Women's Varsity Match
On Thursday, 6 December 2018, Oxford play Cambridge in a women’s Varsity match for the 32nd time.
The match mirrors the rise of women’s rugby in England. The Men’s first Varsity match was played in 1872, the Women’s in 1988.
That first match was played at Iffley Road, Oxford’s ground, Cambridge winning 8-6, after which Oxford took over, winning 13 in a row. Before the match, there were no women rugby players at the two universities. Times have changed.
The match has been played at Twickenham on the same day as the men’s match since 2015 when Cambridge recorded its biggest victory – 52-0. In 2016 Oxford won 3-0 and in 2017 it was again Cambridge who own, this time 20-10. Oxford’s biggest win was 62-0 in 2000.
Of the 31 matches played, Oxford have won 19, Cambridge 12.
Fittingly for the occasion, the referee is one of England’s best, Nikki O’Donnell, a member of the London Society of Referees and a lieutenant in the Queen Alexandra’s Royal Army nursing corps.
Teams
Oxford Women: 15 Connie Hurton, 14 Harriet Wigginton, 13 Sophie Trott, 12 Abby D’Cruz (captain), 11 Helen Potts, 10 Fiona Kennedy, 9 Georgia Ling, 8 Hannah Cooper, 7 Honor Murison, 6 Maria Bernier, 5 Katie Collis, 4 Shekinah Opara, 3 Sydney Sopher, 2 Anna Bidgood, v
1 Hazel Ellender.
Replacements: 16 Gwen Cartwright, 17 Susannah Rees, 18 Zoe Durbin, 19 Desiree Vodounon, 20 Joanna Male, 21 Megan Wellens, 22 Megan Carter, 23 Laura Simpson.
Cambridge Women: 15 Lara Gibson, 14 Sophie Farrant, 13 Bluebell Nicholls, 12 Mary Coleman, 11 Amelia Miller, 10 Lucy Gimson, 9 Kate Marks (captain), 8 Emily Pratt, 7 Jenni Shuttleworth, 6 Fiona Shuttleworth, 5 Jacqueline Bramley, 4 Alice Elgar, 3 Emma Pierce, 2 ,Samantha Chan 1 Jenny Orriss
Replacements: 16 Jessica Abele, 17 Sophie Taylor, 18 Charlotte Spruzen, 19 Joa Hoshizaki, 20 Elisha Clark, 21 Sydney Bradshaw, 22 Maxine Meju, 23 Tabbie brought.
Referee: Nikki O’Donnell
Assistant referees: Nia Parsonage, Niamh Hennessy
Television match official: Keith Mark Lewis
Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw
Winners Down the Years
1988: Cambridge
1989: Oxford
1990: Oxford
1991: Oxford
1992: Oxford
1993: Oxford
1994: Oxford
1995: Oxford
1996: Oxford
1997: Oxford
1998: Oxford
1999: Oxford
2000: Oxford
2001: Oxford
2002: Cambridge
2003: Cambridge
2004: Oxford
2005: Cambridge
2006: Oxford
2007: Oxford
2008: Cambridge
2009: Cambridge
2010: Cambridge
2011: Cambridge
2012: Oxford
2013: Oxford
2014: Oxford
2015: Cambridge
2016: Oxford
2017: Cambridge
