Gold Coast enters the international stage
International Rugby will go to the Gold Coast on Friday August 26, when the Australian Barbarians take on Canada in a one off match at Skilled Park.
It will be the first time Skilled Park has played host to a Rugby Union match since the venue opened in 2008 and will kick-off a huge 24 hours of Rugby in Queensland with the Wallabies set for their final game on home soil against the All Blacks the following day.
The match will be the Canadians last before the World Cup begins and will most likely feature a full strength team keen to use the game as a springboard for a competitive and hopefully fruitful World Cup campaign.
The Canadians have shown some impressive recent form downing their North American Rivals the USA last weekend 28-22.
Last year the Australian Barbarians took on England in two fierce games with the side featuring several Wallabies, including Berrick Barnes, Anthony Fainga’a, James O’Connor, Matt Hodgson, Ben McCalman, Rob Simmons, James Slipper and Tatafu Polota-Nau.
Despite showing the tough, uncompromising spirit that the Australian Barbarians are renowned for they could not overcome the old foe drawing the first match in Perth 28-all and going down by less than a converted try in the second match at Gosford 15-9.
The game against the Canadians in August promises to be an entertaining affair and is likely to feature several Wallabies not taking part in the Bledisloe Cup and Tri-Nations Test the following day.
Canada, who are ranked 16th in the world on the IRB rankings, will face off against the Australian Barbarians for the first time and the Barbarians will be keen to notch up their first win against an international opponent since 1998 when they defeated Scotland in Sydney 39-34.
