Three Years, Nine Points, One Shift in Belief (1999–2001)
- Ian Kench
- 14 hours ago
- 5 min read
Written by Luke Sheriff (#1042)
There are seasons you remember for the rugby.
And there are seasons you remember because something shifted — quietly at first, then decisively. Between 1999 and 2001, Oxford won three Varsity Matches in a row. Each by three points. Just 9 points across three Decembers. It sounds marginal. It was anything but. When we arrived for the 1999 season, Oxford had lost five in a row. Cambridge were chasing history — six consecutive wins, something neither side had ever achieved. They brought former captains back from around the world in the build-up. The narrative felt inevitable. We were the supporting cast in someone else’s celebration. But something fundamental had begun to change inside our walls.
In 1997, for the first time, Oxford had appointed a full-time Director of Rugby in Steve Hill. That decision mattered more than it looked. For years, earning a Blue had been the milestone. Steve challenged that assumption immediately. The objective, he insisted, was not to just participate in tradition by earning your Blue but instead to chase the dream of a winning Blue. That shift in language was uncomfortable at first. Winning meant scrutiny. It meant structure. It meant training differently. Recruitment became more deliberate. Standards were named rather than implied. Preparation sharpened. There was a quiet sense that Oxford had decided to take itself seriously. But structures don’t win tight Varsity Matches in December. People do.
Our captain in 1999, Norman Celliers, carried more than a game plan that season. In the summer before term, he lost his father and brother in a tragic plane crash. Most of us didn’t fully comprehend what that meant but nonetheless he returned — composed, present, determined to lead and we were ready to follow. The first half of the 1999 Varsity Match did not go our way. Twickenham felt heavy. Cambridge were composed, clinical, confident. At half-time we were behind 10-3 down, and the air in the dressing room was thick with the weight of the past. Norman however did not intend to go quietly into the night.
There are moments in sport that refuse to fade. That half-time talk was one of them. No theatrics, no whiteboard diagrams, just clarity. He spoke without pause, not about fear or frustration, but about belief and responsibility. He reminded us what we were capable of and what this moment required. Something shifted. Not in tactics — in conviction. We walked back out totally differently team. We carried with purpose. We tackled with more intent. We stopped chasing the perfect play and focused on the next job. Slowly, the momentum tilted and with just 7 minutes to go we took the lead for the first time running out eventual winners, 16–13. Three points. It would be tempting to describe that win as emotional, cathartic, even romantic. It wasn’t. It was gritty. It was earned. It was built on set-piece solidity, defensive discipline and taking our points. It was the realisation that Varsity Matches are rarely won by brilliance; they are won by resilience. And once you learn that, you cannot unlearn it.
1999 Programme highlights:
1999 full Varsity Match footage:
In 2000, under the captaincy of Jamie Weston, and with more returning blues than 1999, we were no longer underdogs. We were defending champions. That is a different pressure entirely. Relief is replaced by expectation. Confidence can easily become complacency. On paper, we were strong. International experience ran through the squad. But talent had never been Oxford’s issue. Execution under pressure had. So we simplified further. We trained the fundamentals relentlessly: scrum, lineout, kick chase, goal-kicking. We studied what history showed — that tight matches reward the team that makes its tackles, catches its restarts, and takes its three points without apology.
The game was wet. Fractured. Exactly what you expect on a December afternoon. There were moments when the script wavered. There always are. But there was no panic. We had done this before. We trusted the process, trusted each other, again coming from behind to win 19-16. Just three points again
2000 programme:
2000 full Varsity Match footage:
By 2001, the psychology had flipped entirely. Oxford were favourites. Cambridge were chasing us. The
margin for error felt thinner because the target was now on our backs. Our captain that year, Brett Robinson, brought a calm authority forged in professional rugby from his time with Australia and ACT Brumbies success. He understood that one-off matches demand clarity over complexity. With weeks to go, we simplified again. Territory. Discipline. Points. Control what you can control.
It was not spectacular rugby, producing not a single try, rare even for Varsity matches! It was however controlled. Relentless. Mature. And despite the close score line was the only one of the 3 matches in which we were never behind winning 9–6.
2001 Programme:
2001 full Varsity Match footage:
Three matches. Three wins. Three points each. Nine points that marked the narrowest of margins and the clearest of transformations. What changed in those three years was not just a results column. It was identity. We stopped seeing ourselves as talented amateurs hoping to rise to the occasion. We became a group that prepared to meet it. Egos were checked. Reputations meant nothing. What mattered was whether you made your tackle, hit your ruck, and kicked your goal when it counted. Winning became normalised.
That is the lesson for today’s Blues. If you are facing a Light Blue streak, understand this: momentum is not mystical. It is built. It begins with clarity of purpose and a refusal to hide behind tradition. The Varsity Match is a one-off stage. There is no second leg, no redemption next week. It will demand more composure than flair, more discipline than daring. You do not need to be perfect. You need to be relentless. The margins will be small. They always are. But three points can be enough. Those nine points between 1999 and 2001 did not come from magic. They came from structure, humility, shared belief and an acceptance that winning ugly still counts. They came from leaders who carried more than themselves and teammates who responded in kind.
Every generation inherits a moment. Ours was to end a losing run and learn how to win. Yours may be to halt a streak and reclaim momentum. The blueprint exists. Prepare meticulously. Trust the fundamentals. Lead bravely. Play for each other. And when the moment comes — take the three points.
What about us? Those lucky enough to have represented the Dark Blue. This year the night before the Varsity Matches at StoneX on Saturday 28th February, the Blues of 1999, 2000 & 2001 will be gathering in the Iffley Road pavilion to re-connect, re-live our memories and continue to build our bonds and friendships that were forged in dark blue. We will then on the Saturday, be heading to show our support to the teams of 2026.
Named after our year of foundation, the 1869 Society was established in 2017 to create a community of supporters of OURFC. The aim of the Society is to produce a vital additional stream of regular and dependable funding in order to support our vision for the future, enabling us to plan ahead with certainty and confidence. Members gain access to exclusive benefits, including access to England International tickets, free entry to all home games at Iffley Road, a membership card, amongst others. Become a member today to support the ongoing success of OURFC and help give the same opportunities to the next generation of players as you had in your time here.
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