Three long-serving internationals with more than 130 Test caps between them have been confirmed for the Barbarians team to play the Qantas Wallabies in this year?s Bundaberg Rum Rugby Series opener at Sydney Football Stadium on 6 June.
Former England captain MARTIN CORRY, who turned down an approach last year to extend his international career into a 12th season, played the last of his 64 Tests in the 2007 Rugby World Cup final loss to South Africa in Paris.
The Leicester Tigers stalwart debuted for England in 1997 on a trip to Argentina.
Over the next decade he also made two tours with the British and Irish Lions to Australia in 2001 and to New Zealand in 2005.
Corry was part of England?s 2003 World Cup winning squad which earned him an MBE.
An abrasive and hard-working backrower, Corry was more recently an integral member of the England pack which scuttled Australia?s Rugby World Cup dream in a quarter final in France two years ago.
Another world-class forward in former All Blacks backrower JERRY COLLINS will also feature in the Barbarians pack.
Collins, currently playing at French club Toulon alongside another Barbarians invitee in former rugby league star Sonny Bill Williams, left New Zealand after last year?s Investec Super 14 to take up the offer in France.
The former Hurricanes icon played 74 games of Super Rugby and 48 Tests for the All Blacks, including three as captain, before joining an exodus of Kiwi players to Europe during 2008.
Unavailable for the All Blacks last year because of his offshore contract, Collins? most recent Test for New Zealand was the shock loss to France in Cardiff in the quarter finals of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.
It was his second World Cup after also playing in the tournament staged in Australia in 2003.
A third well-credentialled forward has also accepted an invitation from the Barbarians Club to head to Sydney for the showdown with the Qantas Wallabies.
French hooker SEBASTIEN BRUNO, contracted to the Sale Sharks club in the UK, made his debut for France in 2002 and over the past seven years has collected a total of 20 Test caps.
Bruno was part of France?s 2002 Grand Slam winning squad; he won a Six Nations Championship in 2006; and he played at the 2007 Rugby World Cup on native soil.
The Barbarians Club has also announced its coaching staff for the game against the Qantas Wallabies, with current Cardiff Blues boss and former dual international DAVID YOUNGagreeing to head up the off-field staff.
A 12-times captain of his country in Rugby during a stellar career in the front-row, Young will be assisted by MIKE CATT, a hero of England?s 2003 Rugby World Cup campaign.
Together, the pair makes a formidable team on playing experience alone.
Young is still Wales? most-capped prop with 51 Test appearances, and that figure could have been substantially larger if the former British and Irish Lion had not been lured to the rival code in the early 1990s.
He captained Wales in rugby league before returning to Rugby in 1996.
On either side of his stint in league, Young was an outstanding contributor to Welsh Rugby ? and to the Lions with whom he made two tours to Australia in 1989 and 2001.
Catt, a backline player of enormous versatility with Test caps won as a fly-half, centre and fullback, had the distinction of becoming the oldest player to appear in a Rugby World Cup final when in 2007 he lined up for England against South Africa at the age of 36.
PLAYERS CONFIRMED FOR THE BARBARIANS
SONNY BILL WILLIAMS (NZ)
JERRY COLLINS (NZ)
MARTIN CORRY (England)
SEBASTIEN BRUNO (France)
COACHES CONFIRMED FOR THE BARBARIANS
DAVID YOUNG (Wales)
MIKE CATT (England)
