It is not immediately obvious that this Walton Street gem is a concept restaurant. Yet with all produce sourced from within a twenty mile radius, owner Max Mason has taken aim at the chain restaurants in Oxford and let rip. The result? The Big Bang. They do bangers and mash, and they do it very well. The Covered Market’s David John and Hedges provide most of the sausages, Hook Norton brewery supplies the ales, and Cotswold Brewing Company the lagers. Mason has succeeded in rejecting the chain-restaurant model of central distribution and menu-setting and given us something new, exciting and, dare I say it, ethical.
The menu lists seven sausage meals, including two vegetarian choices (all £8-£10). These standard sausages (think pork and leek, lamb and mint) are complimented by a changing specials board – highlights included chilli pork, guinea fowl, and curried thai. The meals include two sausages, a choice of six mashed potato concoctions (including spring onion, grain mustard, and rosemary), peas, red cabbage, sautéed onions, and one of three jus: rosemary, red wine, and stilton. For the flusher reader the Big Bang meal (£11.50) comes highly recommended, and allows you to pick any three sausages, including the selection of specials. For the thrifty student the Cheapskate meal (£6), which comes without the trimmings, is not a bad deal. Although the description ‘two of our less delicious sausages’ might not sound particularly appealing, they are in fact just Cumberland sausages cunningly renamed to stop business types from being über-stingy. In addition to this, a Union card knocks 10 percent off.At any rate, the lunch menu – Traditional Oxford, Cumberland, Basil and Vine Tomatoes, or Sausage of the Day with mash and jus – at £4.50 is clearly the superior option, especially as you don’t have to say ‘cheapskate’ in front of all your friends. Having diligently sampled six of the sausages I can firmly vouch for their quality. I’d recommend the Cumberland, Pork and Apple, and Chilli Pork, and steer clear of the Oxford, and Beef and Guinness. The grain mustard mash was delicious, the carrot and swede less so. All of the vegetables were spot on. Apple crumble (£3.25) was probably missable but quite nice nonetheless.The grey, grimy setting and withered plants are not exactly slick but that is precisely the point, as this is very deliberately a neighbourhood restaurant – the antithesis of central Oxford’s shiny, carbon-copy chains. The friendly service was much appreciated and, with a wait of only fifteen minutes from ordering to eating, the whole experience was swift and pleasant. The weekly jazz evening (Tuesdays at 8pm – two courses for £15) is apparently very popular. The downstairs room in which this takes place adds fifty seats to the thirty upstairs and is ideal for larger groups or parties at the weekend.
Whether you’re looking for a fun first date or just some good sausage, this charming local provides a great bang for your buck.

Adam Ross

Five Oxford players have been selected to train with the England Students squad in two weeks. Props Kevin Davis and Ricky Lutton (both Linacre), flanker Peter Clarke (St Cross), fly-half Toby Henry (Linacre) and centre Tom Gregory (Kellogg) will all be competing for a place in the final 22 to play matches against France, Scotland, Ireland and the Combined Services during February and March. In addition, Blues full back Chris Mahoney has joined Henley RFC. The twenty-six year old Kiwi scored Oxford’s only try in this season’s Varsity match, injuring himself as he touched down. He will be hoping to help Henley avoid relegation this season.

Friday January 18th
FILM4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1300, 1830
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
Brick Lane (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1830
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1215, 1445, 1730, 2030
Dan In Real Life (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1300, 1530, 1800, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530, 2045
Michael Clayton (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 2040
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830, 2100
MUSIC Athlete: Coldplayesque snoozemongers. Carling Academy 1930
Christopher Maltman & Malcolm Martineau: Poulenc, Britten and Shosti. Uni Church 2000
Elliot Minor & Guests, Carling Academy Zodiac 1830
Geoffrey Hopkins: Beethoven. J du Pre Music Building 1930
The Hellset Orchestra, Cellar Bar 2000
James Bowman with Orchestra Europa: Haydn, Mozart and Schubert. Oxford Playhouse 2000
James Gilchrist: Tenor. Holywell Music Room 2000
Live Jazz by the fireside, Old Parsonage Hotel 2000STAGE
Grigorovich’s Nutcracker, New Theatre 1930
Yet Tell My Name Again to Me: New writing. OFS Studio 1930
James Bowman and Orchestra Europa: Mozart, Haydn and Schubert. Oxford Playhouse 2000
CLUBS & OTHER
Get Funked FIRST BIRTHDAY @Thirst Bar
Slave Britain Exhibition, Amnesty International Forum Friends’ Meeting House, St Giles 1300

