Tuesday 3rd March 2026
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A matchweek with the OURFC Blues

Finbar Dinnen
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A matchweek with the OURFC Blues

6.57am, Monday morning 

Oxford is starting to wake up, a couple of cars and the occasional runner dotted about the roads. The sky is starting to lighten, but there’s no sign of the sun just yet. If you walked down to Iffley Road and peered round the corner of the Pavilion, you would see light quietly glowing from underneath the West Stand. If you walked down the gravel track and across the car park, you’d hear the beat of music and the rattling of barbells, and if you stepped inside you would find the Blues squad amidst their first gym session of the week. Second-year back-rower Henry ‘Hendo’ Henderson stands under a bending bar in front of the corner rack, braced for another heavy back squat, and the rest of the gym has paused to watch a massive 240 kilos move again. Sessions starting at 6.30am allow the group of busy students to train together around their schedules – but there’s another reason for such an early start beyond lessons and lectures. It means that the Blues must make a commitment to one another, to an early night and to getting up in the cold and the dark. It’ll count when the whistle goes. 

6.02pm, Monday night 

In the evening, it’s the Pavilion lights that are on. Chairs have been carried through from the dining room and are scattered around in front of the projector screen, and the tables are littered with an assortment of notebooks. There’s a hum of chatter as the squad catch up with each other after the day of Oxford life that has passed since they last trained. Players are still arriving from their colleges in ones and twos, filling the rows of furniture gathered ahead of the video review of last week’s game. Quiet falls when Head Coach Ian Kench connects his laptop and the Friday lights of the Iffley Road pitch appear on the screen, the Blues squad waiting on the breakdown of their latest performance – the messages to take into tonight’s training. Kench leads the review, but listening to the meeting you might hear the voice of any given player. You’d likely pick up the Australian accent of captain Jack Hamilton, or the experienced advice of ex-Saracens professional Josh Hallett – it’s a team of students, and the leaders within the squad will run the show just as much as their coaches. 

7.34pm

OURFC’s first Men*s pitch session of the week is wrapping up, and the Iffley field is a busy scene. Fullback Harry Bridgewater is striking another ball from the tee, splitting the posts, whilst hooker Will Roddy practices throwing into a lineout; he aims for a catcher in the stands to mirror the height of a player being lifted in a lineout. Players from all three teams sit around in the stands, getting boots off and layers on with muddied hands. Monday night is always a tough session for an OURFC team, being the furthest out from weekend matches – it means time being tackled onto crash mats in ‘the Dojo’ and close-quarters contact at the Jackdaw Lane end. The ‘Dojo’ is an area hidden behind the West Stand, set aside for contact, and does plenty to live up to its name. Most of the training is done outside of the pitch itself, making sure that it stays pristine under the floodlights on game night. With the Varsity matches on the horizon, there’s a real sense of anticipation, an eye on the test ahead in every session now. Amongst the Blues, the weight of history cannot be ignored, and the field at Iffley is testament to that feeling. One field, shared by the whole club, is set against the backdrop of the Pavilion on the hill, which has stood since 1893. 

7.15am, Wednesday morning

The University Parks are a pretty picture in the winter sunlight, with bare trees standing out against the morning sky and a layer of frost covering the fields. They’re mostly quiet, save for a few dog-walkers. At one end, however, the frost crunches under the feet of the OURFC Men*s section, out for their second field session of the week. With teams for the weekend taking shape, they can spend some time training as a unit, testing moves against one another and nailing down final details. This morning the ground is tough and slippery, so the boys need to move carefully – even the cold weather can’t throw off training. 

At the end of the session, the group forms one huddle, mixing in players from the Blues, Greyhounds, and Whippets. The Wednesday session will move to the evening when the squad returns in January, so this is the final morning outing for the season – and for some, their final morning outing as part of the club. Today these players are the ones that will lead the ‘beat clap’ that marks the end of training – a quick routine of synchronised taps and claps to complete the players’ review of the session. Two taps on the knees, two on the chest, two claps: done. The huddle breaks, and the rest of the day can start.

6.49pm, Wednesday night

The Blues are well into their second gym session of the week, and have ventured outside the gym into the dark of Scrum Corner, opposite the hockey astro and under the scoreboard. Launching a medicine ball at a teammate backwards, over your head, and in the dark might look odd in any other context, but at Iffley Road it’s just part of the programme. There’s rugby on the pitch tonight too, a home BUCS fixture for the Women’*s Blues. They play every Wednesday, and when at home the Men’s side will number amongst their supporters in the stands. When 7.15pm rolls around, they will line the tunnel as their counterparts run out, clapping and encouraging to add to the noise that lifts any team in Dark Blue. This will be the last day of heavy training for the Blues before Friday night’s game, with the focus now moving to making sure that everyone is ready for game day. 

6.05pm, Thursday evening

The Blues selected this week are back out on the pitch the night before the game, ready to walk through moves and bring absolute clarity onto the pitch tomorrow. There is a big emphasis on everyone knowing their role in every situation– no matter the time in the game or the area on the pitch. The theme this week has been to ‘get your house in order’; train and play knowing the job you have to do as an individual and work hard to get it right. At this stage, it would be easy for the mood to become quiet and serious, but the Team Run is perfect for taking the pressure off ahead of a game. Everyone wears an old jersey tonight, some from colleges, some international jerseys from previous years, many from clubs across the country that the Blues have represented at some point in their careers. Magdalen College captain Stu Brown is sporting the black and white stripes of his college as he boots a ball high into the sky, met by raucous cheers when it lands; Team Run also features light-hearted games between the forwards and the backs. They take the pressure away from the team on the eve of the game, but at the same time a score is very much kept – it’s a squad that loves to compete. 

