Latest Club News
12/05/2008: Anton Oliver accepts place at Oxford
OURFC are pleased to announce that former All Black captain Anton Oliver has been offered a place to study for an MSc in Biodiversity, Environment and Management at Oxford University. As well as studying Anton will be part of the Oxford University Blues rugby squad as they prepare for the 127th Lehman Brothers Varsity Match on December 11th 2008. Director of Rugby Steve Hill stated ‘We are delighted Anton has decided to accept the opportunity to study at Oxford. To have someone of his calibre and experience in the heart of our forward pack will be invaluable for our 2008 Varsity campaign’
Anton Oliver stated ‘ I feel very privileged to have been accepted into Oxford University, one of the world’s premier learning institutions. I see my time at Oxford as a clear demarcation in my life, leaving behind a life as a professional sportsperson for one of academic rigour and thought. The chance to play in the Varsity match - which is clearly a unique event in rugby union – is also very exciting and I see it as a natural way for me to finish my playing career. I first played representative rugby for Otago in 1994 when the game was still amateur and now to come back to the amateur game after all that I have experienced and learned is a lovely example of the full circle metaphor: I’m finishing back where I started.”
11/05/2008: Ledbury Sevens Report
Following the Rosslyn Park floodlit sevens on Wednesday, OURFC travelled to the Ledbury Charity Sevens in Herefordshire on Sunday for their second outing of the season. Unfortunately due to injuries and academic commitments we travelled with a squad of only six players, but managed to pick up a guest player from Bridgend to make up the squad. In our first match we had the audacity to take an early 7 - 0 lead against the Army - winners at Rosslyn Park, led by the experienced Sevens International Howard Graham, but unfortunately were ultimately defeated 34 - 14 but showed tremendous commitment and endeavour. In our second group match we started poorly against an aggresive Bromsgrove team, but our superior fitness and skill shone through and we won comfortably 29 points to 12 - Alex Cheesman scoring a hat-trick. We thus qualified for the Plate semi-final where we came up against a strong Public School Wanderers team who played some great sevens to defeat a tiring OURFC side who had played every minute of the previous two games by 34 points to 12. The final tournament will see the squad travel to Paris for the Centrale Sevens, where last year we won the Plate competetion.
Squad at Ledbury: Alex Cheesman (SEH), Alex Sever (New), Lawrence Harris (New), Hugh McCormick (Lincoln), Ed Boyes (Queen's), Sean Mackenzie (St Catz), Paul Williams (Bridgend)
08/05/2008: Rosslyn Park Sevens Report
OURFC took a young squad to Rosslyn Park and came away with one win and one loss at this prestigious London Tournament. The opening fixture saw us up against a strong London Irish team and despite going behind early the side pulled together under the leadership of experienced sevens player Tom Gregory to get within a score, before Irish scored twice in the closing stages to seal the victory. The second match saw us up against the host club and this match was very evenly contested with the scores locked at 14 apiece going into injury time, before Alex Cheesman broke away to put Euan Sadden in for the winning try. This win was not enough for the team to progress, as London Irish convincingly beat Rosslyn Park to move in to the quarter-finals. However, the peformance of the Freshers - Cheesman, Ross Swanson and Ed Boyes, along with the more exprienced Gregory, Euan Sadden and Tim Catling augurs well for future tournaments and next season too.
Squad: Tom Gregory * (Kellogg), Euan Sadden (Keble), Lawrence Harris (New), Tim Catling (Pembroke), Alex Sever (New), Ross Swanson (New), Alex Cheesman (SEH), Ed Boyes (Queen's) * Denotes Blue
06/05/2008: OURFC To Take Part In Rosslyn Park Floodlit Sevens
Tomorrow, Wednesday, sees OURFC take part in the annual Rosslyn Park Floodlit Sevens. Our pool games are against London Irish (5.20pm) and Rosslyn Park (6.20pm).
05/05/2008: Clarke and Lutton Help England Students to Victory at Twickenham
Blues Captain Peter Clarke (St Cross) and prop Ricky Lutton (Linacre) started for the England Students team that last weekend defeated Combined Services U23 at Twickenham. In a bizarre start to the game the Combined Services were awarded a penalty try after 65 seconds when a maul collapsed close to the England line. The game remained finely balanced until the last fifteen minutes when two tries ensured a 38-26 win for the Students. This match brings the Students season to a close with additional wins over Scotland and Ireland and a loss away to France.
04/05/2008: Former Blues Squad Player Helps Army Secure Record Win
Former Blues lock Rob Sugden started for the Army in their 22-11 victory over the Royal Navy last weekend. This was the Army's record breaking seventh win in a row. Rob is currently a Captain in the Coldstream Guards and has recently returned from active duty in Afghanistan. Rob was on the bench in the 2004 Varsity Match.