Saturday January 19thFILM 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1830
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
Alvin and the Chipmunks (U) Odeon George St. 1215
American Gangster (18) Ultimate Picture Palace 2030
Atonement (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1800
Bee Movie (U) Odeon George St 1145
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1445, 1730, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530, 2045
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830 2100
Sweeney Todd (18) Odeon Magdalen St. 1230, 1500, 1745, 2030
MUSIC

Bruch: Clarinet-Viola Concerto also Tchaikovsky. St Andrew’s Church 1930
Viennese New Year Concert: Marriage of Figaro and more. Sheldonian Theatre 2000
Oxford Sinfonia: Ravel, Stravinsky, Faure. University Church 2000
Queen’s College Recital, Queen’s College Chapel 1315
A Silent Film, Speed Circus, The Reptides, Elle S’Appelle, Carling Academy 1900

STAGE

An Evening With Rabbi Lionel Blue: Offbeat banter. Oxford Playhouse 1930
Grigorovich’s Nutcracker, New Theatre 1430, 1930
Yet Tell My Name Again to Me: New writing. OFS Studio 1430, 1930
OTHER Slave Britain Exhibition Amnesty International Forum Friends’ Meeting House, St Giles 1300
Sunday January 20th
FILM4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1230, 1630
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
Alvin and the Chipmunks (U) Odeon George St. 1215
Beauty in Trouble (15) Phoenix 1100
Bee Movie (U) Odeon George St 1145
Brick Lane (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1830
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1445, 1730, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 2045
Loose Change Final Cut (-) Phoenix 1500
Michael Clayton (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 2040
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830, 2100
Sweeney Todd (18) Odeon Magdalen St. 1230, 1500, 1745, 2030
MUSICBarbican Piano Trio Haydn, Schnittke and Brahms Holywell Music Room 1500
The Lizzie Newbery Jazz Trio Guitar, Bass, Vox Cape of Good Hope 1900

Monday January 21stFILM4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 2045
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
American Gangster (18) Ultimate Picture Palace 2030
Anna M (15) Phoenix 1830
Atonement (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1800
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1215, 1445, 1730, 2030
Dan In Real Life (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1300, 1530, 1800, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830, 2100

MUSIC Barcode: Seedy Jazz. The Living Room 2000
Operahouse: Indie band. Jericho Tavern 2000
STAGE
The Oxford Imps: Improvised comedy. Wheatsheaf 2000
Free Beer Show: Stephen Grant + support. Cellar Bar 2100
OTHER
Dr Fania Oz-Salzberger: Israel and Europe: improving dialogue, St Anne’s College 2000

Tuesday January 22nd

FILM2 Days in Paris (15) Odeon George St 2100
4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1300, 1830
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
Brick Lane (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1830
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1215, 1445, 1730, 2030
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530, 2045
Michael Clayton (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 2040
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600

MUSICDavid Ford: Folk singer. Zodiac @ Carling Academy 1900
STAGE
Writing With Dinosaurs: New writing. Burton Taylor 1930
Far Away: More new writing. Burton Taylor 2130
Oxford Revue’s Write Off, Wheatsheaf 1930
Edward II, OFS Studio 1930
OTHER
Professor Anthony Lilley: The Search for Value in the Media, St Anne’s 1700
Chinese Prints: Lunchtime gallery talk. Randolph Gallery, Ashmolean, 1315
Wednesday January 23rd FILM4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1300, 1830
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
American Gangster (18) Ultimate Picture Palace 2030
Atonement (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1800
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1445, 1730, 2030
Dan In Real Life (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1300, 1530, 1800, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530, 2045
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830, 2100