7.15pm, Friday night

Matchday. Iffley Road is packed with spectators, filling the stands and lining the pitch – this year has seen record attendance for the Blues. The prestige of Premiership opposition and ex-international Blues draws students and locals alike to nights like these. The pitch is ringed by food trucks and fans who turn out for the occasion, ready to come alive when those famous jerseys have taken the field. Tonight is the first game back at home for the Blues since before December, and a chance to show off how far the team has come. They return home following a historic tour of Australia where they tested themselves against professional side Brumbies, the Australian national 7s side, and Shute Shield opposition Sydney University. Their ranks are boosted by the addition of Reed Prinsep, adding all the power and experience of a decade in Super Rugby and ten international caps as a Māori All Black. 15 dark blue jerseys wait in the tunnel, ready to emerge into the noise and the light for 80 thrilling minutes.

If you walked down and peered around the corner of the pavilion on a Friday night like this one, it would be a very different picture to the faint glow of that Monday morning gym session. The atmosphere, the buzz of the crowd, the announcer on the microphone and the smell of food, all in anticipation of that moment when Jack Hamilton leads his team out. The work of this week and countless more like it comes together now, and adds today’s page to the long, illustrious history of the club.

The Varsity Matches take place on 28th February at the StoneX stadium.

Oxford University faces backlash over use of gagging order in sexual harassment case

Gaspard Rouffin
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Oxford University faces backlash over use of gagging order in sexual harassment case

The University of Oxford has recently dropped its request for anonymity in an employment tribunal over a sexual harassment case. The University had been granted an anonymity order which prevented the media from reporting on the case to protect the University’s reputation and the identity of several of its employees.

The order related to allegations of sexual harassment made by a female academic against Professor Soumittra Dutta, the former Dean of the Saïd Business School. It was reported that, after the academic went to Dutta for help regarding a rape complaint, Dutta propositioned her. He allegedly said: “I feel very attracted to you. Can something happen between us?” Dutta denied making the comment.

Dutta resigned in August following a five-month investigation by the University, which upheld three allegations that he sexually harassed a female academic. The University of Oxford stated that Dutta “stepped down as dean of Saïd Business School and has now left the University”.

Anonymity orders prohibit the discussion or publication of the identity of individuals or organisations involved in legal proceedings. The University was also subject to significant criticism from media organisations over the order, which had been considered a “gross breach of the principles of open justice” and part of a “deeply concerning trend towards secrecy”.

This follows a series of cases where the University has failed to protect its staff and students following allegations of sexual harassment and sexual assault. A recent UCU report seen by Cherwell described the University as “slow to act and reluctant to be transparent, particularly when allegations involve prominent men with institutional prestige or donor connections”, and regretted that investigations often kept “outcomes confidential, allowing individuals to move on with unblemished reputations”.

An Oxford academic, who prefers to remain anonymous, told Cherwell: “That the University applied for an anonymity order that protected its own reputation and that of at least one senior academic who had been found guilty of sexual harassment is incredibly concerning. That it did so against the wishes of the claimant is even worse because it amounts to gagging the victim, and the Higher Education Bill forbids imposing silence on victims of sexual harassment.”

The University of Oxford did not respond to Cherwell’s request for comment.

Criticism of University leadership

The University previously faced internal pressures from academics and students over its use of anonymity orders and restricted reporting orders in legal cases. The University’s leadership was criticised for acting against principles of freedom of speech and academic freedom.

An academic told Cherwell: “Congregation should have a public debate about what our policy ought to be regarding applying for anonymity orders. The University shouldn’t be allowed to have blanket permission to hide under [a] veil of anonymity. It means that Congregation, which is supposed to be the sovereign body of the university, can’t know who we are suing, who is suing us, why, how much money we are spending in lawsuits, and how [we are] behaving in court, what is being done in our name.”

Congregation is the governing body of the University, composed primarily of academic staff. There have been concerns raised regarding senior University figures’ approach to transparency in the context of legal proceedings, in particular Chancellor William Hague and Vice-Chancellor Professor Irene Tracey. 

A source with knowledge of the matter previously told Cherwell: “The Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor have serious questions to answer about the type of university they are running, whether it is one that protects its own students and staff, or its reputation.”

Improvements to policies

Cherwell understands that Tracey has instructed a legal panel to improve its harassment and bullying procedures. In a meeting in February, the Registrar of the University, Professor Gill Aitken, and legal experts were asked to make recommendations on improving data sharing and procedures regarding bullying and harassment.

An academic told Cherwell: “It’s also obvious that we need to improve our policies around sexual harassment. That the University is still protecting an emeritus professor who has been accused of rape without him facing any internal investigation, or ban from premises, or stripping of his title shows how deeply we are failing to keep students and staff safe.

