The Varsity Match Beckons

One of the oldest rugby matches takes place on Thursday, 6 December 2018, the first Thursday of December. That is the day that Oxford and Cambridge meet on the rugby field as they did for the first time on 10 February 1872 when Oxford won by a goal to nil.

That was 11 months after the very first Test match was played, England vs Scotland at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh when Scotland won by a goal and a try to a goal.

This match will be played at Twickenham, as it has been since 1921. The first match was played at The Park in Oxford, 28 years before Twickenham came into use and in this years played at several places.

Being an ancient and traditional fixture between two ancient and traditional universities, changes have been few.

The first change, in 1875, was to the number of players in each team. When Scotland played England in 1871, there were 20 players in each side, as they were when Oxford and Cambridge met in 1872. In 1875 the match became 15-a-side, though with the squads and substitutions of today that means 15-a-side on the field though a team is made up of 23 players.

It's the happy time of Advent and Christendom prepares for the joy of Christmas. In Advent, too, as if a part of Christmas festivities, Oxford plays Cambridge, a happy time when students of all ages frock to Twickenham, for on this day old men become students again as old friends gather in the West Stand car park where there are hampers with champers from Fortnum & Mason.

For years it was played on the second Tuesday of the month, but since 2013 it has been on the first Thursday.

It is a game which seems to made light of the burden of professionalism. Not even sponsorship and a trophy are obtrusive.

Officiating has changed. Once upon a time there was a referee, there by invitation, and a touch judge provided by each side, usually the previous year's captain. Now there are assistant referees and a TMO, two referees to check things like replacements and time for sin bin, blood and head injury assessment, plus an official timekeeper.

The referee this year is Welshman Nigel Owens who has refereed more Test matches than anybody else in the history of the game.

And there are two matches at Twickenham itself - a match for men and a match for women.

It is a day to enjoy, perhaps rugby football's biggest social occasion.

Teams

Oxford: 15 Ben Ransom, 14 Dan Barley, 13 Conor Kearns, 12 Dom Waldouck (captain), 11 Tom Stileman, 10 Tom Humberstone, 9 George Tresidder, 8 Sven Kerneis, 7 Sam Miller, 6 Charlie Pozniak, 5 George Robson, 4 Jasper Dix, 3 Joe Morris, 2 John Aaron Henry, 1 Ben Parker

Replacements: 16 Josh Navarajasegaran, 17 Conor Hennessy, 18 Alasdair King, 19 George Warr, 20 Ryan Jones, 21 Dylan McGagh, 22 Louis Jackson, 23 Henry Martin.

Cambridge: 15 Joey Gatus, 14 Elliott Baines, 13 Henry King, 12 Jake Hennessey,11 Joe Story, 10 Mike Phillips, 9 Chris Bell, 8 Nick Koster (captain), 7 Sean McMahon, 6 Stephen Leonard, 5 Andrew Hunter, 4 Jordan Eriksen, 3 William John Dean, 2 Miles Huppatz, 1 Charlie MacCallum

Replacements: 16 Sam Schusman, 17 Henry Somers, 18 Jonathan Dixon, 19 Rowan Beckett, 20 Olly Smart, 21 Charlie Saunders, 22 Oliver Gnodde

Referee: Nigel Owens [Wales]

Assistant referees: Clare Daniels, Gregory Garner

Television match official: Keith Mark Lewis

Timekeeper: John Burtenshaw

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

2016: Cambridge

2017: Cambridge

So far 136 matches have been played

Cambridge has won 63

Oxford has won 59

14 matches have been drawn

Cambridge have scored 1247 points

Oxford have scored 1212 points.

Oxford's six successive wins is a record.

Oxford's 43-6 win in 2015 is the biggest ever.