It's the same for any youngster who has signed up with a professional sports club. Every student who is under contract with Wigan Rugby aren't permitted to play for their College are University teams for exactly the same reason Sam shouldn't be playing for the Baa Baa's, injury risk!

markwebbertasmaniachallenge.com/ this guy should be fired at once

markwebbertasmaniachallenge.com/ this guy should be fired at once

I remember those dark days of cross country running trying to kill off F1. Thank heavens they've failed so far.

55 pages

apparently cross country are bank rolling a ground breaking move for Jesnon Button. It will be a sad day for F1 if this does happen.

Ive had my £10 free bet on Skybet sitting pretty for a while, thanks for bringing this to attention, this is a great outside bet to put a free tenner on! If Iestyn Harris and Vainikolo can score 5 tries on debut, I'm sure Sam can. Especially against inferior Aussie players compared to last week.

...I think Harris got a hattrick on his RU debut, not 5, the mind plays tricks.

Especially since the clause supposedly contained with his latest contract about not speaking with Union. Or have we been lied to ?

Or maybe as I've stated earlier it may have been agreed that he could play the odd exhibition game of RU to supplement his income outside the salary cap in order for us to be able to afford to keep him in RL. As much as it may be unpalatable, playing on Saturday is likely to raise his profile much more than any game of RL he's played and therefore increase his sponsorship opportunities with some "blue chip" companies, again as a means of keeping him in RL for the moment.

Maybe a bit "left field" for some to take on-board no doubt, or maybe not useful because of the agendas some have on here.

If Tomkins manages to play well in the Barbarians RU match, this could be good for the sport as a whole as it shows that you don't need to leave RL in order to play in RU internationals.

Where is this game being shown?

Sky Sports 1, coverage starts at 2.30pm.

I'm going to watch the Rugby Club this evening for Dewi and Barnes views on Sam playing. Hopefully it should be interesting viewing.

Barnes will be his usual positive and complimentary self no doubt.

He should get a mention but biggest talking point will be the leaked RFU review.

I've seen quotes from Sam saying his agent approached him during the Four Nations with this opportunity, after his contract was signed.

We have to be realistic, even in RL he only broke out as a potential superstart 18 months back, the wider sporting world will have known little about him. As soon as he steps onto the Twickenham field that attention will be on him, especially if he puts in a great performance, if it's good enough to attract Blue Chip sponsors, those sponsors will want to see him playing in Union internationals and the European Cup, not a Friday night game away against Wakefield.

I see talk about the NRL being an alternative, personally I see this as being a less and less attractive proposition for UK RL players, sure they can earn decent money, but the UK/European market is where the biggest money is earned, not just wages but sponsorship. Then consider profile, I'm sure there are at least a handful of Aussie Rules stars with UK roots, yet we know zero about them, the NRL is slightly different as RL has a foothold in this country, but even so, if a UK player goes to the NRL he will not be heard or seen again in the UK apart from the specialist RL press. While us mere mortals wil only look at the six figure salaries and say who cares, if your a UK sportsman at the top of your game, you want the opportunity to be recognised by your fellow countrymen, up there with the footballers, cricketers, golfers, motor racing drivers, Olympic athletes, not just an annoymous rich guy.

While it's not for good reasons, you only need see how Union has dominated the sporting talk these past few days, England loseonce again to Australia in the Four Nations and it's given as much (or little) coverage as a typical SL game, no inquiary, no media fallout, just another loss, carry on as normal.

Not seen any of those obviously, where did you see them?

Which national or representative team do the Barbarians represent? It is not an international. The whole Barbarians thing has lost its identity and is losing popularity probably explains why just about every game they include a RL or a high profile former RL player.

im 99% certain his contract states he cannot talk to Union about a contract to play for a union club! hes playing a one-off international and is under no contract to play for a union club



maybe thats too simple for some people round here...

Really? In that case I'll bow to your superior knowledge of Rugby Union. To an uninterested outsider, though, I would class it as an "international" as it's played against a national team.

This is the bit of this i dont get! Why is everyone getting their knickers in a twist?

Barbarians RU is essentially a group of very well off old biffers who are well in with the RFU management (what's left of it that is). They have a ring around and see how many superstars and high profile players they can get together for an exhibition games against a national side.

It used to be a real honour to play for them but its being eroded by the popularity of full internationals. The only downside is he may get injured.

The RFU get cash from the rental of Twickers
The RFL and Wigan will be compensated for Sam's time as he is contracted to them.
Sam gets recognised for his talent nationally
Numerous charities will get a cut from the gate as will Sam
Most importantly the old biffers get their up and cash from corporate sponsorship!

Do any of you honestly believe there is more to this than a PR exercise?
I will be astounded if he plays until 1/2 time not because he cant but because he was only ever meant to play 15-20mins.

Sorry but had to get that off my chest after reading 500+ ill informed opinions offered as fact. I am chuffed to bits Sam has got the recognition without signing to an RU team.

Why not? Hes not the first!!

My point was people dont want him in our game because hes either poop, a cheat, a sulk or any other mix. But yet he goes and plays an exhibition game and suddenly other fans what to have a pop at him. They shouldnt care or at least should be happy!

And yes he could have turned it down! He could have also turned down a new contract!

Hmmm. Before I sounded off about "ill informed opinions" I'd make asolutely sure I'd got MY facts absolutely right, otherwise it could be a bit of an embarrassing thing to claim that others were ill informed.



Perhaps as you are so well informed about the Barbarians you could enlighten the ill informed as to exactly which charities are likely to benefit from this game.



As one of the "ill informed" I had understood that the charity was the Barbarians Rugby Charitable Trust, which has as one of its main charitable causes the development of RU.

If you think it's wrong to be unhappy that British RL's prize asset is being used to promote a rival code through the media, apparently raising revenue for the RFU and raising funds for an RU charity then I'm quite happy to be wrong.

You are exactly right the majority of the income goes to the Barbarians Rugby Charitable TRUST the important word being TRUST.

Any charity on the planet can apply for funds from this pot. Be it for a new pitch for an RU club or floodlights for an athletics track. It is a TRUST fund but clear you lack the capacity to cope with concept. Its not there fault if no amateur league teams apply.


The Barbarians RU (not the RFU) are absolutely raising the profile of their fixture by asking Sam to play they. Its called business. Seems to me your biggest gripe is a charitable trust has done more advertising the S Tomkins than the RFL and Wigan have managed in 2yrs. It is a shame he will play union to get the recognition but that's hardly his fault.

RFL need to look at themselves not the RFU to figure out it has come to this for professional rugby league.

Have nice night kind sir!

The Trust has one of its main objects the development of RU - unless the Barbarians' own website is wrong, but then again, perhaps the Barbarians are ill informed.......