“The reputation of powerful senior academics is still being prioritised over the safety of staff and students. What the University should do is take this opportunity to reform and be at the forefront of best practices instead of holding on to opaque and sexist practices that are causing serious and unnecessary harm to people, especially women.”

Cherwell has previously reported that the University did not suspend an emeritus professor at the Saïd Business School who was investigated for rape by Thames Valley Police. Cherwell understands that the professor does not currently face any restrictions regarding access to central University premises or to his college, something students have expressed “serious concerns” about. 

Anna Bull, the founder of the 1752 Group, an advocacy group addressing sexual misconduct in higher education, said that she “very much doubt[s] that Oxford consulting existing staff on improvements is likely to lead to sufficient change. Business as usual isn’t going to lead to the shifts that are needed here”.

Correction: An earlier version of this article stated that the University had failed its legal duties to protect staff and students following allegations of sexual assault. The University has not been found to have failed any such duties.

Oxford Union cancels Namal Rajapaksa event after backlash

Mercedes Haas
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Oxford Union cancels Namal Rajapaksa event after backlash

The Oxford Union has cancelled a planned speaking event with Sri Lankan MP Namal Rajapaksa following backlash from Tamil student groups and campaigners. The Cambridge Union cancelled Rajapaksa’s scheduled visit several days ago. 

Rajapaksa, the son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, is a controversial figure due to his close association with a government accused by human rights organisations of overseeing alleged war crimes and widespread abuses during the final stages of Sri Lanka’s civil war. 

Rajapaksa had been scheduled to address the Oxford Union on 23rd February, with a corresponding event in Cambridge. The cancellations come after criticism from Tamil societies at multiple UK universities. 

In statements circulated on Instagram, Tamil student groups said that to host Rajapaksa was to ignore “the deliberate bombing of civilian ‘No-Fire Zones’ and hospitals”, “the systemic sexual violence used as a weapon of war”, and “the enforced disappearances of tens of thousands”. They also cited “the ongoing militarised occupation of Tamil lands and the erasure of our cultural memory”. 

The allegations refer to the final stages of Sri Lanka’s 26-year civil war, which ended in 2009 with the military defeat of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), when government forces under the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa were accused by the UN and international rights groups of committing serious violations against civilians in regions in the country where Tamils primarily reside.  

Tamils are a predominantly Hindu ethnic minority in Sri Lanka, who were at the centre of the conflict. Tamil advocacy groups continue to campaign internationally for accountability over alleged wartime abuses. 

Rajapaksa, the son of former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was described by campaigners as “a staunch defender of this genocidal apparatus”. The statement from the Tamil Youth Organisation UK (TYOUK) claimed that inviting him “grants legitimacy to a regime that has consistently denied justice and accountability” and “sends a devastating message to Tamil survivors and victims’ families”. TYOUK had also been planning a protest against the event prior to its cancellation. Oxford Action for Palestine (OA4P) called for a protest on the same issue.

In a statement confirming the cancellation, the Oxford Union President Katherine Yang told Cherwell: “A core part of the Union’s purpose is enabling direct, open questioning from students. In this case, a significant number of the students most closely connected to the subject matter communicated that they did not feel safe asking questions openly. While alternative formats (such as submitting questions indirectly) were considered, … I felt that the inability of those most affected to participate directly undermined the substance of the forum.

“An event where key stakeholders cannot engage on equal footing does not produce the kind of robust debate the Union is intended to facilitate.”

In a statement issued by its Communications Representative, the Cambridge Union confirmed that it had cancelled the event after “urgent and serious discussions”. A spokesperson told Cherwell: “At the present moment, we don’t believe it’s possible to have a balanced and open discussion on this subject, and thus our Standing Committee made the decision to cancel this event.

“We would like to assert in the strongest possible terms that none of our events are endorsements of, or uncritical platforms for, any speaker or their beliefs, actions, or record.”

This is not the first time the Oxford Union has withdrawn an invitation to a member of the Rajapaksa family. In 2010, the Union sparked major controversy by cancelling an invitation to then-Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last minute, after his arrival in the UK and amid anticipated protests from British Tamil activists. 

Coverage at the time noted that the Union cited security concerns and the “sheer scale of the expected protests” in withdrawing the event. This drew critical reactions from Sri Lankan officials and students. The Oxford Sri Lankan Society denounced the Union’s decision as “highly unbecoming”, arguing it had agreed to detailed arrangements. Sri Lankan ministers condemned the move as a “scar on the Oxford Union and the British government”, and demonstrations took place in Colombo in response. 

Prior to that a controversy arose in 2008 ahead of a scheduled appearance by Mahinda Rajapaksa, when students and campaigners urged the Union to scrutinise his human rights records. Critics at the time pointed to reports from the US State Department, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch alleging violations by state officials and paramilitary groups allied with his administration.

Loaf actually? A guide to Oxford’s sourdough

Skye-Jane Ingram
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Loaf actually? A guide to Oxford’s sourdough

Sourdough is a simple pleasure. A perfect loaf should have a chewy, light, tangy, and springy crumb. It’s best enjoyed toasted, with a thick layer of jam, a generous slab of butter, or simply as a base for a sandwich. It reminds me of home, where my family always keeps a loaf in the cupboard. On cold days it’s a reliable and simple comfort – the kind that makes Hilary term feel a little less bleak. Here is the definitive ranking for next time you require some carbs to help you meet your essay deadline. For this ranking, assume a white or wholemeal loaf unless otherwise stated. 

