South Africa's coach, Peter de Villiers, has selected an unprecedented 11 non-white players in his 30-man Springbok squad for the summer Tests against Wales and Italy.

The world champions' squad, which includes Bath's fly-half Butch James, will assemble in Bloemfontein on Sunday to prepare for the first of two matches against Wales, followed by a game against Italy in Cape Town. Although the large non-white presence was a major talking point, De Villiers played down the statistic. "I don't know how many players of colour we've chosen and I don't care," he said. "The squad was picked entirely on merit and every player named deserves his spot."

Three of the 11 are Zimbabweans, the wing Tonderai Chavhanga and props Tendai Mtawarira and Brian Mujati. All have qualified through South African residency. The previous highest number of non-white players in the national team was nine in a 28-man squad in 2005 and 2007. De Villiers' predecessor, Jake White, named six non-white players in the 2007 World Cup squad. The wing J P Pietersen and Bryan Habana took to the field in the final. The former Springbok coach Rudolf Straeuli's 2003 World Cup squad included six non-white players.

Mark Regan will captain a powerful Barbarians side against England on Sunday. The Bristol hooker leads a side that includes his fellow England internationals Iain Balshaw and Andy Gomarsall. Stephen Larkham will start at fly-half if he shakes off a knee injury.

Jerry Collins, the All Black who has announced his retirement from rugby in New Zealand, is in the Barbarians back row. His fellow New Zealander Craig Newby left hospital yesterday after being carried off during the defeat by Ireland on Tuesday. The flanker has suffered a ligament tear in his lower neck and will rest for a month before joining his new club, Leicester.

Matthew Burke, Larkham's former Australia team-mate, has retired at 35. The full-back tore an anterior cruciate ligament playing for Newcastle last October and after seven months of rehabilitation has decided not to carry on.

Barbarians: Delport (Worcester): G Thomas (Cardiff Blues), Turinui (Queensland Reds), Mapusua (L Irish), Balshaw (Gloucester); Larkham (unattached) or Jackson (Saracens), Gomarsall (Harlequins); Pucciariello (Munster), Regan (Bristol, capt), Visagie, Chesney (both Saracens), Harrison (Ulster), Collins (unattached), Molitika (Cardiff Blues) or Croft (Queensland Reds), Wannenburg (Blue Bulls). Replacements: Bruno (Sale), P Collazo (Gloucester), S Dellape (Biarritz), Croft or Chapman (Brumbies), Claassens (Bath), Larkham or Jackson, Pretorius (Lions).