Hymns and Arias: Welsh Week Approaches
This Friday, 6th November, sees the return of an old foe to Iffley road, as Crawshay's Welsh XV return to Iffley Road for a 7:15pm kickoff, in a week of Anglo-Welsh clashes for OURFC. Saturday sees the Welsh Academicals ("Accies), a select XV made up of students of Welsh Universities, host the Greyhounds at Glamorgan Wanderers for what has proved to be a hotly contested fixture over the last few years. Before then, the Crawshay's Welsh Select XV, one of rugby's iconic invitational teams at over 100 years old, grace Iffley Road on Friday night, in the first of various teams this year to be played by both the Dark Blues and the infamous "Other Place". As C*mbridge take on Crawshay's on 18th November, thus begins a series of games that shape up as a good gauge of both sides, ahead of the monumental meeting between Dark and Light Blue on 27th February next year. Student early bird Varsity Match tickets are already on sale for £10 only – secure yours now to watch the oldest score to settle unfold at StoneX, as the Men's Dark Blues look to make it two in a row in rugby's oldest rivalry.
Crawshay's Welsh XV have been playing fixtures for over a century, and in that time have featured over 450 Welsh internationals, including J.P.R Williams, Phil Bennett and Jonathan Davies. They were founded in 1922, when Captain Geoffrey Crawshay brought a Welsh side to play Devonport Services, by invitation from the Engineer Commander. Since then, they have fulfilled regular fixtures in Cornwall, both against Devonport and Camborne, who they first played in 1923. After the death of Captain Crawshay in 1954, the club was kept from folding by old players. Ten years later, Colonel Sir William Crawshay suggested appointing 12 vice-presidents at a 5 guinea subscription to finance the club. Fast forward to 2026 and this unique quirk remains, with over 800 Crawshay's vice-presidents worldwide, and a club continuing to cast forth the spirit of Welsh amateur rugby. Although professional players have pulled on the shirt, there is no payment for doing so, and between the amateur spirit of Crawshay's invitational nature, and the proudly amateur status of the Varsity Matches, the fixtures between Crawshay's and Oxford and Cambridge Universities remain a keystone of amateur rugby.
This year's Crawshay's team is no different, with players taken from across Super Rugby Cymru, Welsh Universities and the Welsh professional academies. Amongst their numbers will be back rower Connor Madden, a Swansea University student playing at Swansea RFC, who has already lined up against OURFC three times in his short career. He represented Major Stanley's in the 2023 fixture against the Blues at Iffley Road, ran out at Arms Park for the Accies in November 2024, emerging victorious 29-10, and played for the Penguins against the Blues in the runup to the 2025 Varsity Match. We look forward to welcoming Connor back to Iffley Road as a player who epouses well the tradition of both clubs and the spirit of the fixture; wish him well on his apparent quest to represent as many touring sides as possible. Special mention must go also to Joe Dingle, playing for the Blues on Friday, a Cardiff local who is playing both against Crawshays on Friday and Welsh Academicals on Saturday.
If the last few years' fixtures are anything to go by, Friday's will be a tightly contested affair. In November 2024, the Blues edged out a tight contest at Iffley Road, yet in last year's meeting, unusually played at "home" for Crawshay's, deep in the valleys at Pontypridd RFC (nicknamed the "House of Pain"), the Blues were defeated 29-19 in a deluge. The question remain, will the home advantage prove telling as it has in the past? Crawshay's are always a physical side, bringing a grit and fight that is traditional of Welsh rugby, but also have a penchant for free-flowing rugby reminiscent of the golden generation, encouraged by their status as an invitational side. After a tough few fixtures against Premiership opposition, the Blues face a different challenge in the Welsh side, one that is more akin to how the Varsity Match will be played. Reed Prinsep's men know they will have to exit from their own territory efficiently, control the middle third of the pitch, and take their opportunities when they are on offer.
Friday Nights have proved ever popular at Iffley Road this season, with the first two instalments seeing over 4,000 people down to watch the Blues. Friday promises to be another fantastic event, with the staple offerings of donuts, churros, hot drinks, street food and cheap drinks available for supporters of the Dark Blues. Don't miss out on Oxford's premier Friday Night entertainment - purchase your ticket here. Under 18s are free, and student tickets are £1 with a valid student ID; enter the code STUDENTS1 at checkout. If you wish to book tickets for the rapidly-selling pre-match dinner from 5:30pm, tickets can be found here. To find out more about the matchday experience at OURFC, please follow this link.
Parking is available only for pre-paid vehicles, and can be booked as an add-on when you purchase a ticket. For more information about accessing Iffley Road, please see our "Getting Here" page. Please note that there will be a minute's silence before the match, in remembrance of those who have died in the line of duty
Crawshays teamsheet for Friday's clash:
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