The Barbarians are facing an All Blacks XV this weekend at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium in London.
Rugby's financial landscape is peculiar at the best of times: on one side, teams competing weekly are barely breaking even, whilst on the other, the British and Irish Lions tour a single nation every four years and generate enormous profits.
Yet somewhere in between sits an oval ball institution that seemingly belongs to a bygone amateur age, but in 2025 remains amongst the sport's most iconic brands.
For the uninitiated, the Barbarians is an invitational rugby side with an invited coach, where players don their club socks alongside striking black and white hooped jerseys, throwing caution to the wind.
They stretch the game's regulations to their limits, refuse to kick for points and frequently appear to be enjoying themselves immensely... throughout (even during match weeks when players can regularly be spotted enjoying pints at the local pub), as reported by .
Former Barbarian and committee member, Scottish international Rory Lawson, told City AM that, whether it's Sir Gareth Edwards' legendary try from five decades past or contemporary players, "the reason it continues to hold a place in the game is because the players want to be part of it".
He said: "It is players' second favourite team and fans' second favourite team.
"In a time where the game has professionalised and the sport is in a bit of a state of flux at the moment, the Barbarians has held its position as being a brand that is synonymous with all of the reasons young kids play."
The squad has been preparing this week in London and, under the guidance of Bristol Bears head coach Pat Lam, will face an All Blacks XV before this autumn's international fixtures commence.
While the traditional fixture against an England XV at Allianz Stadium has typically been the norm, this weekend's encounter will unfold at Brentford's Gtech Community Stadium, the previous home of Premiership Rugby side London Irish.
The match arrives on a significant day for rugby across the capital, with England meeting Australia at Twickenham and South Africa welcoming Japan at Wembley Stadium.
"It still provides an opportunity to get out of the high pressure environment that club and international rugby carries," former Edinburgh, Gloucester and Newcastle scrum-half Lawson says.
"It's going to be a very different dynamic to the other two [matches] with the on-field expression and the opportunity to go out and play.
"I can almost guarantee it will be higher risk, higher value, greater entertainment than you see anywhere else on that day. The stakes may not be as high, but you're going to have a Barbarians squad who see it as a huge opportunity to represent a famous club.
"The players there will be encouraged by Pat Lam and the club as a whole to go out and express themselves and compete in a manner that brings them joy.
"The All Blacks team will be a bunch of hungry, ambitious players who want to be filling the New Zealand jersey imminently."
An intriguing clash is anticipated in Brentford this weekend. Regardless of the outcome, the enduring appeal of the Barbarians in an increasingly commercialised sports environment is testament to the team's mass appeal.
Tickets are still on sale, with prices starting from £20 for children.
