The Varsity Series comprises a number of sports events pitching the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University against each other in a university rivalry, organised for the benefit of charity. The university that wins the most events is declared winner. One point and half a point are awarded for winning and drawing an event, respectively. The two institutions are based in Nottingham in the United Kingdom and the rivalry is contested in a variety of sports, although ice hockey is seen as the premier event and is the most attended university ice hockey match outside of North America, selling out the 7,000-seat National Ice Centre since 2009.[1] Nottingham Trent University are the current holders of trophy having drawn the 2011 series with the University of Nottingham after a 2010 win.
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The two universities compete against each other in fourteen events across ten sports.[2] They are:
The primary reason the Varsity series is contested is to raise money for charity. Below is a list of those supported over the past seven years:[3]
Nottingham Trent University won the football contest on penalties after the match finished one apiece after extra time. [4]
The University of Nottingham beat Nottingham Trent University 5–1 in the football match in 2002.[4]
The University of Nottingham retained the Varsity Football Cup with a 2–0 victory over Nottingham Trent University.[4]
2004 saw the University of Nottingham victorious in the football for the second consecutive year by a margin of two goals to none.[4]
In 2005, Nottingham Trent University won the ice hockey match on penalties and the football match 1–0.[4]
In 2006, the University of Nottingham secured victory in the football match, winning 2–0 for the third time in four years .[4]
In 2007, Nottingham Trent University won the football match.
In 2008, Nottingham Trent University emerged victorious, winning seven events, drawing one and losing four.[5]
| Sport | Result |
|---|---|
| Men's basketball | Trent 68–70 Nottingham |
| Women's basketball | Trent 55–42 Nottingham |
| Men's cricket | Trent beat Nottingham by 3 runs |
| Men's football | Trent 2–0 Nottingham |
| Women's football | Trent 3–0 Nottingham |
| Men's hockey | Trent 4–2 Nottingham |
| Women's hockey | Trent 1–2 Nottingham |
| Men's ice hockey | Trent 2–0 Nottingham |
| Women's netball | Trent 44-22 Nottingham |
| Men's rugby league | Trent 14–20 Nottingham |
| Men's rugby union | Trent 3–10 Nottingham |
| Women's rugby union | Trent 10–10 Nottingham |
In 2009, the University of Nottingham secured victory, winning seven events, drawing one and losing five. Swimming was included as an event for the first time.[5]
| Date | Sport | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14:00, Wednesday 25th February | Swimming | University of Nottingham Swimming Pool | Nottingham beat Trent |
| Sunday 8th March | Men's rugby league | Lady Bay Ground | Nottingham 10–18 Trent |
| 19:30, Monday 9th March | Men's ice hockey | National Ice Centre | Nottingham 6–1 Trent |
| 14:00, Wednesday 18th March | Women's netball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 26–43 Trent |
| 16:00, Wednesday 18th March | Women's basketball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 58–50 Trent |
| 18:00, Wednesday 18th March | Men's basketball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 47–61 Trent |
| 17:30, Wednesday 22nd April | Women's football | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 0–0 Trent |
| 19:45, Wednesday 22nd April | Men's football | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 1–2 Trent |
| 17:30, Monday 27th April | Women's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 15–0 Trent |
| 19:45, Monday 27th April | Men's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 13–13 Trent |
| 17:45, Wednesday 29th April | Women's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Nottingham 5–1 Trent |
| 19:30, Wednesday 29th April | Men's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Nottingham 3–3 Trent |
| Monday 4th May | Men's cricket | Highfields | Nottingham beat Trent by six wickets |
In 2010, the universities competed in ten disciplines, including American football for the first time. Nottingham Trent University won eight of the fourteen events.[2][5] Such was the demand for tickets that the University of Nottingham's television station, NUTS (Nottingham University Television Station), aired the ice hockey match live online.[6] Also, for the first time in recent Varsity history, drawing was eliminated and penalty shoot-outs would determine the outright winner.