8. Tesco 

Tesco’s sourdough is exactly what you’d imagine. Promisingly, their white loaves have a slightly golden crust. However, the loaf itself is disappointing and lacks the distinctive tangy taste of a good sourdough. The small amount of bubbles suggest that the dough would benefit from further fermentation. However, for just £2.10, you get what you pay for.  

7. Sainsburys 

Sainsbury’s sourdough loaf is broadly comparable to Tesco’s. Both loaves also usually become hard within a day or two. On the other hand, loaves that are slow-fermented do not go stale as quickly as the natural acids produced help the bread to maintain moisture. I ranked Sainsbury’s above Tesco for two principal reasons: it offers a wider variety of loaves and also sells a sourdough baguette, which is of notable quality. 

6. Jericho Cheese Company

This bread is good. It has a delicious crunch, and there are two locations to get your bread fix: Turl Street and Little Clarendon. However, due to its prohibitive price, it ranks sixth: a standard loaf will set you back £6.75. If I were to eat this bread regularly, I would be left unable to pay my battels. So, enjoy this one sparingly. 

5. M&S

In my view, their ‘Signature Sourdough’ is the best loaf currently offered in a supermarket. With its lovely crust and substantial size, there is also the added bonus that they offer to cut the loaf for you in store. The crumb itself has a slightly savoury taste that would combine excellently with olives or cheese. These loaves also last quite a long time if stored well. A solid loaf, certainly, but far from the best best M&S has to offer. 

4. Ole and Steen

Ole and Steen offers Danish bread and is the only non-English feature on this list. They have a few different options. My favourite is the Copenhagen sourdough which is crispy on the outside. However, they also offer an excellent Rye loaf and a selection of rolls. If that wasn’t enough, they also offer great deals: if you use the app, there is usually an offer of the week, which allows you to buy a loaf for up to 50% off. 

3. Barefoot, Jericho

Barefoot has excellent surroundings and multiple locations. If you visit the branch on North Parade Avenue, you can see the bakers at work making the next day’s loaves (as well as delicious cakes and pastries). The bread itself is soft, with a noticeable fermented taste. The only drawback is its density, though the designs on the loaves are some of the most creative I’ve seen, with their signature B the most common. Watch out for the pumpkin-inspired loaves during Halloween! 

2. Gails 

The crumb is much lighter than many other loaves on the list, hence why I’ve awarded Gails second place. 

Gails’ signature loaf has a soft, off-white crumb generously aerated with bubbles. Loaves are replaced daily and you can choose your preferred loaf and have it uniformly sliced –– a small but significant convenience for Oxford students, who often lack a kitchen or a reliable knife. I would particularly recommend their seeded loaf, which has a distinctive sesame flavour, and is unlike any other loaf I have tried. This bread has a satisfying bite on the outside, and internally is both moreish and satisfying. 

1. Hamblin, Covered Market

I had heard great things about Hamblin, and their signature ‘country loaf’ did not disappoint. I was initially sceptical of the dark – frankly rather burnt – looking crust. However, once I tasted it, I quickly realised I’d been missing out on the delights of this bread for nearly half of my degree. With generous helpings of jam, this is hard to beat. If you can’t make it to their store in The Covered Market, there are also a few shops around Oxford that stock Hamblin loaves. If you don’t fancy committing to a whole loaf, 2 North Parade offers half for only £2.50. I would urge anyone who is curious about sourdough to try this loaf. 

So, perhaps you disagree with my ranking. Be my guest – sourdough, like most comforts, can be deeply personal. I have yet to actually make a loaf of sourdough myself, but I do know that this ranking proves that Oxford is blessed with exceptionally good bread. Though my purse is significantly lighter, and, like the dough, my standards have risen, I’d argue that it has been a worthwhile investment: now I can claim (tentatively) to have found the best sourdough in Oxford.  

Quarter of students at London state school receive Oxbridge offers

Lily Gage
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Quarter of students at London state school receive Oxbridge offers

A state sixth form in north-east London has seen 62 of its students receive offers from Oxford and Cambridge universities this academic year, making up one quarter of its student body.

The London Academy of Excellence (LAE) is a free, mixed, selective sixth form and is one of the highest performing sixth forms in the United Kingdom. The headteacher, Alexander Crossman, says on the academy’s website that the school “consistently delivers outstanding A-level results for all students”. He adds that the sixth form “has achieved particular success helping students from less-advantaged backgrounds win places at the best universities in the UK and around the world”.

Around half of the students with Oxbridge offers for this academic year come from disadvantaged backgrounds, including several with refugee status. Around half are eligible for free school meals, in the care of a local authority, or are young carers, and over two thirds come from low-income homes with no history of university attendance in their immediate family. 

One student, Ismael, told the BBC that reading the email which offered him a place at Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, for politics, philosophy, and economics was “a very, very surreal experience”.

Another student, Kami, who was offered a place at Selwyn College, Cambridge, also said: “People aren’t defined by their background or any circumstances that they’ve come from.. I think it’s allowing people to flourish and truly reach their full potential.”

Twenty-five students from LAE’s 2024 cohort took up places at Oxford and Cambridge, which is 60% lower than the number for this academic year.