MUSICYoav: Multi-instrumental songwriter. Jericho Tavern 2000
Organ Recital, Queen’s College 1310
Jack Gibbons: An Evening of Gershwin. Holywell Music Room 2000
St Hilda’s Evening Recital: Rachmaninov. Jacqueline du Pre Building 1815
STAGE
The Rivals: Restoration comedy. Oxford Playhouse 1930
Writing With Dinosaurs: New writing. Burton Taylor 1930
Far Away: More new writing. Burton Taylor 2130
Edward II, OFS Studio 1930
CLUBS & OTHER
Action Stations LAUNCH PARTY @ Baby Love Bar
The Crossover @ Purple Turtle
Prof Alex Potts: Art and the Substance of Things, University Museum of Natural History 1700
Prof Julian Savulescu: Love, Drugs and Marriage, St Cross College 1830 Thursday January 24th
FILM4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (15) Phoenix 1300, 1830
Alien vs Predator: Requiem (15) Odeon George St. 1330, 1615, 1845, 2115
Brick Lane (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 1830
Charlie Wilson’s War (15) Odeon George St 1215, 1445, 1730, 2030
Enchanted (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1215, 1730
The Golden Compass (PG) Odeon Magdalen St 1430, 2000
I Am Legend (15) Odeon George St 1230, 1515, 1800, 2045
I’m Not There (15) Phoenix 1530, 2045
Michael Clayton (15) Ultimate Picture Palace 2040
No Country for Old Men (15) Odeon George St 1415, 1715, 2015 Phoenix 1330, 1600, 1830, 2100
P.S. I Love You (12A) Odeon George St 1400, 1700, 2000
St. Trinian’s (12A) Odeon George St 1315, 1600, 1830, 2100
Sweeney Todd (18) Odeon Magdalen St. 1230, 1500, 1745, 2030

MUSICStone Gods: Post-Darkness super group. Jericho Tavern 2000
St Hilda’s Lunchtime Recital: Beethoven, Debussy, Bartok. Jacqueline du Pre Building 1315
Foxes + Borderville: Local indie. Cellar Bar 2000
STAGE
The Rivals: Restoration comedy. Oxford Playhouse 1430, 1930
Writing With Dinosaurs: New writing. Burton Taylor 1930
Far Away: More new writing. Burton Taylor 2130
Teachers: Classroom comedy. J du Pre Music Building 2000
Beauty and the Beast On Ice: Holy Disney Shit! New Theatre 1930
Edward II, OFS Studio 1930OTHER
The Grail is Found: New insights on the Holy Grail. 43 St Giles 1930

Before interviewing Hannah Ruddick, I was concerned about my lack of time. I had an essay to hand in for the next day and I was desperately trying to find sports articles to replace the one’s that were destroyed by the recent bad weather. After speaking to her for half an hour, I realised it should not have been me complaining about a hectic schedule. Ruddick is possibly the busiest student in Oxford, having to maintain a rigorous Olympic training regime in between labs, tutorials and lectures. She’s been up since four o’clock, but this is nothing out of the ordinary. Having played international volleyball for six years, she is aware of what is required to achieve in sport. Not that this makes it any easier: “It’s really stressful; not just trying to find time for work but also having a social life as well. Over Christmas, I had just three days off: I’m in an unusual position.” Unusual is an understatement; both of her circumstance and of her capacity to cope with pressure. When asked about the prospect of playing for her country in the 2012 Olympics, she is clearly excited but remains pragmatic. “Playing in front of a home crowd will be amazing and there will certainly be a degree of pressure attached. But British Athletes are not expected to do well at the moment so it’s an interesting mixture. The main pressure will come from inside of me.” “I analyse everything. I’m such a perfectionist and it’s a massive problem. Even in a game like Monopoly, I’m really bad. I can’t bear losing- I throw away all my silver medals as they remind me of defeat.” In light of this inbuilt competitiveness, I ask her if she can relate with disgraced former Olympic winner Marion Jones, who was imprisoned for six months on Monday for lying to doping investigators. “I can understand her situation. Like all international athletes, she was preoccupied with being the best and winning at any cost. She just overstepped the mark.” The mark that she refers to is a complex one that is continually changing under the jurisdiction of The World Anti Doping Agency (WADA). “All international athletes are making amendments to their dietsthat’s enhancing their performances and it is hard because the guidelines are shifting all the time. I have to be particularly careful in a social situation. If someone is smoking cannabis, I have to leave as it could be enough to contaminate a drug test.” For someone who reputedly has an offer of a professional contract in Venice waiting for her, her enthusiasm for university sport surprises me. On the 9th of February, she will be playing in the annual Volleyball Varsity match: “I’m so psyched for the Cambridge game; I’ve been thinking about it for months. I just want to destroy them.” Perhaps it is this rational agression that will bring Britain success in 2012.By Harry McDowell 

