With the 133rd varsity rugby match between Oxford and Cambridge to take place on Thursday 11th December at 2:30pm and tickets now on sale, both sides are currently entering the last phase of preparation. As per usual the match will be take place at Twickenham, the home of English Rugby, and the Tabs will be hoping to overturn a recent trend of defeats. Last year’s event attracted over 30,000 spectators and a television audience of almost 1,000,000, having been broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Despite having won 57 matches compared to Cambridge’s 61, the Oxford Blues have dominated the competition in recent years, winning the last four matches, and six to Cambridge’s three in the last decade. Last year was highly controversial, however, as Oxford’s Samson Egerton became the first player to be sent off in the fix- ture’s illustrious history.
A win this December would be the fifth in a row for OURFC, something not achieved since the competition began back in 1872.
Early bird tickets will still be available until this Sunday, when the general tickets will still be available. Early bird tickets are only £10 and grant the purchaser a free season membership to watch the Blues play at Iffley Road. The tickets can be purchased from your college Rugby Varsity Rep or from Iffley Road, the home of OURFC.
After Sunday, standard tickets can be bought by Oxford students for £15. The game is immediately preceded by the Under 21s varsity match at 11:30am.
The Blues have started their Michaelmas programme brightly with a convincing victory over Wasps 24-10 at Iffley Road and a narrow loss to Richmond 15-20. However a heavy defeat to Aviva Premiership side Northampton Saints has taken the gloss off of a bright start to the year. Nonetheless, further games against profes- sional sides will keep the Oxford side occupied throughout November — there is even a change for instant revenge against the Saints.
This year’s event takes special significance as it is the 100th anniversary of the start of the Great War. 27 Oxford blues and 28 Cambridge blues lost their lives in the conflict, and the two teams have combined to commemorate this by dedicating the event to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.
Twickenham calling: Blues gunning for five in a row
