The Varsity Match, 2016
Both a ford and a bridge are means of crossing a river, and for the teams this week, the river is a big one, for the occasion is great.
It has traditionally been a great social occasions, where old friends meet to remember the fun of being young as Vincent's ties and Hawk's ties flutter and the boots of Bentleys open to disgorge deletcables from Fortnum & Mason.
One lot that will be there are Tommy Bedford's 1966 team which won 8-6, two tries to one. They will recover the glory of that day, not in a quiet way.
This match was first played in 1872 when Oxford scored a goal and won. It has been at Twickenham since 1921, moving there from the Queen's Club in Pennington. In 1872 there were 20 players to a side; in 2016 there are 23, though only a maximum of 15 are on the field at the same time.
The Varsity match developed its own traditions and continues to develop them. Now there are sponsors and a TMO, assistant referees instead of the previous year's captains to run the touchlines, the RFU appoints referees rather than the universities themselves invite those they would like to referee the match. And there is television for the world to see the match.
It does not matter how many matches you play for the university, you will get a blue only if you play in this match. From 1884 on that has been the case.
Oh, and it has changed from the second Tuesday in December to the second Thursday.
Oh and the teams have coaches – i.e. people to tell them how to play. Players were also enticed to the universities, often from far afield. Oxford had the advantage of Rhodes Scholars but the nature of the scholarship holders nowadays suggests that they are unlikely to play rugger. And the players no longer travel down by train and they no longer change in a pub.
Cambridge have still won more often than Oxford – 61 to 59 with 14 draws in the 134 matches, though the Dark Blues have won the last six matches and are probably favourites to win this one as well. After all they won 43-6 last year and have eight of that team back to take the field this Thursday.
That's as far as the men go. But at Twickenham on Thursday morning Oxford's women's team will play the Cambridge women. They have met 29 times now and Oxford lead 18-11.
The weather will be cold (a high of -3°C, dropping to -11°C) but sunny after two days of snow. Not a drop of rain is expected.
Teams
Oxford Men: 15 Matt Geiger (Manchester Grammar School & St Catherine’s), 14 Ed David (Harrow School & St Hilda’s), 13 Henry Hughes (Peter Symond’s College & Magdalen), 12 Alex Hogg (Whitgift School & Keble), 11 Tom Stileman (Cranleigh School & St Peter’s), 10 Basil Strang (RGS Newcastle & St Stephen’s House), 9 Henry de Berker (Cotham Comprehensive School & Green Templeton), 8 Will Wilson (Wellington College & Keble), 7 George Blomfield (Brisbane Grammar School & Kellogg), 6 Nic Roberts-Huntley (Blundell’s School & Green Templeton), 5 Andrew Grant (The Oratory School & Kellogg), 4 Fergus Taylor (Sherborne School & St Catherine’s), 3 Joe Morris (King Edward VI School, Aston & St Edmund Hall), 2 Ed Hart (Berkhamsted School & St Edmund Hall), 1 Kieran Ball (Wellington College & Trinity)
Replacements: 16 Will Thornton (Sedbergh School & Lady Margaret Hall), 17 James Scaife (Altrincham Grammar School & Linacre), 18 Hugo Lu (Reading School & Trinity), 19 Jonathan Marsden (The King’s School, Macclesfield & Christ Church), 20 Graeme MacGilchrist (George Watson’s College & University), 21 James Beaufils (St John Bosco College, Engadine & Jesus), 22 Tom Kershaw (Portsmouth Grammar School & Worcester), 23 Conor Kearns (Glenstal Abbey School & Somerville)
Cambridge: 15 Charlie Amesbury (Lord Wandsworth College & Queens’), 14 Simon Davies (Latymer Upper School & Jesus),13 Rory Triniman (Canford School & Hughes Hall), 12 Michael Phillips (Bedford Modern School & Emmanuel),11 Henry King (Chipping Campden School & St Catharine’s), 10 Fraser Gillies (Edinburgh Academy & Hughes Hall),9 Sebastian Tullie (Bradford Grammar School & Emmanuel),8 Daniel Dass (Belfast Royal Academy & St Catharine’s, captain),7 Brian du Toit (The King’s Hospital, Dublin & St Edmund’s), 6 Tom Stanley (St Andrew’s College, Christchurch & Magdalene), 5 Tim Bond (Watford Grammar School & Pembroke), 4 Andrew Hunter (Cranbrook School & St Edmund’s), 3 Jonathan Dixon (Royal School, Armagh & Downing), 2 Andrew Burnett (RGS High Wycombe & Jesus), 1 William Briggs (Bedford School & Magdalene)