BLUES HOCKEY   OXFORD 5 COVENTRY 0  The men’s hockey blues earned promotion from their BUSA league on Wednesday with a convincing 5-0 victory against Coventry University. The match never looked in doubt as Oxford took the lead early on with 2 penalty corner strikes from Captain David Cresswell. The game was being re-played after the previous meeting between the two teams was abandoned. A delayed start was followed by a Coventry player suffering a dislocated hip having got on the wrong end of a strike from the reputable Mark Oeuf. A strong Oxford line-up, including veteran Aussies Michel Molinari and Brad Tucker, dominated from start to finish. Perhaps the biggest positive for Oxford was that Jamie Holdoway, a surprise inclusion at the centre of defence, showed moments of class and a very cool head under pressure. The game was over when Martin Tricker scored twice in the second half, with Andrew Van Biltong capping off a polished performance by finishing a move including 15 passes with a reverse-stick strike. The win means the Blues will be playing in Midlands Conference 2A next year, a league somewhat below the class of the Oxford team on show here. I asked Cresswell how his side ended up so low in the BUSA standings: “It all goes back to a few years ago when we qualified for the National League. We found we didn’t have time to balance the Saturday games with midweek BUSA games, so pulled out of BUSA. When we came back down from the National League, BUSA decided to put us back in at the bottom. So we are having to work our way back up each season.” Judging by today’s performance, it will not be long until the Blues are fighting for honours at the top again.by Ian Rossiter

THE SITUATION is quite simple. We have three remaining BUSA league matches and three victories will ensure that we are crowned midlands champions. We don’t have to rely on anybody else doing us a favour by taking points off other teams; essentially we have control of our own destiny. We will doubtlessly have to perform at our best and be willing to exhibit the levels of dedication and the quality of play that were evident throughout last term, but, at this stage, I couldn’t have asked for any better from all of the members of both our blues and centaurs squads. It was a shame that we lost our unbeaten record in the final game of last term against Warwick (in somewhat dubious circumstances it must be added) but it didn’t hurt us too much in terms of the league standings and I know that the memory of that defeat will be used as a spur when we confront our future opponents, Worcester, Nottingham and Bedford. We have already taken a combined total of 7 points from earlier fixtures against these teams and so we can be quietly confident that we possess enough quality to secure the required results. It was somewhat unfortunate that our first week fixture against Worcester had to be postponed due to inclement weather, but it will give us some more time to settle back into our patterns of play and raise our fitness levels after the Christmas break. Our coach Martin Keown has incorporated ‘spinning’ classes into our fitness schedule and he is keen to embrace many other varied forms of exercise to ensure that we are in the best possible shape for each and every game. He is additionally insistent on continuously performing shape drills, which essentially consist of lining up in our team shape in one half of the pitch and going through our passages of play, moving the ball from back to front, against ‘passive’ opposition. The emphasis is very much placed upon improving technique and formulating ‘pictures’ in your mind such that you develop a greater awareness of the space around you and the positioning of your team mates. The first sign of a poor touch, an underhit pass or poor body shape and the exercise is stopped and then started all over again. Very often Keown will run drills that he has observed on recent visit to watch the Arsenal first team train, and we are continually told how much Robert Pires loved to ’get down on his technique’ and how Dennis Bergkamp used to be ‘having himself’ after every scintillating touch. The dubious comments aside, we are certainly reaping the benefits of his meticulous and professional approach to the job, and we are hoping that this will be reflected by a successful culmination of our BUSA campaign.by Paul Rainsford (Blues' Captain) 