LAE was ranked sixth by The Times in the top 50 sixth form colleges in the UK, based on exam outcomes from last year. A majority of the other sixth forms in this ranking are private, fee-paying schools. That year, 58.3% of LAE students received an A*, A, or B in two or more subjects.

The sixth form was founded in 2012, with the support of private schools such as Eton and Brighton College, which make annual donations. The two other partner schools are Caterham School and Forest School. Each LAE house is associated with one of these partner schools, and students visit their house’s school to make connections with their counterparts there. These partner schools also provide teaching, and many students play sports fixtures against them. 

Pupils from low-income households are prioritised for acceptance, with the majority of students from Newham, Tower Hamlets, and Hackney. In order to obtain a place, students must demonstrate that they are on target to achieve at least eight grades of 7 to 9 at GCSE, including Maths and English.

The school is located in Newham, which is the most deprived borough in London, according to data from the 2025 Indices of Multiple Deprivation (IMD). Over 80% of residents were in the bottom 30% for income deprivation – a substantial increase from 66% in 2019. Unemployment rates are at 8.7%, and child poverty is at 45%, behind only Tower Hamlets. 

Though 93% of the UK population attended state schools, only 66% of UK students admitted to Oxford in 2024 were educated in the state sector.

Art is an argument, so argue back

Maxim Vorobev
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Art is an argument, so argue back

Oxford supposedly trains critical thinking skills. After all, what’s the point of our degrees if we can’t think? Yet all too often, this part of our mind switches off the moment people look at art. Unleqss you are an art historian or an artist yourself (neither of which I am) there is often a fear of critiquing art. After all, I lack an encyclopaedic knowledge of art movements, I do not exhibit work, nor do I (much to the annoyance of my Cherwell bosses) write much about art. It is easy to fall into the trap, especially when visiting a gallery abroad, of letting it wash over you, walking from room to room and just looking and moving on. Perhaps you’ll read the occasional exhibition label, but that’s as far as it goes. 

All too often, how much we like artwork comes down to ‘vibes’, initial gut-reactions we make, and then quickly negate by stating that surely it’s all about taste. The primacy of subjectivity is common in contemporary expression. It is often at the centre of debates online sparked when modern and contemporary art are presented with their seemingly absurd prices, alongside commentary from various political accounts on its justification. Yet this reflexive reliance on taste all too often closes down reasonable critiques of art. 

The fact that art challenges uncomfortable realities or assumptions does not mean it should not exist. Frequently, art that is difficult to understand is lampooned from the perspective that only precise artistic expression is permitted – this is not what I wish to argue. The fact of taste and its subjectivity should not make you scared to critique art. Don’t let your supposed lack of qualifications limit your ability to talk about what is being argued in front of you. Yes, argued. Art makes a barrage of criticisms about society and the way in which we live our lives. It must not become a lecture, so return fire.

This is most commonly found in critiques of the claims of historical art. Every tour or discussion of a work will always point out historical inconsistencies, propagandist efforts, or the financial interests at play, particularly with works such with the famous Napoleon Crossing the Alps (1801). Yet, outside of obvious examples, art is often simply accepted. Our earlier default approach to art – gliding through rooms looking for something that catches the eye, or for a famous piece, and quickly moving on to the next one – keeps us outside of the actual art and the discussion it brings forth. 

The little placards, or website descriptions, are not simply explaining the artwork, they are making claims about it. Artists are just like any other producer of work – they are not immune to waffle, flaws in execution, or deception. Artists can lie – don’t trust them. Or, at the very least, they can deliver less than claimed.

Take, for example, Sara Sallam’s recently exhibited work in the Pitt Rivers: Suturing Wounds. Her artwork takes facsimiles of late antique Egyptian burial textile fragments, stitches them together (“suturing” the wound of their separation from their burials) into a tunic that is then worn by Sallam outside the V&A Museum storage where the original cloths are contained. She is photographed wearing them in an act of “embodied protest”. 

These are the basic premises of her work. Yet, these claims should not be so readily accepted. To protest their use as a merely visual item, does stitching facsimiles of them together (irrespective of their unique and highly personal nature) into one photographable outfit actually liberate them? I would argue it merely places them back in the visual space. Is photographing them outside a storage site truly a protest? The blank space on the tunic seemingly emphasises her performance, rather than the imprisoned artefacts. Frankly, I don’t believe that her claims were well executed in the artwork produced. 

Certainly, to the stereotypical British politeness, critiquing art is difficult when the feelings of the artists are so entwined with the work. Much of contemporary art is not designed simply in relation to society, but as a broader expression of the artist’s life and emotion. Emotional vulnerability is fundamental to the creation of powerful art. However, emotional vulnerability requires actual vulnerability, and that means actual challenges to what is expressed, rather than the mere praise of vulnerability.

Next time you visit an exhibition, or visit a gallery, don’t just glide past it. Certainly art is highly dependent on taste, but that does not mean your taste should be kept quiet. Often you, and perhaps the artist, would benefit from some truly critical perspectives. 

County Council raises council tax to 4.99%, citing decreased government funding

Daniela Braw-Smith and Ruby Barenberg
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County Council raises council tax to 4.99%, citing decreased government funding

The Oxfordshire County Council’s new budget includes increasing council tax by 4.99%, addressing a £5.4 million shortfall for 2026/27.

