The Bath Vs Barbarians clash is just under two weeks away, and names are still being released.
Already we knew the likes of Teddy Thomas, Joe Marchant, Camile Chat, and many others were lining up for the famous invitational side. Well, now we’ve got one more.
Former Bath and Gloucester player Matt Banahan will be coming out of retirement for one match only to play for the Barbarians against Bath.
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The 6 ft 7 in (201 cm) winger played over 250 times for Bath, before moving over to west-country rivals Gloucester in 2018, and eventually retiring in 2021. Banahan scored four tries in his sixteen appearances for England, as his sizable frame and electric speed were often used to break the gain line.
At the time of his retirement, Banahan took to social media to say “My journey is coming to a end, this will be my last season. I will enjoy what the next so many months have got for me.”
Using the hashtag #whatnextwhoknows, the former England international certainly wouldn’t have been expecting a return to the Recreation Ground in Barbarians colours.
Now aged 35, Banahan had the following to say about the upcoming occasion:
“I’m absolutely buzzing to be part of such an iconic occasion,
“To play for the Barbarians will be a dream come true and to do it against a club that I love will make the day even more special.
“Games like this don’t come around often for the city so hopefully it’ll be a full Rec and a great atmosphere!”
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