Replacements: 16 Simon Hugkulstone (Whitgift School & Wolfson), 17 Henry Somers (Silverdale School & Hughes Hall), 18 Demitri Moros (Hampton School & St John’s), 19 Lola Erogbogbo (Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School & Clare),20 Richard Bartholomew (Berkhamsted School & Jesus),21 Chris Bell (St Paul’s School & Girton), 22 Lare Erogbogbo (Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School & Jesus), 23 George Griffiths (Adams’ Grammar School & St John’s)
Men: Oxford vs Cambridge, kick-off 14.30
Referee: Tim Wigglesworth
Assistant referees: Paul Burton, Darryl Chapman
Television match official: Stuart Terheege
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Assessor: Chris White
Women
Oxford: 15 Sophie Trott (Wadham), 14 Affi Bunting (New College), 13 Princess Ashilokun (Magdalen), 12 Heli Copley (Keble), 11 Millie Rose (St Anne’s), 10 Catherine Wilcock (Capt), (Wadham), 9 Carly Bliss (St Edmund Hall), 8 Sophie Behan (St Edmund Hall), 7 Caitlin McArdle (Green Templeton), 6 Hester Odgers (Lady Margaret Hall), 5 Elmarie van Heerden (Lady Margaret Hall), 4 Leanne Robinson (Keble), 3 Cecilia Peker (St John’s), 2 Pat Metcalfe-Jones (Christ Church), 1 Jenny Smith (St John’s)
Replacements: 16 Gwen Cartwright (New College), 17 Carolina Matté-Gregory (Mansfield), 18 Harriet McCay (New College), 19 Sophie Taylor (St Hilda’s), 20 Mollie MacGinty (St Hilda’s), 21 Imogen Duffy (Oriel), 22 Gemma Robson (St Benet’s), 23 Katarina Martinovic (St Catherine’s), Travelling Reserve: Susannah Rees (Keble)
Cambridge: 15 Alice Middleton (Captain), (Lucy Cavendish), 14 Laura Suggitt (St Edmund's), 13 Mary Coleman (Kings’), 12 Jessica Charlton (Newnham), 11 Lara Gibson (Lucy Cavendish), 10 Kate Marks (Murrey Edwards), 9 Lydie Thorn (Corpus Christi), 8 Emily Pratt (Emmanuel), 7 Chloe Withers (Fitzwilliam), 6 Molly Byrne (Newnham), 5 Livvy Probert (Downing), 4 Nikki Weckman (Trinity),3 Laura Nunez-Mulder (Emmanuel), 2 Emma Pierce (St Catharine’s), 1 Alice Elgar (Girton)
Replacements: 16 Katerina Sanchez-Schilling (St Edmund's), 17 Gabriella Johansson (Churchill), 18 Jacqueline Bramley (Girton), 19 Tabitha Burgess (Fitzwilliam), 20 Sophie Farrant (Emmanuel), 21 Sophie Evans (Gonville & Caius), 22 Katherine Monks (Homerton)
Women: Oxford vs Cambridge, kick-off 11.30
Referee: Claire Hodnett
Assistant referees: Sara Cox, Laura Pettingale
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Assessor: Chris White
Winners Down the Years
1872: Oxford
1873: Cambridge
1873: Draw
1874: Draw
1875: Oxford
1876: Cambridge
1877: Oxford
1879: Draw
1880: Cambridge
1880: Draw
1881: Oxford
1882: Oxford
1883: Oxford
1884: Oxford
1885: Cambridge
1886: Cambridge
1887: Cambridge
1888: Cambridge
1889: Oxford
1890: Draw
1891: Cambridge
1892: Draw
1893: Oxford
1894: Draw
1895: Cambridge
1896: Oxford
1897: Oxford
1898: Cambridge
1899: Cambridge
1900: Oxford
1901: Oxford
1902: Draw
1903: Oxford
1904: Cambridge
1905: Cambridge
1906: Oxford
1907: Oxford
1908: Draw
1909: Oxford
1910: Oxford
1911: Oxford
1912: Cambridge
1913: Cambridge
1914-18: No matches
1919: Cambridge
1920: Oxford
1921: Oxford
1922: Cambridge
1923: Oxford
1924: Oxford
1925: Cambridge
1926: Cambridge
1927: Cambridge
1928: Cambridge
1929: Oxford
1930: Draw
1931: Oxford
1932: Oxford
1933: Oxford
1934: Cambridge
1935: Draw
1936: Cambridge
1937: Oxford
1938: Cambridge
1939-45: No matches
1946: Oxford
1947: Cambridge
1948: Oxford
1949: Oxford
1950: Oxford
1951: Oxford
1952: Cambridge
1953: Draw
1954: Cambridge
1955: Oxford
1956: Cambridge
1957: Oxford
1958: Cambridge
1959: Oxford
1960: Cambridge
1961: Cambridge
1962: Cambridge
1963: Cambridge
1964: Oxford
1965: Draw
1966: Oxford
1967: Cambridge
1968: Cambridge
1969: Oxford
1970: Oxford
1971: Oxford
1972: Cambridge
1973: Cambridge
1974: Cambridge
1975: Cambridge
1976: Cambridge
1977: Oxford
1978: Cambridge
1979: Oxford
1980: Cambridge
1981: Cambridge
1982: Cambridge
1983: Cambridge
1984: Cambridge
1985: Oxford
1986: Oxford
1987: Cambridge
1988: Oxford
1989: Cambridge
1990: Oxford
1991: Cambridge
1992: Cambridge
1993: Oxford
1994: Cambridge
1995: Cambridge
1996: Cambridge
1997: Cambridge
1998: Cambridge
1999: Oxford
2000: Oxford
2001: Oxford
2002: Cambridge
2003: Draw
2004: Oxford
2005: Cambridge
2006: Cambridge
2007: Cambridge
2008: Oxford
2009: Cambridge
2010: Oxford
2011: Oxford
2012: Oxford
2013: Oxford
2014: Oxford
2015: Oxford
So far 134 matches have been played
Cambridge has won 61
Oxford has won 59
14 matches have been drawn
Cambridge have scored 1204 points
Oxford have scored 1184 points.
Oxford's six successive wins is a record.
Oxford's 43-6 win in 2015 is the biggest ever.
In 2015 Cambridge won the Women's Varsity match 52-0.
