The 29-year-old follows in the footsteps of Phil Bennett and Barry John as one of three Cardiff-based Wales internationals in the Baa-baas women’s team. She is joined by her fellow Wales internationals Jasmine Joyce and Alisha Butchers in a squad containing nine different nationalities as the club’s women’s team launched in 2017 faces international opposition for the first time.
It’s deserved recognition for Snowsill, who received the Barbarians call up after winning her 50th cap for Wales in this year’s Six Nations. “I was really surprised to get the call — It’s something as a player that you don’t dare to dream about because the chance is so slim,” said Snowsill.
“You don’t want to build your hopes up but I was really buzzing when I found out. You’ve got really high-quality players from all around the world who are all there to enjoy it.
“Sometimes when you play international rugby, the enjoyment isn’t there because there’s so much pressure on results and performance. You get used to that but here there’s such a huge emphasis on enjoyment and playing creative rugby and that’s right up my street, it’s the thing I love.
“Any Barbarians game, you know there’s going to be something exciting, something different. I remember one penalty move they turned round and kicked it over the head backwards, I love that kind of thing.
“There is that big history and it’s really nice women are involved now and all that’s passed down to us now. It’s something that’s unique.
“International teams are often so focused on defence and trying to bully the other team out of the game or playing conservatively because they don’t want to make a mistake. The Barbarians go out and express themselves and it might be from your own five metre line. I’ll have to bring out that Phil Bennett sidestep if its needed.”
Wales duo Joyce and Butchers are also given the honour of representing the Barbarians. Wing Joyce has already represented Great Britain at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro where she was the only Welsh member in the Women’s Rugby Sevens squad.
The 23-year-old has featured for Wales in the Commonwealth Games and the World Cup.
Worcester flanker Butchers has won 25 caps for Wales and has become a prominent figure in Rowland Phillips’ side in recent seasons.
She’ll also have experienced teammates like England’s Rochelle Clark on her side — a relief after one bruising encounter with the veteran prop.
“I’ve played against Rocky many a time,” she said.
“I don’t go near a ruck if she’s anywhere near it. She broke me in half once!
“I don’t usually jackal for the ball, as a fly half I normally stay out, but there was half a sniff and I thought I’ll have a go for it. Rocky came out of nowhere and literally folded me in half and blew me five metres out the other way.
“She’s quite a big character in every way with all her experience and she’ll be great to have around the camp this week.” There’s a strong New Zealand influence in the group with four World Cup winners in the squad and another one in head coach Anna Richards — widely regarded as one of the all-time greats of the game.
“I went to the 2010 World Cup as a very junior player,” said Snowsill.
“I was 19 and only had two caps, and I didn’t play against New Zealand who were in our group.
“But I do remember watching her play, beating England, in something like her fifth World Cup, and I thought it’s someone I’d love to speak to and learn from. I never thought it would happen but now I get the chance to do that. As another fly half, that’s really special.”
Barbarians: Jasmine Joyce (Worcester Valkyries & Wales); Tova Derk (Wasps), Amanda Thornborough (Westshore & Canada), Helen Nelson (Montpellier & Scotland), Alison Miller (Old Belveder & Ireland); Elinor Snowsill (Bristol Bears & Wales), Emma Jensen (Hastings & New Zealand); Rochelle Clarke (Wasps & England), Fiao’o Fa’amausili (Auckland Marist & New Zealand), Steph Te Ohaere-Fox (Christchurch & New Zealand), Carmen Farmer (Glendale & USA), Dalena Dennison (Warringah & Australia), Paula Fitzpatrick (St Mary’s & Ireland), Alisha Butchers (Worcester Valkyries & Wales), Linda Itunu (Ponsonby & New Zealand).
Replacements: Heather Kerr (Darlington MP & England), Samantha Martinez Gion (Amsterdam & Netherlands), Gill Bourke (Stade Francais & Ireland), Amelia Buckland Hurry (Bristol Bears), Julia Folk (Castaway Wdrs & Canada), Hannah Stolba (Glendale & USA), Andrea Burk (Capilanos & Canada), Katie Mason (Wasps & England).
