Tindall in star-studded Barbarians rugby squad

LONDON (AFP) –

England’s Mike Tindall, seen here in 2011, is set to play his first international rugby for seven months after being included in the Barbarians’ squad for their upcoming tour.

England’s Mike Tindall is set to play his first international rugby for seven months after being included in the Barbarians’ squad for their upcoming tour.

Tindall was one of 33 players from 10 countries named Tuesday in a Barbarians party for matches against England at Twickenham on May 27, Ireland — which will take place at the centre’s Gloucester home ground — on May 29 and Wales at Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium on June 2.

A World Cup-winner in 2003, Tindall has not played international rugby union for England since winning the last of his 75 caps against Scotland during last year’s edition in New Zealand.

At that tournament, leaked security footage showed Tindall, recently married to Queen Elizabeth II’s granddaughter Zara Phillips, being kissed on the head by a woman in a Queenstown bar after the England players had been given a night off by the England management.

When the team returned home, having lost in the quarter-finals to France, Tindall was fined £25,000 and axed from England’s squad.

He was though reinstated and the fine reduced on appeal but with England manager Martin Johnson, Tindall’s captain in 2003, resigning, there was no place for the centre in new coach Stuart Lancaster’s plans as he looked ahead to the 2015 World Cup in England.

Tindall has since been linked with a move to French club rugby.

Other players set for a Barbarians debut include Samoa’s Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu who, like Gloucester colleague Tindall, had a controversial World Cup.

Fuimaono-Sapolu was was given a six-month ban, suspended for two years, following his criticism of referee Nigel Owens and the International Rugby Board via Twitter during the tournament.

Meanwhile the latest additions to the party include All Blacks stalwart Mils Muliaina, South Africa’s 2007 World Cup winning captain John Smit and Argentina outside-half Felipe Contepomi.

Stephen Donald, the goalkicking hero of New Zealand’s World Cup final win over France in Auckland last year has been selected and so too has Wales star Shane Williams.

The wing is set to make the final appearance of his career against Wales — a match that, unusually for a Barbarians fixture, the Welsh Rugby Union has declared a full cap Test match.

The Barbarians are rugby union’s most famous invitational side and their most celebrated win came in 1973 when they beat New Zealand 23-11 in Cardiff, with Wales great Gareth Edwards completing a length of the field move for one of the sport’s most acclaimed tries.

This latest squad, coached by New Zealand great John Kirwan, meets in London on May 22.

Barbarians squad

Backs: Isa Nacewa (FIJ), Mils Muliaina (NZL), Ian Balshaw (ENG), Cedric Heymans (FRA), Shane Williams (WAL), Paul Sackey (ENG), Sailosi Tagicakibau (SAM), Eliota Fuimaono-Sapolu (SAM), Mike Tindall (ENG), Damien Traille (FRA), Felipe Contepomi (ARG), Stephen Donald (NZL), Stephen Jones (WAL), Rory Lawson (SCO), Jerome Fillol (FRA)

Forwards: Schalk Brits (RSA), Benoit August (FRA), John Smit (RSA), Aled de Malmanche (NZL), John Afoa (NZL), Duncan Jones (WAL), B J Botha (RSA), Neemia Tialata (NZL), Jerome Thion (FRA), Mick O’Driscoll (IRL), Anton van Zyl (RSA), Pelu Taele (SAM), Raphael Lakafia (FRA), Antoine Burban (FRA), Akupusi Qera (FIJ), John Beattie (SCO), Pedrie Wannenburg (RSA), Juan Manuel Leguizamon (ARG)

Fixtures

May 27: v England, Twickenham (1330GMT)

May 29: v Ireland, Gloucester (1845GMT)

Jun 02: v Wales, Cardiff (1300GMT)