O’Connor Gains Barbarians Recognition

Wasps flanker Johnny O’Connor is the seventh and latest Ireland player to be included in the Barbarians squad for this month’s two tests against Scotland and England.

The 25-year-old, who walked away with the Irish Rugby Union Players Association (IRUPA) Players’ Player of the Year award last week in Dublin, will join Ulster trio David Humphreys, Gary Longwell and Kevin Maggs, Leinster duo Girvan Dempsey and Eric Miller, and Munster hooker Frankie Sheahan in the Baa-Baas’ line-up.

The Galwayman is one of a number of new caps, including Longwell and Dempsey, to get the call from Barbarians coach Bob Dwyer.

Barbarians President Micky Steele-Bodger said: “As a club we believe in encouraging up-and-coming talent in any way we can.”

The 31-man squad, which comprises 11 nationalities and boasts over 1000 international caps between them, will travel to the Pittodrie home of Aberdeen football club on Tuesday, May 24 (kick-off 7.30pm) to take on Scotland.

And four days later at Twickenham, the Baa-Baas will line out against England in the Tibco Challenge (kick-off 3.00pm).

Both matches will be televised live on Sky Sports.

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Barbarians Squad:

Backs: Matt Burke (Newcastle Falcons & Australia), Bruce Reihana (Northampton Saints & New Zealand), Kenny Logan (Glasgow Rugby & Scotland), *Girvan Dempsey (Leinster & Ireland), Sireli Bobo (Wellington Hurricanes & Fiji), *Wendell Sailor (Queensland Reds & Australia), *Brian Lima (Samoa), *Trevor Halstead (Natal Sharks & South Africa), Kevin Maggs (Ulster & Ireland), *Brent Russell (Natal Sharks & South Africa), David Humphreys (Ulster & Ireland), Thomas Castaignede (Saracens & France), Mark Robinson (Northampton Saints & New Zealand), Bryan Redpath (Sale Sharks & Scotland).

Forwards: Raphael Ibanez (Saracens & France), *Mark Regan (Leeds Tykes & England), Frank Sheahan (Munster & Ireland), Cobus Visagie (Saracens & South Africa), Andrea Lo Cicero (L’Aquila & Italy), *Greg Holmes (Queensland Reds), Darren Morris (Leicester Tigers & Wales), *Gary Longwell (Ulster & Ireland), *Selborne Boome (Northampton Saints & South Africa), AJ Venter (Natal Sharks & South Africa), Simon Shaw (London Wasps & England), Owen Finegan (ACT Brumbies & Australia), Eric Miller (Leinster & Ireland), *Sebastien Chabal (Sale Sharks & France), *Semo Sititi (Newcastle Falcons & Samoa), *Johnny O’Connor (London Wasps & Ireland), Corne Krige (Northampton Saints & South Africa).

(* denotes new Barbarian cap)

Ticket Details:

Scotland v Barbarians: Pittodrie Stadium, Aberdeen, Tuesday, May 24 (7.30pm): Family packages (pre-sales only) of two adults and two children (STG#30); individual stands #20, #15; concessions #10, #5 – available from www.scottishrugby.org, the Murrayfield Ticket Centre (tel: 0044 (0)870 040 1925) and the Aberdeen FC ticket centre (tel: 0044 (0)1224 650434)

TIBCO Challenge: England v Barbarians: Twickenham, Saturday, 28 May (3.00pm): Available from Ticketmaster UK (tel: 0044 (0)870 9020000; priced at STG#38, #28, with concessions at #15, #10)