04/05/2008: Pembroke Win Sevens Title For The First Time
Sunday 4th May saw a feast of sevens at Iffley Road, as the 2008 inter-college seven-a-side tournament took place with twenty-one teams taking part. The teams were split into groups of three, guaranteeing each one a minimum of two matches with the seven group winners plus the best runner-up qualifying for the last eight. The quarter-finals saw Worcester beat Teddy Hall, Oriel beat New, Pembroke beat St Peter's and St Catherine's beat LMH/Trinity. The semi-finals both proved to be close contests with Oriel coming from behind to beat fancied Worcester before Pembroke held off a late challenge from St Catz. The final was a very even affair which saw Pembroke defeat Oriel 14 points to 7 to claim the trophy for the first time in their history.
30/04/2008: Balliol Victorious
Miserable wet weather did not dampen the spirits of sixteen colleges who entered teams in the fifth OURFC Mixed Touch Tournament on Wednesday afternoon at Iffley Road. The rules require each team of seven to include two women at all times and with rolling substitutions allowed, the tournament is all about participation and introducing new students to the game. The sixteen colleges were split into four groups, meaning each team was guaranteed three matches with the four group winners going through to the knock-out stages. Surprisingly three times winners Queen's failed to make it out of their group, but the semi-finals saw Balliol against St John's and Jesus against Brasenose. Balliol just edged out St John's five trys to three, while Jesus easily overcame Brasenose four trys to nil. The rain thankfully eased off for the final and with the sun just about breaking through Balliol proved to be the classier outfit and comfortably defeated Jesus four trys to one.
23/04/2008: Hounds Win BUSA Trophy Final
The Greyhounds magnificently led by scrum-half Chris Haw (Magdalen), defeated the University of West of England by 26 points to 12 in the final of the BUSA Trophy competition at Richmond on Wednesday morning. With both teams looking a little rusty early on after not having played since the semi-finals a month ago, it was no surprise that the match was scoreless until midway through the first half. No 8 Chris Davies (SEH) opened the scoring for the Greyhounds when he finished off a fine break from full-back Tim Catling (Pembroke), fly-half Stuart O'Flanagan added the conversion. UWE responded to this score by launching a concerted attack on the Greyhounds line but stern defence saw them restricted to a drop-goal from their impressive full-back Neil Dipple. The Greyhounds extended their lead just before half-time when left wing Chris Record (Balliol) pressured a clearing kick and No 8 Davies was once again on hand to score the try, with O'Flanagan adding the extras. Half-time 14 - 3.
UWE came out after the break in determined fashion and once agian lay siege to the Greyhounds line, but once again disciplined defence saw them restricted to three penalties from their scrum-half Steven Plummer to close the gap to 14 - 12 in favour of the Greyhounds. With both teams making changes in the last quarter as players started to tire, it was the dominance of the Oxford scrumm that came to the fore and saw the game ultimately swing in favour of the Greyhounds. Davies added his hat-trick from a 5 metre push-over try, which relacement fly-half Ross Swanson (New) converted and Davies would have bagged a fourth try, also from a push over effort but knocked on with the line at his mercy! Full-back Catling completed the Greyhounds scoring with a try in the corner when the UWE defence ran out of tacklers. Final score 26 - 12.
Thus a highly successful season for the Greyhounds comes to a close, which saw them win their Varsity match by a record winning margin, retain their league status in Premier South B and win the BUSA Trophy final.
12/05/2001: Anton Oliver accepts place at Oxford
OURFC are pleased to announce that former All Black captain Anton Oliver has been offered a place to study for an MSc in Biodiversity, Environment and Management at Oxford University. As well as studying Anton will be part of the Oxford University Blues rugby squad as they prepare for the 127th Lehman Brothers Varsity Match on December 11th 2008. Director of Rugby Steve Hill stated ‘We are delighted Anton has decided to accept the opportunity to study at Oxford. To have someone of his calibre and experience in the heart of our forward pack will be invaluable for our 2008 Varsity campaign’
Anton Oliver stated ‘ I feel very privileged to have been accepted into Oxford University, one of the world’s premier learning institutions. I see my time at Oxford as a clear demarcation in my life, leaving behind a life as a professional sportsperson for one of academic rigour and thought. The chance to play in the Varsity match - which is clearly a unique event in rugby union – is also very exciting and I see it as a natural way for me to finish my playing career. I first played representative rugby for Otago in 1994 when the game was still amateur and now to come back to the amateur game after all that I have experienced and learned is a lovely example of the full circle metaphor: I’m finishing back where I started.”
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