Leah Hyslop explores the obstacles facing state school students applying to Oxford A few weeks ago, a friend of mine told me the story of her attempts to apply to Oxford. ‘Privileged’ enough to attend a Southern grammar school, she was none the less a student whose place of study had little or no tradition of sending pupils to Oxbridge, and her first tentative attempts to broach the idea with the Head of Sixth-Form were met with nothing less than open-mouthed confusion. “Oxford? But wouldn’t you, well, have to get your UCAS form in really early?”To some, this story will sound all too familiar. To others, the concept of a school which doesn’t regard Oxbridge as the birth-right of its pupils will seem curious, even laughable. For all its attempts to broaden its state school intake, Oxford is still dominated by the private school monopoly that has given it its unfortunate “elitist” reputation, and the University’s most recently published set of statistics hardly helps. Though the balance in 2007 (in terms of UK candidates) between 53.5% state school students and 46.5% from independent schools may look alright in isolation, it entirely fails to reflect the proportion of state schools on a national level, and is in fact a swing in favour of independents. A shocking 38.5% of Oxford’s undergraduate body in 2007 was taken from London and the South East alone, whilst Ireland (1%) Scotland (2.1%) and the North East (2.1%) lagged sharply behind.So is Oxford consciously elitist? Tabloid scandals such as that of the so-called ‘Laura Spence Affair’ — the student with 5 A Levels who was rejected from Magdalen — would certainly lead us to believe so. Yet the fact remains that it is not in Oxford’s interests to discriminate against applicants from working class backgrounds. This is, after all, the age of “equal opportunities”: by 2011, Oxford is expected to take 62% of students from the state sector. Projects such as the Oxford Access scheme work to promote awareness of Oxford as a potential destination within state schools, whilst the Sutton Trust Summer Schools are exclusively aimed towards the underprivileged. Nothing could be more explicitly geared to welcome students from all backgrounds than the University’s admissions website, which pledges a commitment to recruit “the brightest and best students, regardless of their social, educational, regional or ethnic background.” What, then, is keeping the number of state school students at Oxford so depressingly low?
The answer probably has less to do with Oxford than the schools from which its applicants are drawn. According to one current Oxford student, a London-based private school such as Haberdashers gets at least 40 applicants into Oxbridge a year, through intensive coaching. A student from Bancroft’s, Essex, tells how her school had a system by which students were sent to be interviewed by an unknown teacher at another local school to gain the full “interview experience.” A far cry from the many comprehensives, and even grammar schools, that rarely send a single student to Oxbridge. Though Oxford claims that its interview process places emphasis on “potential rather than achievement,” the simple truth remains that a student who has been brought up to see Oxford as a birthright, and has had practise in an interview situation, will have an advantage over a student who has been flung into an alien world, for whom the sheer confidence of private school students is disorientating and even intimidating. I certainly spent most of my interview period quaking in my room, bewildered by the articulate and forthright students around me. I doubt I was the only one.It’s not just in terms of interview preparation that private school students benefit. Oxford admissions tests are touted by the University as a perfectly fair way of discriminating between students. But state school students are still at a decided disadvantage against pupils whose parents can afford tutoring, and whose schools will go out of their way to prepare them. How could the University compensate? Should it issue lower offers to students from schools where teachers and facilities are of a poorer standard? Is positive discrimination patronising? And, even more crucially, should Oxford accept students whose A Level subjects are regarded as ‘easy’ or ‘soft’, but are the subjects which their state schools specialise in? A lot of current students rant about how insulting positive discrimination is, and how it unfairly penalises more able or committed students from apparently “privileged” backgrounds. But then, these people rant about it very loudly, after rather too much port, and use phrases like “it’s political correctness gone mad.” And of course, they all went to Eton.

