In the rugby cathedral that is Cape Town Stadium, a clash of titanic traditions looms — and it’s about to get a whole lot more formidable. Enter Cian Healy and Shannon Frizell: two battle-hardened gladiators, cut from opposite hemispheres but bound by the same creed — uncompromising rugby.
As the Barbarians, that iconic black-and-white brigade of flair and fellowship, prepare to lock horns with the mighty Springboks in the inaugural Qatar Airways Cup on June 28, they do so with two seasoned warriors freshly added to their eclectic ensemble. Healy, the evergreen Irish centurion with the scrummaging shoulders of Atlas, and Frizell, the All Black firebrand who runs like a freight train on a downhill slope, are set to inject a shot of seasoned steel into the heart of Robbie Deans’ squad.
A Prop for All Seasons
Cian Healy is not so much a rugby player as a monument to Irish resilience. With 137 caps for Ireland and 280 appearances for Leinster, Healy has been there, done that, and rucked the pitch to pieces while he was at it. Whether anchoring the scrum on the tighthead or loosehead, the 37-year-old is a front-row artisan — equal parts wrecking ball and scaffolding.
Cian is hugely experienced both at club and country level. He can play tighthead and loosehead and will know well the two other Irish players announced last week.
Healy is a throwback to rugby’s iron age — when props were forged in fire and battle, but also a modern marvel of adaptability and discipline. From his Test debut in 2009 to his recent retirement after the Six Nations, he has embodied consistency. A Lion in 2013, a Leinster legend, and now a Barbarian — his rugby odyssey continues.
Frizell: The Storm from the South
On the opposite end of the pack, Shannon Frizell brings a different kind of menace — the kind that explodes off the back of a scrum like thunder from a cloudburst. At 31, the New Zealand loose forward has danced and demolished across 33 Test matches, including the 2023 World Cup Final in Paris. Known for his raw power, line-breaking ability and relentless engine, Frizell is the kind of back-row presence that makes coaches purr and opponents pray.
Shannon is an explosive and dynamic backrow and has played alongside Sam Cane for the All Blacks. He ticks all the boxes – experience, skill, versatility – and he understands the honour of pulling on that black-and-white jersey.
Now plying his trade in Japan with the Toshiba Brave Lupus, where he just lifted back-to-back Japan Rugby League One titles, Frizell brings a fresh brand of physicality — part Pacific flair, part Southern Hemisphere brute force.
A Historic Collision in the Mother City
This isn’t just another match on the rugby calendar. It's the first time the Barbarians will face the Springboks on South African soil — a symbolic fixture as much as a sporting one. The Barbarians, usually seen gracing the turf of Twickenham or Cardiff, now descend on the southern tip of Africa like a carnival of chaos and class.
This is an historic moment, and it will be very special to welcome the Barbarians to South Africa for the first time.
Their last encounter ended in a 31-all draw in London in 2016. Since then, the Boks have grown into global giants, lifting two World Cups and cementing their reputation as rugby’s most ruthless operators. But they now face a different beast: a Barbarians team loaded with guile, guts, and globe-trotting flair — a side less about structure and more about story.
Barbarian games are hard to analyse. So, the key for us will be to focus on our structures and what we want to achieve on the field… It’s always exciting to face the BaaBaas, and this match will be particularly special.
A Cast of Characters, A Clash of Styles
Healy and Frizell will join fellow internationals Sam Cane, Peter O’Mahony, and Conor Murray in a team that spans the rugby planet: from the United Rugby Championship and English Premiership to Super Rugby and the Japanese League. This squad, stitched together by the hand of Deans — with assistance from Patrice Collazo (Racing 92), Atsushi Kanazawa (Saitama Wild Knights), and legendary lock Sam Whitelock — promises to honour the Barbarians’ philosophy of joyful rebellion.
When putting a squad together, we always look for players who… value the privilege of playing for the Barbarians. This will be an altogether different challenge on-site in South Africa. We are hopeful of putting together a combination that will provide the sort of spectacle that the occasion deserves.
For South African fans, the BaaBaas represent something exotic — an antidote to the industrial strength of Test rugby. Think Harlem Globetrotters in studded boots, offloads in phone booths, and tries that come from deep within their own 22. But with hard-nosed operators like Healy and Frizell, they may bring more than just flair — they’ll bring fire.
Rugby, Reimagined
The Qatar Airways Cup is more than a game. It’s a pageant of rugby’s past and present, stitched together in one unforgettable Cape Town evening. Healy will scrummage like a bullocking rhino, Frizell will rampage like a storm unleashed, and the BaaBaas will do what they’ve always done — remind the world why rugby is a game of joy, brotherhood, and beautiful brutality.
A match forged in heritage and heart. A pack led by a prop who’s seen it all and a loose forward who leaves nothing behind. The Barbarians are coming, and they’re bringing thunder with them.
MATCH INFO:
Date: Saturday, 28 June 2025
Venue: DHL Stadium, Cape Town
Tickets: From R250 at Ticketmaster.co.za
