England Women will play an historic first match against the Barbarians at Twickenham Stadium on Sunday 2 June.
The game will take place on a rugby-packed day at the home of England Rugby, with an England men’s XV also playing the Barbarians in the Quilter Cup, alongside the Gill Burns and Bill Beaumont Division 1 Finals.
It will be the first time the Red Roses have played before the men, with the game kicking off at 12.45pm.
The women’s Barbarians launched in October 2017 and made winning debuts against both Munster and the Army in the 2017/18 season. The game will act as preparation ahead of the Red Roses summer tour in July.
England Women head coach Simon Middleton said: “Connecting both the men’s and women’s Barbarians fixtures at Twickenham Stadium is a great concept and will truly bring to life the women’s Barbarians.
“It provides us with an excellent opportunity to help us prepare for this year’s summer tour later that month.”
Barbarian FC Chairman John Spencer added: “The Barbarians successfully launched its women’s team in 2017 to bring together talented individuals and create a team that plays with a unique spirit of adventure and enjoyment. For them to face an international side is a great opportunity for the club to have two teams taking on England at Twickenham and means we can showcase all that is good about the game.”
The Quilter Cup, kicking off at 3.30pm, sees an England XV meet the Barbarians for the 18th time in what will be another hotly-contested fixture.
Jim Mallinder will assume the role of head coach for this match, with Eddie Jones overseeing the squad. The Quilter Cup will offer some players a final chance to make a case for selection for Japan. Fans can also expect to see some bright new prospects for the English game who would look to be pushing for inclusion over the next four years on the road to 2023.
Mallinder will be supported by a coaching team to be confirmed, which will be agreed as part of the coach development programme between England Rugby and Premiership Rugby.
Speaking about the fixture Mallinder said: “I’m really excited to be head coach of this England team.
“It’s an important fixture because any time you put the England shirt on you are representing your country and that is a huge honour. Eddie will have his eyes on a certain group, but this will be an opportunity for some players who are just outside of selection to show how talented they are.
“The unpredictability of the Barbarians makes it such an exciting fixture for supporters. As we have seen over the past few years they always bring a strong star-studded side and have an adventurous style of playing so we are going to have to be at our very best and are looking forward to the challenge.
“This isn’t just an opportunity for the players, but also for three coaches to experience coaching international rugby and I’m looking forward to working with them for this fixture.”
Eddie Jones added: “Our matches against the Barbarians have always been exciting fixtures to be involved with and a good way to finish the season on a high in front of a Twickenham crowd. This match will see some exciting talent be given the opportunity to play against a Barbarians side who will no doubt be full of top-quality internationals. I look forward to working with Jim Mallinder in helping prepare the side for this match.”
Tickets are on sale NOW with prices from £20 for adults and £10 for children. Visit www.englandrugby.com/tickets to buy.
Courtesy of the RFU
