England XV to take on NZ Baa-baas

English rugby fans will have a chance to welcome home their World Cup heroes in a match at Twickenham before Christmas.

Rugby Football Union chief executive Francis Baron confirmed in Sydney today that an England XV will tackle the New Zealand Barbarians at Twickenham on December 20.

The fixture, which will not be an official Test match, has been ratified by the International Rugby Board.

The Barbarians side is likely to include players from throughout the southern hemisphere, and it will be their second visit to Twickenham after they beat England in 1996.

Interest for the celebration match will be huge, given England’s World Cup triumph over Australia yesterday.

And the RFU are confidently expecting a capacity crowd for what is an extra game before England launch their Six Nations campaign against Italy in Rome on February 15.