1 The 4 minute mile Whilst claims that the feat was considered impossible, even medically dangerous, breaking a world record that had stood for 9 years standing on a windy day at Iffley isn’t bad for someone who only trained during their lunchbreak. Roger Bannister’s achievement was the greatest of all the Oxford sporting achievements, even more so coming in an era where professional sport had started to take hold. 2 Oxford win the FA Cup OK, so what the final was played at a cricket ground, in front of a conference side attendance, in 1874 against 9 lieutenants, a captain and a major. We can still claim an equal share in the meritocractic glory of the FA cup (let’s ignore the fact that the top 4 have held it for the last 12 years). Prehaps it is not surprising we won, the team included 4 England internationals and we had God on our side in the shape of midfielder Rev. Arthur H. Johnson. 3 Oxford student equals World Long Jump record Perhaps the ultimate rennaisance sportsman, C.B Fry held blues in cricket, football, rugby and athletics (excelling at both the long jump and sprinting) finding the time to equal the then world record of 7.17 meters in 1893. If you don’t hate him already you should know he also got a first. His life after Oxford wasn’t as interesting, a spot of nude modelling here, a spot of international cricket there (I needn’t bother to explain he was an all-rounder). Oh, and he was offered the throne of Albania. 4 Oxford win Boat Race by a foot 2003 saw the closest boat race ever with the lead changing 3 times and Oxford rowing at 40 strokes per minute to fend off a late Cambridge attack, after taking the lead with only around a mile to go. Oxford were underdogs too that year, fielding the much lighter crew. 5 Oxford student wins Rowing World Championship Matt Pinsent to be more precise, 3 times rowing blue and boat club president. He won 2 world championship golds and a bronze during his time at Oxford and took a year out from his studies to win gold at the Barcelona Olympics. More importantly he was in the winning 1990 boat race team, although during his year as president he had to endure one of the few defeats of his career. 6 Oxford win first ever Ice Hockey match in Europe On some kind of Victorian version of the Varsity Trip in St Moritz, a few Oxbridge students got together for a puckabout, Oxford winning 6-0. The Varsity Match is now the longest running fixture in the sport. Whilst most Brits probably couldn’t care less about ice hockey, it constantly being a degree too hot to play, the Canadians do, and many eminent Canadians including prime minister and noble peace prize winner Lester Pearson have represented Oxford. 7 Oxford win by an innings and 227 runs at Varsity For those of you allergic to cricket this is a lot. The 1923 varsity match at Lord’s had to be finished a day early after a domineering Oxford display that saw Cambridge bowled out twice on the same day for 59 and 139, Bettington ending with figures of 11-85. If that isn’t bad enough the tabs were beaten by an innings and 425 runs by the 1938 Australian tourists, strewth! 8 Blues beat the USA from 34 points down The rugby league side’s 42-38 victory over the US students after trailing 38-4 at half time in 1999 is pretty impressive. So is the fact we have a rugby league team considering that league players were banned from playing rugby union by the university for many years, and players therefore had to play under pseudonyms of childrens' cartoon characters. With the ending of this ban league has risen in prominence and now commands the full blue it deserves. 9 Tabs sink in 1978 Boat Race Not really a great Oxford sporting moment, perhaps more of a victory for the weather, but still funny and Oxford (unsurprisingly) did win. Cambridge went one better in 1984 when they sunk before the start line after hitting a barge, thus wreaking a £7,000 boat. The excuse given was the 5”4 cox couldn’t see over the rowers. 10 Irish international scores all the points at Twickenham Probably a good idea to finish on a defeat so we don’t get too cocky. David Humphrey’s performance at the 1995 varsity match, however, was one of the greatest personal displays in the rugby varsity fixture, the Irish international of over 70 caps scoring all 19 of Oxford’s points. This included a grand slam (the scoring of a try, conversion, penalty and drop goal in the same game), a rare feat and the ultimate achievement of a fly half .By Jeremy Kelly 

St. Catherine’s underlined their championship credentials on Thursday of Oth week with a thumping away win over rivals Teddy Hall. Both sides had to endure hostile conditions at a wet and windy University Parks, in a fixture that had been rearranged from the end of last term. Hall just could not live with the pace and handling of a Catz backline that had been rejuvenated by the return of University squad members Ali Walker and Sean Mackenzie, and the visitors looked dangerous almost every time they were given good ball. Although they came into the game with injuries, and several players missing through University commitments, Hall will be disappointed not to have even threatened a try until the dying seconds, especially as the early stages were a very even affair. With wind and rain swirling around the ground, both sides inevitably struggled with the ball in hand. Attack after attack broke down thanks to the slippery ball. The Catz lineout was especially messy in the opening quarter, with their backs receiving little in the way of quality possession. The visiting scrum was functioning though, providing Catz with a solid and reliable platform of attack. Both skipper Sam Donaldson and Mackenzie managed to squeeze passes out of the tackle, allowing Peter Jones to muscle over the line for the game’s first score. Donaldson stepped up to slot the conversion. It wasn’t long before Catz found themselves once again on the attack, with Jamie Menzies going close before being unfortunately penalised. Hall couldn’t quite manage to clear their lines, with their kicks often failing to make touch. One such poor clearance led to the visitors’ second try, Donaldson finding the ball in his possession and embarking on a brilliant solo run to touch down under the posts. He converted his own score to put his side fourteen points up going into half time. As their lineout began to look more reliable, St. Catherine’s grew even more dangerous in the second period. From a set-piece, they worked the ball to the right, where Matt Perrins accelerated, leaving three Hall defenders for dead to record the third try for the visitors. Donaldson converted and then added a further three points from a penalty, effectively sealing the game with fifteen minutes remaining. Catz weren’t finished, though. Three-quarters Richard Godfrey and Henry Haslam created space on the wing for Walker to burst through and score on his return to the side. To Hall’s credit, they rallied and almost forced a try as the sky became dark in the dying minutes. But Catz were determined not to give their opponents a point, and held on for a famous win that will worry the rest of the top division.By James de Mellow