New role: David Barnes, the former Bath prop, has joined the Barbarians committee

DAVID BARNES has joined the 12-man committee of the Barbarian Football Club.

The former Bath prop, who played 266 games for the West Country club before retiring two months ago, has also been chairman of the Rugby Players’ Association for the past six years.

Great line-up: the Baa-Baas beat England and Wales this summer

“It is a great honour for me to be asked to join such a unique rugby institution in whatever capacity,” says Barnes. “I was privileged to play four times for the Barbarians and when their president Micky Steele-Bodger contacted me a few weeks ago I had no hesitation in accepting his invitation.”

Barnes first played for the Barbarians in the inaugural Remembrance Match against the Combined Services in 1997. In the following year he toured Argentina and Uruguay with the side and on the 2010 summer tour he was a member of the Barbarians team that defeated Ireland. In 2006 he played for England against the Barbarians.

The Barbarians beat both England and Wales this summer while they kick off their 2011-12 season with the match against South of Scotland in Hawick on Tuesday 11 October in aid of the Bill McLaran Foundation.They continue with a fixture against Australia at Twickenham on Saturday 26 November. Details of the 2012 summer tour will be announced shortly.