Alfie Barbeary

Alfie Barbeary (born 5 October 2000 in Banbury, England) is an English rugby union player for Wasps in the Premiership Rugby. His preferred position is back row,[1] having previously focused on hooker.[2][3]

Alfie Barbeary
Birth nameAlfie Jack Barbeary
Date of birth (2000-10-05) 5 October 2000
Place of birthBanbury, England
Height185 cm (6 ft 1 in)
Weight116 kg (256 lb; 18 st 4 lb)
SchoolBloxham School
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker, Number 8
Youth career
2008-2015 Banbury RUFC
2015-2018 Wasps RFC
Senior career
Years Team Apps (Points)
2018- Wasps 28 (90)
2019 → Nottingham (loan) 1 (0)
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
England U18
England U19
2019 England U20 2 (5)

Early life

Born in Banbury, Oxfordshire, Alfie Barbeary grew up in Deddington, starting rugby practice at age eight with Banbury RUFC.[2][4]

Barbeary was educated at Bloxham School, and whilst winning several Oxfordshire cups at youth level with its rugby club, he started training with Wasps under-15.[2][4]

Career

Having already captained England under-18 team, he made his debut for the under-20 in the 2019 Six Nations game against Scotland, scoring a try after coming on as a replacement hooker.[5] He also made an appearance with England's youth in the World Rugby Championship later that year.[4][6]

Barbeary permanently entered Wasps’ Senior Academy squad for the 2019–20 season.[7] After featuring in a Cup game with the senior team in 2018 as a substitute hooker,[8] he spent some time in on loan with Nottingham R.F.C. during the 2019–20 RFU Championship, still being dually registered with Wasps.[9][10]

He made his first start with the Coventry club in the Premiership on the 9 September 2020, scoring a hat trick against Leicester, making a strong impression playing as a blindside flanker.[4][11][12] He became only the second player to score a treble on his first Premiership debut, after former Kiwis' winger Lesley Vainikolo.[11]

Barbeary was called by Eddie Jones in the senior England team late November 2020 for the Autumn Nations Cup final.[4][13]

In the following December, Barbeary made his European debut with Wasps, starting as a number 8 in both fixtures against the Dragons and Montpellier. Already successful in Wales,[14] he proved to be instrumental in the home performance against MHR, proving to be a decisive forward, breaking lines and scoring tries, but also showing his back skills with kicks, offloads and try assists, and eventually being named man of the match.[15][16][17]

He however ended the year with an ankle syndesmosis injury,[18] only allowing him to get back on the fields in late March 2021, making the headlines as an early substitute against Newcastle Falcons, allowing his team to win the game after a come-back.[19]

Style of play

Alfie Barbeary was a centre through most of his youth career, naming Ma'a Nonu and Mathieu Bastareaud as his ultimate references. But since he entered the Wasps under-15 team he moved to the front row, becoming a hooker both in club and national teams. Throughout his career he was also regularly used as a back row, either as a flanker or a number 8.[2][4][5]

Despite being viewed as a hooker in both England youth team and the senior one — as per Eddie Jones own sayings[20] — it is in the back row that he first took the spotlight with Wasps.[11][17] In November 2021 it was reported that he would focus on the backrow, with Jones's blessing.[1]

References
  1. Bobby Bridge (27 November 2021). "Alfie Barbeary makes position decision after chat with England Rugby head coach Eddie Jones". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 27 November 2021.
  2. Mockford, Sarah (1 December 2020). "Hotshot: Wasps hooker/back-row Alfie Barbeary". Rugby World. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  3. "Alfie Jack Barbeary". ESPN scrum. Retrieved 19 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  4. Roberts, James (3 December 2020). "Find out how Alfie Barbeary went from Banbury youngster to England call-up". Oxford Mail. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  5. Harvey, Neale (29 March 2019). "Young Guns: Wasps and England U18 sensation Alfie Barbeary". The RUGBY Paper. Retrieved 20 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. "Alfie Barbeary profile". RFU. Archived from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  7. "Alfie Barbeary". Wasps.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 August 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  8. Iles, Robert (1 November 2018). "Gloucester v Wasps as it happened and post-match reaction". Gloucestershire Echo. Archived from the original on 7 March 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  9. Bridge, Bobby (23 September 2019). "Out on loan - Alfie Barbeary and 20 other Wasps players". Coventry Telegraph. Archived from the original on 1 October 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  10. "Team to face Yorkshire Carnegie". Nottingham Rugby. 19 September 2019. Retrieved 20 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  11. Meagher, Gerard (9 September 2020). "Wasps thrash Leicester thanks to Alfie Barbeary's treble on first start". The Guardian. Ricoh Arena. Archived from the original on 10 September 2020. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  12. Jones, David (10 September 2020). "Is Alfie Barbeary the real deal?". Last Word on Rugby. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  13. "England call up uncapped Wasps hooker Alfie Barbeary for Autumn Nations Cup final". Sky Sports. Retrieved 10 December 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. Bridge, Bobby (14 December 2020). "Alfie Barbeary's scan, forwards return and latest on England stars". CoventryLive. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  15. Doel, Jon (19 December 2020). "Who is Alfie Barbeary, British rugby's new sensation?". Wales Online. Archived from the original on 19 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  16. "Internet in meltdown as 20 year old Alfie Barbeary dismantles Montpellier with sensational Champions Cup performance". Rugby Onslaught. 19 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
  17. "L'antisèche : chez les Wasps et à 14, le MHR ne s'est pas épargné". Rugbyrama (in French). 18 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  18. Bridge, Bobby (13 March 2021). "'Massive difference' - Wasps to welcome back three key players". Coventry Telegraph. Archived from the original on 13 March 2021. Retrieved 22 March 2021.
  19. Dickinson, Adam; Lyons, Harry; Bridge, Bobby (20 March 2021). "'Test-level display' - Wasps player ratings from Newcastle Falcons win". Coventry Telegraph. Retrieved 22 March 2021.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  20. Macpherson, Will (1 December 2020). "Jones explains England call up for 20-year-old Wasps star Barbeary". Evening Standard. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 21 December 2020.
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