The core of the 2008 Outback Queensland Barbarians touring squad was selected at last year's Outback Country Championships, played between representative teams from the Central Highlands competition (Emerald, Capella, Clermont and Moranbah); Western Queensland competition, (Longreach, Barcaldine and Ilfracombe), Mount Isa competition (Mount Isa and Cloncurry) and Western Downs (Goondiwindi, St George, Condamine, Roma and Dalby). Players from other strong regional competitions including Rockhampton and Townsville have also been selected to fill the 28 vacancies on the tour.

Normally a touring team will have played at least a handful of games together prior to touring, but the first time many of this year's touring Outback Barbarians players will meet will be at the pre-tour sponsor's function at Brisbane's Brothers Rugby Club on Thursday night.

Despite the lack of familiarity, tour organiser and manager Geoff Barton predicts it won't take long for combinations and camaraderie to build as the team touches down to begin its tour in Vancouver, Canada this Friday, April 18.

The team travels from Vancouver to Seattle, Washington State, by bus on Saturday where the players will have their first training session as a team.

The rugby schedule then kicks off with a trial match against Spokane in Washington State, before the Baa Baas travel by bus courtesy of the Spokane Rugby Club to Missoula, Montana, where they will participate in a three-day long festival of rugby known as the Maggot Fest, named in honour of the host team, the Missoula Maggots (http://www.maggots.org/). Further games are scheduled against the Las Vegas Black Jacks in Nevada (http://www.lasvegasblackjacksrug by.com) and the San Diego Old Aztecs in California (http:www.oldaztecsrfc.com).

Al ong the way the players will experience white water rafting in Montana, the Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming, the Boeing factory in Seattle, the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon in Nevada and Arizona and Tijuana in Mexico.