By 2028/29, funding to Oxford will decrease by £24.1 million as the government plans to redistribute funding to more deprived areas of the country.

The 2026/7 budget was approved on 10 February and allocates a total of £700 million. The budget includes reductions to an East Oxford development plan and some transportation services for “adult social care, children’s services and home to school transport”. 

The proposition for the building of a new mortuary has been pushed back and a local school and leisure facility scheme has also faced a funding decrease. The budget also included funding for road developments, improvements to Wantage Market Place, flood prevention, and libraries.

Pointing to investments in highways, drainage, and libraries, County Councillor Liz Leffman stated: “We have not only been able to balance the budget for 2026/2027 but have included investments that will make a difference to the things which are of greatest importance to our residents.”

A crucial part of the budget is the increased council tax. Oxfordshire also faced a 4.99% council tax increase in 2025/6.

County Councillor Dan Levy told Cherwell: “Obviously we would rather not put up Council Tax, but there isn’t any choice, given the increasing pressures on budgets, including from increases imposed by central government via National Insurance increases, and decreasing support from central government. All the other parties at County Hall proposed the full Council Tax increase allowable, like us.”

Students are not subject to council taxes, but the changes will likely exacerbate the already expensive private rental market. Oxford has been ranked as one of the least affordable cities in the UK, with average private rents growing from £1,657 to £1,913 between December 2023 and December 2025, representing a 15.4% increase. In November, students queued for more than 48 hours to attempt to secure housing through property agency Finders Keepers for the next academic year.

The newly formed Oxford Renters Union has declared themselves open to students renting privately, as the collective believes they “face the same problems as working people concerning the cost, quality and stability of housing”. The union will not try to tackle issues with college- and University-owned accommodation at this time, citing their desire to prioritise problems affecting the majority of Oxford renters.

A spokesperson for the union told Cherwell: “We at the Oxford Renters Union believe it’s deeply unjust that renters pay higher council tax based on the higher valuation of the property they happen to be living in. Landlords of HMOs [house in multiple occupation] often push high council tax payments onto renters – and where renters pay council tax directly, that’s just one more favour they do for their landlord.”

The Renters’ Rights Bill, passed into law last October, also seeks to provide some protections for renters. Coming into effect in May, the law will forbid landlords from increasing rent more than once a year and without at least two months’ notice. However, the new law does not set any limits on rent increases.

Red soles, red flags: Jaden Smith and the celebrity takeover of high fashion

Victoria Corfield
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Red soles, red flags: Jaden Smith and the celebrity takeover of high fashion

“Red is the main character of the stories that we tell.” This is how the first ever Men’s Creative Director for Christian Louboutin, Jaden Smith, describes his debut collection. Emerging red-faced (he literally painted his face and torso red) onto the catwalk at Paris Fashion Week, Smith’s debut collection has been controversial to say the least. His appointment to the position in September 2025 caused waves in the fashion community for several reasons. To begin with, it’s the first time that Maison Christian Louboutin has ever had a Creative Director. Moreover, this role was bestowed to someone best known for starring inThe Karate Kid and being the son of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. It’s only natural that Smith’s appointment would raise some serious questions about the extent to which nepotism and celebrity is superseding artistic talent in the fashion industry at present.

To simply discredit Smith on the basis of being a ‘nepo-baby’ is unproductive. After all, the fashion industry is one that has long been deemed dynasty-driven, with many of the most famous houses starting as family businesses and being passed down from fathers to sons, such as Hermès or Gucci. Nonetheless, in the last five years there has been a wave of high-profile and celebrity-adjacent, non-traditional appointments to creative director roles in fashion. Whilst celebrity endorsements have long been common in fashion, what we are seeing now is different: this is not simply the role of a brand ambassador, rather Smith is a celebrity being granted sole creative direction of a brand. One of the first, and perhaps the most significant example of this was Pharrell Williams’ appointment as the Men’s Creative Director of Louis Vuitton in February 2023, with a stated goal to bridge the gap between luxury fashion, music, and pop culture. While Williams had been involved in the fashion world since the early 2000s, founding his streetwear brand Billionaire Boys Club in 2003, and later a subsidiary line named ICECREAM in 2004, he notably lacks any formal design training.

Many would argue that this kind of formal education is no longer a requirement for creative direction – you can’t be taught to have creative vision, so to speak, and streetwear designers frequently have less formal fashion education than traditional luxury designers, falling back on self-taught skills and hands-on experience. But while creativity certainly doesn’t require a diploma, skill, or at the very least a basic knowledge of working with textiles, is essential to understanding craftsmanship in fashion. This is attested by the prevalence of the apprenticeship as a popular form of education in fashion. Consider Alexander McQueen and the emphasis the brand still places on quality tailoring, honouring the late designer’s start as a tailor’s apprentice on Savile Row. While Jaden Smith does have previous experience in creative industries, ranging from collaborations with established brands, to his streetwear label MSFTSrep, his debut collection exposes his lack of hands-on experience and limited traditional design training.

