players come from Great Britain and Ireland, there are nearly always members from Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, USA plus other neighbouring European countries. At one point, all three sons of the ambassador of Western Samoa played for the club. The eldest of these, Vince Fepuleia, went on to play for Western Samoa against Wales at Cardiff Arms Park in 1988.

During the mid-1980s the Barbarians fielded a first XV with players from 11 different countries. In 2003, the Barbarians had no fewer than 22 nations represented within its ranks – a far cry from its origins as a team of British ex-patriates – including players from countries without a strong Rugby tradition. Local players are also welcome, and one former player, Freddy Thielemans, served as Mayor of Brussels in 1994.

Staff

The club President is James Parker

The club Chairman is Kenneth Knuts

Men's team

Jozzekk williams
Stuart Brady
The Babas in a match

The men's 1st and 2nd team always play at home on the same weekend and away on the same weekend to maximize socializing and club spirit.

The men's coach is Arnaud Coulonnier supported by forward's coach Paul Laffin, and backs' coach Giles Lancaster. The men's 1st XV and Club Captain is Nicolas Becuwe.

The current men's squad includes players from Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Wales, Scotland, Italy, New Zealand, Russia, Canada, Belgium, Peru, Austria, Argentina, Portugal, the Netherlands, France, The United States, Australia, Zimbabwe,South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Denmark and the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Honours

Squad 2011/12

Nationality Player Position
 Germany Ulli Fikar Prop
 Canada Joseph Sejean Prop
 France Julien Brugnetti Prop
 England Mathew Williams Prop
 Italy Matteo Iagatti Prop
 Argentina Fausto Polese Prop
 France Nicolas Becuwe Hooker
 Belgium Niko Masschelein Hooker
 Germany Steve Schwarzer Lock
 France Pierre Sultana Lock
 Portugal Bernardo Rodrigues Lock
 Ireland Simon McDermott Lock
 France Charles Daltroff Flanker
 Italy Simone Bosselli Flanker
 Italy Marco Migliosi Flanker
 England Andrew Bower Flanker
 England Thomas Boyce Flanker
 Belgium Yann Sterckx Flanker
 Germany Christian Wagner Flanker
 Argentina Jorge Bulleraich Number 8
 England Patrick Barth Number 8
 Ireland Duncan Hardy Number 8
 England Nick Geoffreys Scrum Half
 France Julien Célin Scrum Half
 France Antoine Larpin Outhalf
 Scotland Oliver Russel Outhalf
 England Charles Philipps Centre
 England Patrick Wegerdt Centre
 England Gregory Bonne Centre
 France Michel Derville Centre
 France Bernard de la Jugannière Centre
 Belgium Jan Craenen Centre
 Belgium Loïc Dubois Centre
 Belgium Pieter Wouters Centre
 France Bertrand Mbiaffié Wing
 Belgium Sven Herreman Wing
 Belgium Henry De Cooman Wing
 Italy Francesco Kinsky Wing
 Greece Yiannis Ampazis Wing
 Belgium Nick Sterckx Wing
 France Alexandre Dossat Wing
 France William Dazy Wing
 Belgium Simon Molitor Wing
 Italy Cristiano Schiavello Fullback
 France Rémi Haget Fullback
 Netherlands Justin McCreadie Fullback
 France David Hanquez Mascot
 France Arnaud Coulonnier Coach
 Ireland Neil Massinon Assistant Coach
 Belgium Peter Van Der Zouwe Assistant Coach
 England Andrew Thompson Assistant Coach
 Belgium Kenneth Knuts Manager

Women's team

Babas women team

The Lady Barbarians had a successful 2005–2006 season winning the Belgian Championship.

For the first time in the history of the club, the ladies team went home with the Belgian championship after a victory against Dendermonde. After playing 20 extra minutes of regulation time, the game was decided by penalty kicks, with the barbarians coming out on top. In addition to the championship win, the ladies also walked away with the Belgian cup and the Flemish cup, a triple crown. In addition to these successes seven of the ladies were selected to play for the Belgian national squad.

