OK – the British lions is obviously a team made up of the best of British.
What are the criteria for making it on to the Barbarians?

Anyone can be a Barbarian its an invitational team without a ground. Before proffesionalism they were usually current or only just retired internationals or young guns on the fringes of getting a test cap. Now they tend to be Sothern hemisphere players who fancy a game out of season. Have a look on youtube for the greatest try video Barbarians versus a full All Blacks team in 1972 the Barbars were basically the welsh grand slam team plus a sprinkling of the rest of the home nations.

obviously you’re not terminally lazy, because you managed to log on and type a few sentences for your post, but would it not be quicker, and more sensible to type ‘barbarians rugby’ into google, whereupon the first two entries would take you to the baabaa’s website, where their ethos is explained, and to wikipedia which also answers your question in the first four sentences. 👿

Oh yes and dont call them the British Lions they are the British and Irish Lions. Stopped being the British Lions in 1921 with Irish independence.

Barbarians all wear socks of their respective teams too.

Barbarian means “a person who can’t speak your language properly”

In other words a foreigner, an alien, an outsider, someone who doesn’t belong to the mainstream culture

So Welsh, North of Ireland, Scottish, Scouse and Geordie players are over-represented

Mind you, at the public school I went to, the Barbarians were all the rugby tossers who weren’t good enough for the 1st XV

And they certainly couldn’t speak English properly

Have a look on youtube for the greatest try video Barbarians versus a full All Blacks team in 1972 the Barbars were basically the welsh grand slam team plus a sprinkling of the rest of the home nations.

1973 actually.

Barbarians all wear socks of their respective teams too.

I think they’ve stopped doing that lately haven’t they?

So Welsh, North of Ireland, Scottish, Scouse and Geordie players are over-represented

That’s just a load of crap!

Oh yes and dont call them the British Lions they are the British and Irish Lions. Stopped being the British Lions in 1921 with Irish independence.

You might be right, but I thought that the Lions only became the British and Irish Lions fairly recently. (In the last few tours.) Certainly pre WW1 they were the Britsh Isles Tourists.

Unfortunately I can’t find any of my Lions histories, so can’t confirm. (And the official website is horrible).

Oh yes and dont call them the British Lions they are the British and Irish Lions. Stopped being the British Lions in 1921 with Irish independence.

You might be right, but I thought that the Lions only became the British and Irish Lions fairly recently. (In the last few tours.) Certainly pre WW1 they were the Britsh Isles Tourists.

Unfortunately I can’t find any of my Lions histories, so can’t confirm. (And the official website is horrible).

Your right they were first called the Lions in 1924 I think and only officially became the Lions in the 1950’s. I dont think I have ever heard anyone call the team anything other than the Lions apart from in New Zealand where all the commentators insisted on calling them either the British Isles or the English Lions. I think the first time I ever heard British and Irish Lions used was the 97 tour to South Africa. A trip which despite members of our party getting mugged several times was the best rugger bugger trip I have ever been on.