Stuart Barnes


Stuart Barnes is a former English rugby union footballer, and now rugby commentator for Sky Sports. Barnes played fly-half for Newport RFC, Bristol, Bath; and represented England at international level.

Biography

Although born in Essex, he played his schoolboy international rugby for Wales Schools.
Such was his speed and talent, he made the leap from the U15s to the U19s after one season, and became an ever-present, also captaining the team on several occasions.
Barnes studied at St Edmund Hall, University of Oxford, where he won three rugby Blues. He played for Oxford against Cambridge University's Rob Andrew in the Varsity match. He graduated from Oxford with a third-class honours degree in history.

Club career

While at University, Barnes played club rugby for Newport RFC. He matriculated in 1981.
Barnes later played for Bristol, including in the 1984 RFU final against Bath Rugby. After being on the losing side for Bristol in that final, he was to join Bath.
He arrived at Bath aged 22: "disaffected with England and, with my volatile character, I could easily have drifted out of the game altogether. At the time the big joke was that I'd had more clubs than Jack Nicklaus – Newport, Bristol and Bath by 22 and people doubted my character, they thought of me as being very fickle and at Bath I found what I wanted – a rugby home.".

International career

Barnes made his England debut against Australia in November 1984. He gained ten caps for England and played his last international match in 1993 against Ireland.
Barnes played for the Barbarians against Wales in October 1990, converting three tries in the Barbarians victory.

Life after playing

Barnes' last game was the Bath versus Leicester Pilkington Cup Final on 7 May 1994, which Bath won 21–9. He resigned from the Bristol and West building society shortly afterwards. Barnes became a freelance writer and reporter for the Telegraph, and wrote his autobiography Smelling of Roses.
He later became involved in broadcasting, firstly with the BBC, and then joined Sky Sports in 1994.

Personal life

He was nicknamed The Bath Barrel.