THIS year, the world of rugby celebrates 125 years since the birth of the world famous Barbarian FC, the club without a fixed abode.

Penarth Rugby Club has decided to celebrate its association with the Barbarian FC by organising an exhibition at the Pier Pavilion, not far from where the Barbarians Headquarters, the Esplanade Hotel used to stand.

This exhibition, which will open on April 27, will depict the thrilling history of Penarth RFC from its inception in 1880 to the present day, as well as its remarkable association with the Barbarians, which lasted for 85 of its 135-year history.

The Barbarians quest started over an oyster dinner hosted by the club’s founder Percy Carpmael, at Leuchter's Restaurant in Bradford in April 1889. The following year on December 27, 1890, the newly-formed Barbarian FC, captained by the legendary Andrew Stoddard, took on West Hartlepool FC in a match that entered rugby’s folklore as a brilliant and audacious exhibition of skill and creativity.

The names of those selected by the Barbarians and the playing style of the new club caught up the imagination of the rugby public, keen to escape the clutches of the tight forward battles of the era.

The other reason the Barbarians concept has retained its freshness and appeal more than a century after the maiden tour is the spirit of the venture, encapsulated in the famous saying “Rugby Football is a game for gentlemen of all classes, but never for a bad sportsman of any class,” of Right Reverend Walter Julius Carey, one of the originals of the nomadic club.

Two years after the “act of birth” the Barbarians arrived in Wales taking on Cardiff in premiere in 1892 and then the powerful Newport the following year in 1893. At the time the standard of Welsh club rugby was phenomenally high and Cardiff, Newport and Swansea were arguably among the strongest clubs in the world.

By 1900 the Baa-Baas had become regular visitors to both Arms Park and Rodney Parade, and as their matches tended to gather around Easter time, (though for a while there was also a tour around Christmas time) the idea of adding the formidable Swansea to the tour schedule became compelling. Indeed Swansea agreed to host the Barbarians on April 9, 1901, and with Newport scheduled for April 6 and Cardiff for April 8 there was an opportunity to add an additional fixture before the Newport match.

This is how Penarth became the host of the tour opener on Good Friday in 1901 and the seafront Esplanade Hotel, the “home” of the nomadic club for the duration of the South Wales tour.

The arrival in Town of some of the most famous players in the world, year after year, added glamour and excitement to the growing status of Victorian Penarth and put both the club and the Town on the world rugby map.

The narrative of the exhibition is largely based on the book “The Spirit of Penarth” by Penarth RFC secretary and exhibition curator Chris Thau, which can be purchased from the Pier reception for the special anniversary price of £19.99.