Twickenham Stadium is set to host an exciting day of high-octane rugby next Summer, as Fiji take on the Barbarians for the Killik Cup. The match takes centre stage at the home of English rugby, on Saturday 22nd June. This exciting Summer contest is set to bring the heat, as the two sides last met in 2019 for an instant classic.
The Flying Fijians narrowly beat the Barbarians in their last meeting, which produced up a 33-31 thriller. Fiji have gotten a recent taste for securing wins at Twickenham, as over the latest Summer, the Pacific Islanders shocked England with a 30-22 upset ahead of the Rugby World Cup. This stood as Fiji’s first ever win against England, and Steve Borthwick’s side’s first ever defeat to a ‘Tier 2’ rugby nation.
However, it was England who got the eventual bragging rights, when the two sides met in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup. An intense encounter saw England narrowly scrape through to the next round, off the back of a 30-24 win. The Fijians hit their top stride over in France, and entered the competition ranked at seventh in the World Rugby rankings. The reigning Pacific Nations Cup holders achieved wins over Australia and Georgia, yet suffered a shocking defeat to Portugal to close out the pools.
The Barbarians were last at Twickenham over the Summer, as the famous black and white jerseys ran out against the World XV. The Baa-Baas were under the guidance of Japan Head Coach Eddie Jones, and featured an ecclectic ensomble including Welsh legend Alun Wyn Jones, Wallabies fly half Quade Cooper and former All Black Aaron Cruden.
The Barbarians ran out a 48-42 victory over the World XV, who were coached by Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks coach Steve Hansen. The World XV featured the likes of Tonga’s Charles Piutau, Fiji flyer Semi Radradra and Italian captain Michelle Lamaro.