The Varsity Match (rugby)

Oxford Cambridge
First meeting	1872
Latest meeting	2023
Stadiums	The Parks (1872) Parker's Piece (1873) The Oval Richardson's Field Rectory Field Queen's Club (1887–1920).[1] Twickenham (1921–2023) StoneX Stadium (2024– )
Statistics
Meetings total	140
All-time series	Cambridge leads, 65 to 62; 14 draws

The Varsity Match is an annualrugby union fixture played between the universities ofOxford andCambridge in England. The event began in 1872 with the first men's match, with interruptions only for the two World Wars and theCOVID-19 pandemic. From 1921 to 2023 the game was played atTwickenham Stadium, London and usually took place in early December. The game is now played in March and will take place atStoneX Stadium in 2024.

Following the 141st match in 2023, Oxford have 62 wins, and Cambridge maintain the lead with 65; 14 games have ended in draws.^[2][3]Varsity matches between Oxford and Cambridge are also arranged in various other sports.

The women's rugby Varsity Match was first played in 1988 and has taken place at Twickenham on the same day as the men's game since 2015.^[4] Cambridge won the 2019 match, repeating their 8–5 victory of 2018.^[3]

The history of The Varsity Match extends back to early 1872. It was a year after the first ever rugby international (Scotland vEngland). Both Cambridge and Oxford sent officials to meet and arrange a match between each other. AtThe Parks, Oxford, they played a 20 a-side version of the game (as opposed to today's 15 a-side games; the teams would be set to 15 a-side in 1875^[5]). Oxford won the inaugural meeting. In that first match, Oxford wore dark blue jerseys (the same as today, though at some stages they wore white), however, Cambridge played in pink, changing to their blue and white in 1876.^[6]

The second Varsity Match in 1873 was played atParker's Piece in Cambridge, but since then it has always been played in London.The Oval inKennington staged seven matches, three games were played at Richardson's Field inBlackheath and another Blackheath venue,Rectory Field, hosted four games beforeQueen's Club inKensington became the regular venue from 1887 to 1920.^[1] The 1878 and 1879 matches were postponed due tofog.

In 1919, the players were apparently invisible due to fog. In 1921 the match was moved to theRugby Football Union's famous home ground,Twickenham.^[1] The official Varsity Match was not played during wartime although a series of matches were played during the Second World War, resulting in nine wins for Cambridge, two wins for Oxford and one draw. All these games were played either at Oxford or Cambridge.^[7] The hundredth match in 1981 was played at Twickenham with a three to four-inch layer of snow covering the pitch; it had snowed overnight and the snow could not be removed in time for the game.^[8]

In 2013 Oxford's Sam Egerton was sent off for an off-the-ball incident and became the first player to be dismissed in the history of the match.^[9] Oxford's 43–6 win in 2014 was the biggest victory in the history of the fixture^[10] and gave them a fifth successive victory for the first time ever.^[11] Cambridge have recorded five wins in a row on three separate occasions, 1972–76, 1980–84 and 1994–98.^[12] Oxford's win in the 2015 match was their sixth successive win in the fixture, a record for either side.^[13]

In 2021, the event was rebranded as The Varsity Matches in order to reflect the continued integration of the women's fixture.^[14]

Due to theCOVID-19 pandemic, the 139th match was postponed to March 2021.^[15] It was then further postponed to 4 July 2021 and relocated toWelford Road Stadium,Leicester.^[16] The 140th match was played at Twickenham in April 2022.^[17] The 2024 matches were played atStoneX Stadium.^[18]

There was not a referee until the 1881 match, when Mr H. H. Taylor officiated. Prior to this each game had two umpires, one from each university.^[19] The record number of appearances is held by former RFU secretaryRowland Hill along with Welshman Gwynne Walters both with seven games.^[19] Other notable International referees who have controlled this fixture are Englishmen G. H. Harnett (6) Cyril Gadney (6) and H.L. Ashmore (5), along with WelshmenAlbert Freethy (6) andClive Norling (5). Up until the start of the professional era, one of the unique aspects of the Varsity game was that the referee was not appointed by the RFU but agreed upon and invited by the two captains. This tradition ended after the 1997–98 season, along with that of the previous year's captains returning to act as touch judges (a continuation of the original custom of each university appointing an umpire), when the RFU Referees' committee decided that touch judges could only be qualified officials and that the RFU should appoint the referee.^[19] Now there is also a television match official.^[6]

In 2001 the MMC Trophy replaced the Bowring Bowl, established in 1976, as the prize.^[20][21] 2005 was the last yearMarsh & McLennan Companies (MMC) sponsored the match.^[22] Subsequent sponsors have beenLehman Brothers from 2006 to 2007,^[23]Nomura Group from 2008 to 2011^[23] andPol Roger andGlenfarclas distillery since 2012.^[24] The clothing manufacturerJack Wills sponsored the clothing until 2014^[25] Investment bankJefferies Group were announced as the title sponsor for The Varsity Matches 2022.^[26]

Many of those who have played in the Varsity Match have gone on to win international honours; a number of others played in the Match after earning international honours. These include:^[27]

1987 Rugby World Cup winningAll Blacks captainDavid Kirk played in the 1987 and 1988 Varsity Matches after ending his international career to take up aRhodes Scholarship at Oxford.Brian Smith represented Australia in the 1987 Rugby World Cup and played in the 1988 and captained 1989 Varsity match for Oxford, before continuing his international career with Ireland 1990–1991.^[27]

FormerWallabyJoe Roff played in the 2006 and 2007 Varsity Matches for Oxford after retiring from professional rugby,^[27] captaining the side in 2007. Five former or current internationals played in the 2008 Varsity Match. The most notable were retired All BlackhookerAnton Oliver for Oxford^[31] and former WallabylockDan Vickerman for Cambridge, with Oxford also fielding currentCanadaflankerStan McKeen and Cambridge fielding former All Blackcentre Mark Ranby and formerUnited Statesscrum-half Doug Rowe.^[32] Vickerman captained Cambridge in the 2009 Match, in which McKeen and Rowe also played.^[33]

For the 2015 match,Wales andBritish & Irish Lions centreJamie Roberts played for Cambridge University as he studied for his master's degree in medical science at the university.^[34]

Results and information available on Varsity Match website^[35]

• Cambridge University RUFC
• Derby Day, a yearly rugby match between the longstanding rivalsUniversity of East Anglia andUniversity of Essex^[36]
• List of British and Irish varsity matches
• Oxbridge rivalry
• Oxford University RFC
• Rugby union in England
• The Game (Harvard-Yale)
• The Scottish Varsity
• Welsh Varsity

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• Recurring sporting events established in 1872
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• 1872 establishments in England
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