His debut collection for Christian Louboutin, unveiled during Paris Fashion Week 2026, was met with mixed reactions. Louboutin contends that Smith’s appointment was driven by a desire to inject a modern vision into the brand’s men’s line. Hence Smith, a multifaceted artist with previous experience in streetwear, seemed like just the person to embody this new brand direction. However, rather than modern, his designs ranged from uninspired (I would hardly call a red leather sneaker the height of innovation) to frankly ridiculous, prompting a stream of memes expressing concern that Smith skinned beloved Sesame Street character Elmo for a pair of £2,300 boots covered in vibrant red goat hair. 

Another personal highlight of the collection was the harness-inspired bag, which looked less high-fashion and more like the result of a bizarre collaboration between Go Outdoors and Ann Summers, producing practical hiking attire for the BDSM enthusiasts among us. This is not to say that avant-garde design hasn’t been subject to ridicule throughout history – if you’re going to push the boundaries of any medium it is bound to be met with some resistance. But where Smith’s ‘Well Red’ vision truly falls flat is that this ‘boldness’ feels hollow and superficial. The only thing that feels truly luxurious about the collection is the price tag.

Once the internet trolls have had their fun, we are left with the glaring realisation: a 27-year-old with limited experience can’t handle the mammoth task of crafting collections across everything from Louboutin’s iconic red-soled footwear, to leather goods and accessories. While fashion has never been a field fuelled by meritocracy, perhaps it’s time that we stepped away from the pattern of blindly granting celebrities creative direction. It’s about time we started spotlighting creatives with actual experience and expertise in the field. Appointments like Smith’s perpetuate the notion of fashion as a meaningless and shallow art form, one simply exploited for status and lacking any real artistic substance. If we are to save the status of fashion we need to shift the emphasis back toward the garments at the heart of this medium, not the creative directors.

Oxford’s poverty porn addiction

Leo Jones
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Oxford’s poverty porn addiction

It was an overcast day in October when I arrived, Ikea bags in-hand, for day one of Oxford Fresher’s Week. High hopes? Sort of. Having just spent two weeks recovering from Opportunity Oxford (OppOx) – a fortnight-long residential which brought with it enough drinking and clubbing to kill a small horse – I felt that I had already found a place for myself in the city. I’d frequented the Swan and Castle, studied in the Radcliffe Camera, experienced a night at Bridge – what more was there to it? Little did I know what awaited me. 

Perhaps fuelled by the implications of participating in an outreach programme like OppOx, I took comfort in being surrounded by people who were broadly like-minded, and whose lives had resembled my own. I had, of course, braced myself for the inevitable Evelyn Waugh or Saltburn-esque stereotypes I expected to encounter; I knew that the Oxford I had come to know – shaped by 250 students from disadvantaged backgrounds – was about to look very different. Yet nothing could have prepared me for what I would come to recognise everywhere, lurking in every corner of the city.

I had been conscious not to allow the judgemental mindset of class categorisation to impact my social interactions, aware of the quickly-developing chip on the shoulders of my OppOx peers. The great clash of private and state school had been long-anticipated. Nobody knew what to expect, there was a morbid fascination with ‘the other’, reinforced by the insulated nature of the programme. 

None of this mental preparation could predict the reality of Oxford, however. It is a city of art, culture, music, intellectualism,but most significantly, privilege. But not in the traditional sense. No, it did not come plastered with family crests, donning a Barbour jacket and a signet ring. Privilege in modern Oxford is illicit, disguised as something it is not.

So, you can imagine my surprise as I discovered the truth about even the most self-styled subversive, ‘anti-establishment’ Oxford students. They may be some of the loudest voices in condemning nepotism, entitlement, and inherited advantage – but many of them were products of just that. 

After mentioning this to friends from home, I began to question what about it I found uncomfortable. What’s wrong with playing dress up? Can people not style themselves however they like? I probably wouldn’t carry around a sign saying: “Look at me! I come from centuries of generational wealth and privilege”, either. Privilege can, of course, mean lots of different things. But something still did not sit right with me, as I came to realise that their arguments about unaffordable mental health support, class discrimination, and the difficulties of breaking into (especially creative) industries were constructed wholly on perceived struggle, not lived experience. 

It’s worth asking: do you really need to have had a direct encounter to comment on these societal problems? They were still ultimately drawing invaluable attention to important social issues, no? Oxford is undoubtedly an echochamber. One could easily go weeks here without thinking about the rest of the world. Was it not understandable that in the ‘UK’s least affordable city’, discourse would look this way? 

But, still, it was the deafening volume of their discussion that just did not sit right with me. Solidarity was becoming substitution, those with lived experience quietly edged out. It became clear that empathy and allyship are not the problem – replacement is. The impact of such ‘performative poverty’ –  the adoption of the language, aesthetics, and grievances of disadvantage by those who have never had to live with its consequences – was drowning out some of the class debate’s most underrepresented voices. 

I first began to see this within Oxford’s artistic circles, after multiple friends told me that they were scared to speak up about their experiences of growing up on Universal Credit, of bereavement, of being in care. If they weren’t able to contribute, then what actually was the art seeking to depict and challenge those issues really doing? My friends originally joked that it was a kind of fetishisation, employing the “my culture is not your costume” line often used in debates around appropriation.

But soon I began to see this pattern everywhere. It exists in the overly sympathetic sighs of ‘solidarity’, the overexaggeration of comparatively minor and mundane inconveniences, and most egregiously in the conversational spaces which so loudly claim societally subaltern status.

