Ardron captains the Barbarians for game
Team Canada captain from Lakefield joins prestigious international all-star squad
Tyler Ardron, who grew up in Lakefield, captained the famed Barbarians against Brazil in a rugby exhibition in Sao Paulo on Wednesday night.
Ardron sported the socks of his home club, the Peterborough Pagans, in the match.
Ardron was named to the Barbarians earlier this month.
The Barbarians, an invitational all-star side known for its free-flowing style of rugby, date back to 1890.
Former Irish skipper Rory Best captained the Barbarians in Saturday’s 3331 loss to Fiji at Twickenham. Ardron started at lock in a Barbarians squad that also included players from Argentina, Australia, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Scotland and South Africa.
Ardron, a 28-year-old who is captain of Canada’s men’s 15’s team, plays his club rugby in New Zealand for the Gallagher Chiefs.
Other Canadians to have played for the Barbarians include World Rugby Hall of
Famers Al Charron and Gareth Rees as well as Mark Wyatt, David Lougheed, Glen Ennis, Rod Snow, James Pritchard, Jason Marshall, Sean Duke and Kevin Tkachuk.
Once invited, a player becomes a life member of the famous club.
In the early 1960s, the Barbarians asked B.C.’s Douglas (Buzz) Moore to play against Canada while on tour in Britain. He declined, leading the Canadians to a 3-3 tie against the all-stars. The Barbarians made him an “honorary Barbarian.”
Former Canada women’s captain Kelly Russell took part in the inaugural match for the women’s Barbarians in November 2017.
John Mitchell, an England assistant coach and former All Blacks head coach, will run the Barbarians in Brazil. The Barbarians men’s and women’s teams will both be in action Nov. 30 against Wales in Cardiff.