Reflections on the Varsity Matches, Winston Cowie #1106

Ian Kench
11 hours ago
2 min read

The The Varsity Matches is a special rite of passage for any budding University of Oxford or University of Cambridge rugby playing student. It's difficult to explain but it is a really unique rugby and life experience where friendships remain long after the final whistle is blown. 🏉

The season generally kicks off with a tour somewhere - this year's team visited Australia 🇦🇺 - our '06 &

'07 teams toured Japan and the USA. With traditional fixtures against many of the premiership sides, the Army, Navy and Airforce, and some universities, the journey gears you up for the big day - the big match against Cambridge. Sometimes it's at Twickenham ('06 '07). This year it was at Saracens StoneX.

This year was a fantastic day out.

Highlights:

1. Catching up with my dear friends from 20 years ago. So many fond memories. I don't think we realised it at the time but enroute to the Varsity we beat a Leicester team with three British and Irish Lions at Iffley Road 🦁🏉💪

2. Seeing two young women who grew up in the UAE 🇦🇪 playing for Oxford - inspiring a pathway for other young UAE women rugby players to follow. UAE Rugby Federation 🙌

3. Meeting the Men's team, seeing their humility, top lads, and holding the Varsity Trophy with the godfather of Oxford rugby Tim Stevens.

4. Seeing fellow Kiwi Reed Prinsep playing for the Dark Blue and Kiwi Fraser Gemmell, 2002 captain, who encouraged me to apply back in the day. 🇳🇿

5. Catching up with Lord Butler, an incredible civil servant who worked under prime ministers Margaret

Thatcher, John Major, and Tony Blair. A Blue as well among many other things. 🇬🇧

6. Visiting Keble College, Oxford, old friend Penn Bateman and having a look around my old College which is looking amazing. Vicky Shepherd as well from our School of Geography and the Environment, University of Oxford class 🌏

7. Visiting @Vincent's Club, breathing in Oxford Sport's history, and seeing what good hands it is in David Butler FCIM & committees. Having lunch with old friend Professor Jonathan Fennell - keep an eye out for his upcoming book, Collapse.

8. And the town itself, you could walk around it for weeks and not get bored! I loved it!

Amazing result for Oxford University Rugby Football Club too - winning 5 out of 6 of the Varsity Matches including both the Mens and Womens. Ian Kench & coaching team👏👏

Oxford - if you, or your sons or daughters are ever going there, I'm happy to have a chat to you / them about university, life, rugby, the journey - its a magical place.

The Varsity Matches - an important day on the rugby calendar. 🏉🇬🇧

Up the Dark Blue.

Forwards.

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