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Gloucester’s Zach Mercer Joins Barbarians After England Snubs
On 27 February 2024, it was announced that Gloucester’s Zach Mercer would be joining the Barbarians in June, following a series of England snubs. The 26-year-old previously played for Montpellier in the TOP14, earning acclaim and catching the attention of England’s head coach, Steve Borthwick. However, despite being recently cleared for international selection, Mercer has yet to make the English roster for the Rugby World Cup final, Six Nations, or their A team match against Portugal.
The Gallagher Premiership star expressed his disappointment earlier in the year, stating that he felt ‘done’ with England after being overlooked for the Six Nations squad. Although he could be recalled for England’s summer tour matches against Japan and New Zealand, Mercer doesn’t seem overly optimistic about his chances, having accepted an invitation to play for the Barbarians against Fiji on June 22 at Twickenham.
“Moments like that are the reason you play rugby… It will be two teams that want to play fast, exciting rugby. It should be an unmissable afternoon of rugby.”
- Zach Mercer
Meanwhile, England faces a thrilling Test tour of New Zealand in July, where they will meet the All Blacks in Dunedin and Auckland on the 6th and 13th, respectively.
Although Sale Sharks have signed South African lock player Le Roux Roets from Hollywoodbet Sharks, Mercer’s absence will likely continue. Due to the RFU’s foreign ruling, players like Nowell, who signed a contract extension with French giants La Rochelle, are unable to represent Borthwick’s national side.
As the excitement builds for these upcoming matches, general admission tickets for the Barbarians vs Fiji are now available on Ticketmaster, Ticketek, and the RFU’s official website, with each ticket covering access to the South Africa vs Wales match as well.
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