| Date | Sport | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00, Sunday 7th February | Men's American football | Harvey Hadden Stadium | Trent 14–6 Nottingham Report |
| 18:30, Monday 15th February | Men's ice hockey | National Ice Centre | Trent 6–6 Nottingham (0–2 on penalties) Report |
| 15:00, Wednesday 24th February | Swimming | University of Nottingham Swimming Pool | Trent 255–415 Nottingham Report |
| 15:00, Sunday 28th February | Men's rugby league | Lady Bay Ground | Trent 16–18 Nottingham Report |
| 17:00, Wednesday 10th March | Women's netball | Nottingham Trent Sports Centre | Trent 36–26 Nottingham Report |
| 18:00, Thursday 11th March | Women's basketball | Nottingham Trent Sports Centre | Trent 75–58 Nottingham |
| 20:00, Thursday 11th March | Men's basketball | Nottingham Trent Sports Centre | Trent 59–32 Nottingham Report |
| 17:30, Tuesday 16th March | Women's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Trent 5–14 Nottingham Report |
| 19:45, Tuesday 16th March | Men's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Trent 18–5 Nottingham Report |
| 17:30, Monday 22nd March | Women's football | Meadow Lane | Trent 3–1 Nottingham Report |
| 19:45, Monday 22nd March | Men's football | Meadow Lane | Trent 2–2 Nottingham (3–4 on penalties) Report |
| 17:00, Wednesday 26th March | Women's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Trent 5–2 Nottingham |
| 19:00, Wednesday 26th March | Men's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Trent 3–4 Nottingham Report |
| Friday 4th June | Men's cricket | Clifton Cricket Ground | Trent beat Nottingham by 48 runs Report |
In 2011, the universities will compete in the same ten disciplines as 2010. While the American football, ice hockey, rugby union, football, swimming and hockey remain at their fixed venues, the tradition of alternating the host for the other events will continue, so the University of Nottingham will host the rugby league, netball, basketball and cricket. Nottingham Trent University won the opening event – the American football, again hosted on the day of the Super Bowl – by eight points to zero, scoring a single touchdown along with a two-point conversion. Nottingham Trent University then went on to win the ice hockey event in comfortable fashion, never losing the lead which they took early on and eventually winning the match 4–2. The University of Nottingham then halved Nottingham Trent University's series lead after the swimming event, which they are still yet to lose, having won the competition on each of the three occasions it has been staged. The busiest day of the Varsity Series calendar opened with a Nottingham Trent University victory in the women's basketball event, as the series score became an impressive 4–1 in their favour. The University of Nottingham, however, had the better of the day, as they struck back with narrow victories in the women's netball and men's basketball matches. The University of Nottingham then remarkably took a narrow series lead by winning its third and fourth consecutive events in the women's and men's hockey games; the former a tight 1–0 victory and the latter a more exciting 3–3 draw eventually decided on penalties. Nottingham Trent University were then able to level the scores after the Easter break when they won the women's football match on penalties after a late UoN equaliser had made the match 1–1 and taken it to spot-kicks, but UoN re-took the series lead with a 2–1 extra-time win in the men's match. The same pattern followed in the rugby union later that week – Nottingham Trent University prevailing in the women's event but losing out in the men's – as the Nottingham Trent University girls thrashed the University of Nottingham girls by 27 points before the University of Nottingham men managed a hard-fought 18–7 win. A month break to proceedings followed with the University of Nottingham's one-match series lead still in tact and just one event remaining, the cricket, Nottingham Trent University needed to win to level the series, which they did and therefore retained the trophy.
| Date | Sport | Venue | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 13:00, Sunday 6th February | Men's American football | Harvey Hadden Stadium | Nottingham 0–8 Trent Report |
| 19:45, Monday 21st February | Men's ice hockey | National Ice Centre | Nottingham 2–4 Trent Report |
| 13:00, Wednesday 2nd March | Swimming | University of Nottingham Swimming Pool | Nottingham 379–225 Trent Report |
| 14:00, Sunday 5th March | Men's rugby league | Highfields Sports Ground | Nottingham 14–24 Trent Report |
| 15:30, Friday 11th March | Women's basketball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 49–54 Trent Report |
| 17:00, Friday 11th March | Women's netball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 41–40 Trent Report |
| 18:30, Friday 11th March | Men's basketball | University of Nottingham Sports Centre | Nottingham 73–63 Trent Report |
| 15:30, Friday 18th March | Women's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Nottingham 1–0 Trent Report |
| 17:30, Friday 18th March | Men's hockey | Beeston Hockey Club | Nottingham 3–3 Trent (4–3 on penalties) Report |
| 17:15, Monday 9th May | Women's football | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 1–1 Trent (1–3 on penalties) Report |
| 20:00, Monday 9th May | Men's football | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 2–1 Trent (AET) Report |
| 17:30, Thursday 12th May | Women's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 5–32 Trent |
| 20:00, Thursday 12th May | Men's rugby union | Meadow Lane | Nottingham 18–7 Trent Report |
| 11:00, Monday 6th June | Men's cricket | Clifton Cricket Ground | Trent beat Nottingham by 7 wickets |
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