Duhan van der Merwe set for reunion with homeland after Springboks call-up

The Barbarians have strengthened their squad for this summer’s high-profile fixtures against South Africa and Wales, with rugby stars TJ Perenara, Duhan van der Merwe and Kyle Sinckler among the latest names confirmed.

The famous invitational side will first take on the world champion Springboks in Gqeberha on June 20 before travelling to the UK to face Wales at Allianz Stadium on June 27 as part of a double-header that also features the Barbarians Women against Wales.

Scotland wing Duhan van der Merwe is set to make his Barbarians debut and will face his country of birth, South Africa.

He is joined by fellow Scotland internationals D’Arcy Rae and Liam McConnell, with all three selected in collaboration with Scotland head coach Gregor Townsend ahead of the Nations Championship. Van der Merwe and Rae will feature only against the Springboks.

Former All Blacks vice-captain and Rugby World Cup winner TJ Perenara also returns to the famous black-and-white jersey, bringing a wealth of leadership and international experience.

England prop Kyle Sinckler has been named for the Wales fixture, adding further firepower to the forward pack.

Argentina fly-half Tomás Albornoz, Wallabies back Andrew Kellaway and Uruguay scrum-half Santiago Arata have also been included, with further squad announcements expected in the coming weeks.

Speaking on his selection, Van der Merwe described the invitation as a “massive honour” and said he was relishing the challenge of facing the world champions.