I write this midway through my second year as an undergraduate here, after debating back and forth whether writing this piece would merely contribute to a similar culture of class tribalism. However, as the dial on these appropriative voices continues to be turned up, I realised that this was not a debate around exposing imposters, but about encouraging conversation in context. Oxford is at the forefront of providing both life-changing academic and personal support to disadvantaged students. But with a fluctuating national economy and constantly dynamic discourse, institutions cannot be expected to keep up if they are unable to connect with those most deeply and genuinely impacted. 

It may take work – it goes against the very foundations of a contemporary society drunk off short term gratification and performative, trend-based discourse. But I hope that with awareness can come true diversity, as we realise that the loudest voices in the room might not always be the most representative – or the most in need of being heard.

Away day blues: The impact of unfamiliar territory

Ben Murphy
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Away day blues: The impact of unfamiliar territory

Year after year, Cambridge reaps little reward for the surly teams that travel there: no matter the sport, the result is often the same. An away day fixture is always a difficult one – any sports fan knows that. A hostile atmosphere, a longer journey, and an unfamiliar pitch or court all combine to trouble the travelling team. These challenges are further amplified when pitted against a rival. With Varsity season fully underway, conquering the complications of an away day is key to a successful display of Oxford’s sporting superiority. 

Does the answer lie with the fans? In football, there is a common claim that the supporters are the extra man, making the game easier for the home team. For example, Newcastle United’s stadium, St James’ Park, is an away fixture notorious for its intimidating atmosphere. There, away fans are shoed into a high-up corner far from the pitch, making their voices difficult to hear. Their local rivals, Sunderland, are unbeaten at home so far this season with the Stadium of Light something of ‘a fortress’; yet they reside in a modest tenth place due to their away day struggles. Fans do matter. 

Sporting executives have long understood the impact fans can have on a game. During the COVID-19 pandemic, NBA matches were played behind closed doors, with players arguing that these were the most difficult games as everyone performed at their peak with no fan interference. A former Blues captain for Oxford University Athletics told Cherwell of their experience running the 200m at home: “When I made it to the home straight, it hit me. Wow. The crowd pushed me that little bit harder to win”. Perhaps even a small crowd does make a difference on a warm summer’s day: OUAC won handily in the home fixture of Varsity in 2024, yet were beaten away in 2025.

However, replicating the atmosphere of a professional football stadium, lined with thousands of fans, is a task that even the fiercest and most anticipated Varsity matches would struggle to achieve. While Oxford and Cambridge can match the intensity and passion of those fans, the noise is a different matter – especially in fixtures that do not feature two Blues teams competing against each other. 

How is it then that these (relatively) lesser-attended events are still dictated by location? Familiarity must play a role. To refer to football once again, a recent ban on artificial pitches will be implemented from the 2026/27 season in the Scottish Premier League. No doubt this is to force a level of parity, preventing teams from gaining an unfair advantage playing at home. Manchester City recently lost to the (relative) minnow Norwegian team Bodo/Glimt – who play on an artificial pitch – in the Champions League. Whilst the differences between Oxford and Cambridge pitches are not as stark as those of artificial versus natural, athletes are undoubtedly more familiar with the pitches they train on and compete upon regularly. 

What about when neither side is at home? In Eton Fives, a sport akin to squash where points are won by striking a ball against a wall (with gloves rather than rackets), our Varsity match takes place at Eton itself – a neutral, if unsurprising, venue – and consequently the matches are neither a ‘gimme’ nor an uphill struggle. They are even. Rugby Varsity is held at the StoneX Stadium, home of Premier League side the Saracens. Not only is this a neutral venue, but it is also almost equal in distance from Oxford and Cambridge: London. Neutral venues offer the clearest test of skill and pure ability in sport: neither team is familiar with the pitch, and both are allocated an equal number of seats for the travelling fans. 

In order to compensate for those matches that do not have a neutral venue, the location of Varsity alternates between the two cities every year. For those students that are on three year undergraduate courses – or for visiting students and many postgraduate students – this presents either a peculiar advantage or disadvantage, as they play an odd number of matches either home or away. It is a cruel reality of too many talented Oxford athletes that they are forced to play away from home for the majority of their university careers. This cruelty is furthered by the criteria some sports impose for obtaining the famed Oxford Blue award: it is a requirement of Men’s Basketball, for example, to win the Varsity match in order for the athletes to receive a full blue rather than a half-blue. 

Circumstances of Varsity away matches can differ vastly – a former University basketball Blues captain told Cherwell: “Cambridge took us to eat at a burger place, whilst we hosted them at a formal dinner.” The captain was not impressed by the quality of the burger place either. Psychological warfare on show? Oxford Women’s Basketball won the most recent Varsity home fixture, and lost the away fixture. As if the fans and location was not enough of a disadvantage, there are psychological elements in play as well. All of these factors add up: some athletes have an understated disadvantage in pursuing their Oxford sporting dream.

Even with this rather bleak report, hope is not lost. Everybody knows that an underdog story is the best in sport: Buster Douglas vs Mike Tyson, Leicester’s 2015/16 Premier League title win, the 1980 Miracle on Ice. To those brave soldiers advancing to the frontlines of Cambridge this year, bring a packed lunch and some of your mates along with you, and know that all of Oxford supports you in your endeavours.

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