Club History

Rugby has a long history at Oxford. Besides the fact that William Webb Ellis, the founder of the sport, was a student at Brasenose College, the Oxford University Rugby Football Club (OURFC) was founded in 1869, some fifteen months before the foundation of the Rugby Union in 1871, and is regarded as the oldest club in this country. Since its formation OURFC as played a significant role in the development of rugby and the various major changes the game has undergone since its formation 125 years ago.

Even in more recent times OURRC has not been shy to lead the way on matters both on and off the field, shown by the initiative taken in being the first Western rugby team to tour Japan after the Second World War in 1951 under the leadership pf Peter Fitzgerald.

The Journey

During the Varsity campaign, the Blues compete against top quality opposition fielding players of the highest caliber. A typical Varsity build-up will see the Blues embark on a pre-season tour with a squad of players keen to get into winning ways while enjoying the opportunity of experiencing a foreign country. On their return the Blues go head to head against a number of Premiership Clubs, some of the top rugby Universities in the country and the Major Stanley’s XV. Traditionally the highlight of the Varsity build-up, the match versus the Major Stanley’s team sees the Blues come up against an invitational side for an evening of festival rugby. Once used as shadow trial for the England XV and named after the famous selector who first acquired Iffley Road for the use of OURFC, the game may no longer be used as trial for England but that does not detract from the quality of the opposition nor the standard of rugby on the evening. All the games and preparartions build up to what is the defining moment, and highlight, of the season – the Varsity.

History of the Varsity Match

The Varsity match represents the pinnacle of amateur and student rugby where two of the most prestigious universities in the world compete for the MMC Trophy (originally known as the Bowring Bowl) and the title of Varsity holders. The relative length of a varsity campaign compared to a conventional season is very short, adding to the ultimate finale, the big day at Twickenham. The journey to Twickenham is a unique experience endowing every player, coach and supporter with many precious memories and a spectacle steeped in tradition, pride and a culture of excellence. Despite the sometimes inclement conditions, the Varsity match is traditionally played at 2.00pm on the second Tuesday in December attracting large crowds, with 70 000 being the greatest number of spectators that have witnessed the Match live.

The sole focus of each University, irrespective of the matches leading up to that moment when they stand side by side in the tunnel for the first time, is to win The MMC Trophy.

The First Ever Varsity Match

In February 1872 the first ever Varsity match was played in Oxford at ‘The Parks’. The following year (February 1873) the return match was played in Cambridge on ‘Parkers Piece’. In 1877 it was then decided to move the match to a neutral ground and the Kennington Oval - scene of England’s first home international fixture the previous year - was chosen.

The Rugby Milestone

The match epitomizes the age-old rivalry between Oxford and Cambridge University’s and at the same time illustrates the vitality and spirit of amateur rugby. The importance of the contest is highlighted by the enormous contribution Oxbridge rugby and the Varsity Match have made to the development and refinement of the game of rugby over the last century and a quarter. Up until 1875 the universities were playing 20 players a-side, as was the norm for Rugby football in those early years. In that year, the Varsities took the initiative and changed to 15 a-side. This notion caught on quickly and was adopted as the international standard in 1877.

The Varsity Venues

During the 1880s the matches were played at a variety of venues including the Rectory Field, the home of Blackheath F.C. In December 1887, the match was moved to Queens Club in Fulham. The venue had only just opened and was considered to be the best sporting club in Europe. Queens Club continued to be the venue until the outbreak of the First World War, when all rugby and varsity matches were suspended.

The Decembers of 1919 and 1920 again saw matches played at Queens Club, which was becoming too small to accommodate the growing crowds. Consequently, in December 1921, the match was moved to the Rugby Football Union’s ground at Twickenham where, except for the war years (when the match was played twice each year at Oxford and Cambridge respectively) it has been played ever since.

The first international rugby match, between England and Wales, was played in 1872. Only a year later the Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge made its debut. Ever since, the Varsity has been played annually and is renowned as one of the most pulsating fixtures on the rugby calendar.

Breeding Ground

There was a time when the hallowed Varsity fixture served as an unofficial trial, where selectors from the home nations eager to see how a talented youngster performed on the bigger stage, or whether a more established figure was in form at the Varsity. Over the years, more than 600 players from either Oxford or Cambridge have gained representative international honours. OURFC has provided a breeding ground for a number of international players, during its existence, and this can be seen from the recent 2003 Rugby World Cup, where five players who once donned the dark blue shirt, represented their home nations: Simon Danielli (Scotland, Blue 2000, 2001), Kevin Tkachuk (Canada Blue 2001, 2002, 2003) and David Humphreys (Ireland).

Varsity Match Outcome

Oxford won the first Varsity Rugby match, played in the University Parks in 1872. The match then became an annual event and was played at a variety of neutral venues in the London area before relocating to Twickenham in 1921. Last year (2003) saw the first draw for 36 years with game ending 11-11. Of the 122 games played, Oxford have won 51, Cambridge 57, and 14 matches were drawn. Today the match is watched by more than 50,000 spectators and over a million television viewers. Join us this year as we write another page to the proud history that is the Varsity Match.