Mascot

The club's mascot is the Mannekin Pis, a famous Brussels landmark.

Season 2006/2007

Squad 2006/07

Nationality Player Position
 Ireland Paul Laffin Prop
 Turks and Caicos Islands Sean O'Neill Prop
 Australia Jeff Irvine Prop
 Belgium Peter Verbist Prop
 United States Dave Becnel Prop
   Nepal Kunteel Barua Prop
 Canada Glenn Mallette Prop
 Hong Kong Ed Cutting Prop
 England Ed Thomas Prop
 Ireland Neale Richmond Hooker
 Austria Mani Dehimi Hooker
 Denmark Henry Stafford Hooker
 Canada Johnathan Demaray Hooker
 New Zealand Matt Diedrich Hooker
 Ireland Ricky Johnston Hooker
 Italy Daniele Nardi Lock
 New Zealand Stu Horne Lock
 Belgium Jimmy Parker Lock
 Ireland Simon McDermott Lock
 Belgium Peter Bautmanns Lock
 United States Steve Meier Lock
 France Benoit Dejean Lock
 Argentina Martin Gegenschatz Lock
 Peru Guillermo de las Casas Lock
 South Africa John MacLachlan Lock
 South Africa Jaco MacLachlan Flanker
 Belgium Oli Hockley Flanker
 Wales Ben Sisk Flanker
 England Anthony Bennett Flanker
 Portugal Nuno Campo Flanker
 England John Allen Flanker
 England Rowley Merricks Flanker
 United States Scott Mitchell Flanker
 Scotland Malcolm MacDowell Number 8
 New Zealand Mat Hocken Number 8
 England James Atkins Scrum Half
 New Zealand Nick Beeby Scrum Half
 Morocco Johnathan LaFontaine Scrum Half
 Argentina Carlos Mandelosi Scrum Half
 South Africa Dewald Du Plooy Outhalf
 England Graeme Forbes Outhalf
 Belgium Peter Vanovertveld Outhalf
 Malaysia Andrew Battersby Outhalf
 Wales Joseff Williams Centre
 Ireland Derry McCarthy Centre
 England Tommy Thackaray Centre
 Scotland John McGuffin Centre
 France Frank Michel Centre
 Argentina Jorge Bulleraich Centre
 England Rich Pearce Centre
 Netherlands Tim Eestermans Centre
 Belgium Joel Liebl Centre
 Ireland Ronan Gallagher Wing
 Kenya Abel Okal Wing
 Zimbabwe Charlie Nyangaga Wing
 Italy Simone Bosseli Wing
 England Nick Farnsworth Wing
 Wales Simon Webb Wing
 France Bertrand Lechvallier Wing
 England Dave Keating Wing
 Sweden Olle Svensson Wing
 France Michel Derville Wing
 South Africa Alister Smuts Fullback
 England Jim Allen Fullback
 Ireland Vincent McGovern Fullback
 England Martin Donaghy Fullback
 France Antoine Larpin Fullback
 England Stuart Brady Coach
 Wales Kevin Weaver Manager
 England Anthony Gates Assistant Manager

Sch 2006/07

Date Home Away Score Result
17 Sep 2006 BBRFC Soignes 12–12 L
1 Oct 2006 Coq Musan BBRFC 19–22 W
8 Oct 2006 BBRFC Vise 32–20 W
15 Oct 2006 ROC BBRFC 21–12 L
29 Oct 2006 Dendermonde BBRFC Postponed
26 Nov 2006 BBRFC ASUB 20–27 L
3 Dec 2006 Boitsfort BBRFC 37–6 L
17 Dec 2006 Soignes BBRFC 11–25 W
7 Jan 2006 Dendermonde BBRFC 40–5 L
28 Jan 2006 BBRFC Coq Musan 0–9 L
11 Feb 2006 Vise BBRFC 35–11 L
18 Feb 2006 BBRFC ROC 27–25 W
4 Mar 2006 BBRFC Dendermonde 32–20 L
11 Mar 2006 ASUB BBRFC 40–17 L
29 Apr 2006 BBRFC Boitsfort 5–0 L

See also

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