Australia's Rocky Elsom and Matt Giteau have accepted an invitation to play for the Barbarians against rugby world champions South Africa at Twickenham in December.

The two Wallabies played in the invitational club's win over the world champion Springboks in 2007 and against New Zealand last year.

The December 4 match will also feature the long-awaited return of controversial Wales centre Gavin Henson.

The Ospreys midfielder has not played since March 2009 after suffering an ankle injury in an Anglo-Welsh Cup defeat against Gloucester and then taking unpaid leave.

The 28-year-old has continued to make headlines in Britain following the break-up of his relationship with Welsh singer Charlotte Church, the mother of his two young children, and his forthcoming appearance in the BBC television entertainment show, Strictly Come Dancing.

Henson has also been linked with a move to several English Premiership clubs, but all have denied making an approach.

The talented Henson, capped 31 times by Wales, has made clear his desire to play for his country at next year's World Cup in New Zealand.

But his ability to upset team-mates, never mind opponents, was evident again recently when he was selected to model the new Wales team kit in a marketing campaign, annoying several members of the current national squad.

Barbarians' contracts manager, Mike Burton, the former England international, said in a statement issued on Monday that Henson's selection was still subject to the player proving his fitness.

"Obviously our invitation to Gavin will attract a lot of attention," he said.

"He has other commitments outside rugby and he is conscious of the need for match fitness in order to do himself and the club justice."

Henson will be joined in the Barbarians squad by Ospreys team-mate and Wales scrum-half Mike Phillips.

The remainder of the players will be announced in the coming weeks while Italy's South African coach Nick Mallett and Alan Solomons will again take charge of the side.

The Barbarians, who have no ground of their own and whose teams traditionally feature at least one uncapped player, are arguably rugby union's most famous invitational side.

Their most celebrated win came in 1973 when a team largely made up of players from the victorious British and Irish Lions tour of New Zealand two years earlier beat the All Blacks 23-11 in Cardiff.

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