Wales edge Barbarians 33-31 as George North retires

Wales secured a 33-31 victory over the Barbarians in a high-scoring, uncapped international at Twickenham on Saturday, June 27, 2026. The match served as a warm-up for Wales’ upcoming Nations Championship campaign and was highlighted by an emotional farewell from Welsh legend George North.

Playing for the Barbarians in his final professional match, North came off the bench in the second half to a tremendous ovation. The 34-year-old scored with his first touch, barging through defenders, and added a second try late in the game. He fittingly converted the Barbarians’ final try with the last kick of the match.

Wales built their win on five tries. Scrum-half Kieran Hardy opened the scoring early, and fly-half Dan Edwards contributed 14 points with two tries and two conversions. Reuben Morgan-Williams and Ellis Mee also crossed, with Sam Costelow adding two further conversions. The Barbarians’ other tries came from South African prop Vincent Koch and Munster centre Alex Nankivell, with Uruguayan scrum-half Santiago Arata scoring a last-gasp effort.

The victory marked the first time Wales have won successive matches since the 2023 Rugby World Cup, following their Six Nations win over...