QUEENSLAND’s premier touring country rugby team – the Dyno Nobel Outback Barbarians – is gearing up again to head to the US for a seven game tour.
The highly successful team has a remarkable track record, winning 30 of the 34 games played on the previous five biannual tours.
The 2018 tour includes matches with:
Dallas Harlequins – a tough Division 1 side that is branching out into the professional circuit that is starting up in the US.
Houston Athletic – another tough team that is also in the process of going professional.
New Orleans Rugby – a team on the professional circuit that has had the wood on the Barbas in their two previous encounters.
Tallahassee Conquistadors – a team that with help of the Florida State University Team will put a competitive team on the park.
Boca Raton Buccaneers – a top Division 2 side that has been upsetting a lot of Division 1 teams in this year’s competition.
Birmingham Vulcans – another Division 2 side with ambush potential that is set to break into the Division 2 ranks.
Little Rock Stormers – a high class Division 1 side that has made it clear it has not intention of losing to an Australian side.
The 36 strong touring party team will be coached by Kingaroy-based coach Mike Bishop with considerable overseas experience. His impressive record includes leading the Outback Barbarians on a undefeated tour in 2010.
The team will also experience plenty of off-field experiences with the tour traveling through eight south east US states. These include a Houston Astros baseball game, a visit to a ranch in Texas, NASA’s Houston space centre, New Orleans’ French Quarter, a bayou swamp tour, and deep sea fishing off Boca Raton in Florida.
Fox Sports’ Greg Martin, Former Wallaby and Queensland Red, will launch the Dyno Nobel Outback Barbarians’ 2018 tour at a sponsors event in Brisbane on May 17.
Queensland Country Life is the team’s official media partner.
The Dyno Nobel Outback Barbarians other major sponsors include Haulmark, Ray White Rural, Inventia, NAB Agribusiness, Crop Care, Hamburg Sud, Rentokil, Wellard Rural Exports, Cobram Olive Oil, Redback, Bundaberg Molasses, Monsanto, and Ian Weigh Toyota.