Osea Kolinisau will captain the Barbarians at the RugbyX invitational tournament at the O2 Arena in London next week. The Houston SaberCats utility back is one of three Major League Rugby players named in the squad, the others San Diego Legion forward Jasa Veremalua and playmaker Vatemo Ravouvou, a late-season signing by the Utah Warriors.
RugbyX is an experimental format that will see teams playing 5-aside rugby on a half-size pitch. There are no lineouts and de-powered scrums, and no kicking at goal. Rolling subs are allowed at all stoppages during a single 10-minute period of play.
Kolinisau, Veremalua, and Ravouvou are joined by fellow Olympic Gold medalists Kitione Taliga and Samisoni Viriviri, as well as former World Series great Pio Tuwai. Former Blitzbokke skipper Kyle Brown is named, and in Barbarians tradition there are two uncapped players named – Harlequins academy pair Louis Lynagh and Lennox Anyanwu.
BARBARIANS
Willy Ambaka (Kenya), Lennox Anyanwu (Harlequins), Kyle Brown (South Africa), Osea Kolinisau (capt., Fiji), Louis Lynagh (Harlequins), Oscar Ouma (Kenya), Vatemo Ravouvou (Fiji), Kitione Taliga (Fiji), Luke Treharne (Wales), Pio Tuwai (Fiji), Jasa Veremalua (Fiji), Samisoni Viriviri (Fiji)