The Varsity Match

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See also the Ice Hockey Varsity Match. For the equivalent fixture in cricket, see The University Match (cricket).

The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. By tradition, the match is held on the second Tuesday of December. In 2005, however, this changed, and the match was on Tuesday 6 December. The event began in 1872, although it has not been held every year. Since 1921, the game has been played at Twickenham Stadium, London.

Following the 125th match in December 2006 (which resulted in a win for Cambridge, 15 - 6), Oxford have 52 wins, and Cambridge maintain the lead with 59; 14 games have ended in draws. The 2005 U21 Varsity Match, played in the morning, was won by Oxford 23 - 6. Varsity matches between Oxford and Cambridge are also arranged in various other sports. For example, the first recorded water polo match in history was played between Oxford and Cambridge in 1891.

Contents

[edit] History

The history of The Varsity Match extends back to early 1872. It was a year after the first ever rugby international (England v Scotland). Both Cambridge and Oxford sent officials to meet and arrange a match between each other. At The Parks, they played a 20 a-side version of the game (as opposed to today's 15 a-side games, the team's would bet to 15 a-side by 1875). 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.[1]

The second Varsity Match was played at Parker's Piece in Cambridge, but it was from then on moved to London - played at venues such as The Oval (Kenninton), Richardson's Field and Rectory Field (Blackheath), Queen's Club (Kensington - 1887 to 1920). The 1878 and 1879 matches were postponed due to fog. In 1919, the players were apparently invisible due to fog. In 1921 the match was moved to the Rugby Football Union's famous home ground, Twickenham. The Varsity Match was not played during wartime. There was not a referee until the 1885 match, and for a number of years, the touch judges were actually the previous year's captains. However, now they are professional touch judges, and there is also a television match official.[1]

[edit] Results

  • 1872: Oxford
  • 1873: Cambridge
  • 1873: Draw
  • 1874: Draw
  • 1875: Oxford
  • 1876: Cambridge
  • 1877: Oxford
  • 1879: Draw
  • 1880: Cambridge
  • 1880: Draw
  • 1881: Oxford
  • 1882: Oxford
  • 1883: Oxford
  • 1884: Oxford
  • 1885: Cambridge
  • 1886: Cambridge
  • 1887: Cambridge
  • 1888: Cambridge
  • 1889: Oxford
  • 1890: Draw
  • 1891: Cambridge
  • 1892: Draw
  • 1893: Oxford
  • 1894: Draw
  • 1895: Cambridge
  • 1896: Oxford
  • 1897: Oxford
  • 1898: Cambridge
  • 1899: Cambridge
  • 1900: Oxford
  • 1901: Oxford
  • 1902: Draw
  • 1903: Oxford
  • 1904: Cambridge
  • 1905: Cambridge
  • 1906: Oxford
  • 1907: Oxford
  • 1908: Draw
  • 1909: Oxford
  • 1910: Oxford
  • 1911: Oxford
  • 1912: Cambridge
  • 1913: Cambridge
  • 1914-18: Not held
  • 1919: Cambridge
  • 1920: Oxford
  • 1921: Oxford
  • 1922: Cambridge
  • 1923: Oxford
  • 1924: Oxford
  • 1925: Cambridge
  • 1926: Cambridge
  • 1927: Cambridge
  • 1928: Cambridge
  • 1929: Oxford
  • 1930: Draw
  • 1931: Oxford
  • 1932: Oxford
  • 1933: Oxford
  • 1934: Cambridge
  • 1935: Draw
  • 1936: Cambridge
  • 1937: Oxford
  • 1938: Cambridge
  • 1939-45: Not held
  • 1946: Oxford
  • 1947: Cambridge
  • 1948: Oxford
  • 1949: Oxford
  • 1950: Oxford
  • 1951: Oxford
  • 1952: Cambridge
  • 1953: Draw
  • 1954: Cambridge
  • 1955: Oxford
  • 1956: Cambridge
  • 1957: Oxford
  • 1958: Cambridge
  • 1959: Oxford
  • 1960: Cambridge
  • 1961: Cambridge
  • 1962: Cambridge
  • 1963: Cambridge
  • 1964: Oxford
  • 1965: Draw
  • 1966: Oxford
  • 1967: Cambridge
  • 1968: Cambridge
  • 1969: Oxford
  • 1970: Oxford
  • 1971: Oxford
  • 1972: Cambridge
  • 1973: Cambridge
  • 1974: Cambridge
  • 1975: Cambridge
  • 1976: Cambridge
  • 1977: Oxford
  • 1978: Cambridge
  • 1979: Oxford
  • 1980: Cambridge
  • 1981: Cambridge
  • 1982: Cambridge
  • 1983: Cambridge
  • 1984: Cambridge
  • 1985: Oxford
  • 1986: Oxford
  • 1987: Cambridge
  • 1988: Oxford
  • 1989: Cambridge
  • 1990: Oxford
  • 1991: Cambridge
  • 1992: Cambridge
  • 1993: Oxford
  • 1994: Cambridge
  • 1995: Cambridge
  • 1996: Cambridge
  • 1997: Cambridge
  • 1998: Cambridge
  • 1999: Oxford
  • 2000: Oxford
  • 2001: Oxford
  • 2002: Cambridge
  • 2003: Draw
  • 2004: Oxford
  • 2005: Cambridge
  • 2006: Cambridge

[edit] By total wins

Total matches Cambridge victories Oxford victories Draws
125 59 52 14

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b Varsity match winners since 1872. Planet Rugby. Retrieved on 11 December 2006.

[edit] External links
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org../../../t/h/e/The_Varsity_Match_62d1.html"