Barbarians to make venue history in November All Blacks XV fixture

The Barbarians will face the All Blacks XV in London this autumn, with the two sides set to meet at Brentford FC’s Gtech Community Stadium on Saturday, 1 November.

The fixture will mark just the second meeting between the two teams, following a tightly contested 35-31 Barbarians win in 2022 at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium; a match that also made history as the first rugby fixture played at the venue.

The All Blacks XV serve as a development side for New Zealand’s Test setup and have recorded recent wins over Munster, Georgia, Japan, and Ireland A. Their northern hemisphere tour in 2023 included a 38-24 win in Limerick and a 31-13 victory in Montpellier.

Barbarian FC President John Spencer said the upcoming fixture was in keeping with a longstanding tradition between New Zealand sides and the invitational club.

“The Barbarians and the All Blacks XV are two of the most iconic names in rugby,” he said. “Fixtures between the Barbarians and New Zealand sides stretch back more than 70 years and include the game’s ‘greatest try’ by Gareth Edwards in 1973.”

New Zealand Rugby’s Chris Lendrum said: “There’s history between the Barbarians and the All Blacks XV, so we know this will be a competitive and exciting match for the fans and for the players.”

173 New Zealand players have worn the famous black and white Barbarians jersey down through the years, including All Blacks greats Jonah Lomu, Ma’a Nonu, Richie McCaw and Sam Whitelock.

The Barbarians have won their last three games in London. They beat Fiji in 2024, a World XV in 2023 and the All Blacks XV in 2022.

The fixture will see them run out at the Gtech Community Stadium, the former home of London Irish, for the very first time.

Brentford FC Commercial Director Fran Jones said the club was “delighted” to host two iconic rugby teams and promised “an exciting occasion, showcasing big names alongside rising talent.”

Tickets go on general sale at 10am on Friday 8 August, with prices starting from £35 for adults and £17.50 for under-16s, available via Ticketmaster and Brentford FC.