With the London Double Header now been and gone — during which 48,000 of you watched Saracens run in 6 tries against Worcester, and Wasps claim a bonus point win over London Irish — Twickenham can turn its sights towards one of the more interesting fixtures of the rugby calendar.
The 134th Oxford vs Cambridge Varsity Match takes place this year on the 10th December, when we will see the two Universities line up on the hallowed English turf. And this year, the women will be involved for the very first time, with the 29th instalment of their fixture kicking off at 11.30am on the same day for its debut on Twickenham soil. In the men’s fixture, which kicks off at 2.30pm, Oxford seek a record breaking sixth win on the trot, although Cambridge still lead the series with sixty one wins to fifty eight.
But there’s one man who wants to ruin Oxford’s fun. With seventy four Welsh caps to his name, two Lions performances and one selection in Barbarians colours, Jamie Roberts is a huge name in the rugby world. He’s just returned from a World Cup in which he helped Wales to a quarter final, making one hundred and eleven metres and twelve carries over the gain line in the process. Domestically, he’s just signed for London based Club Harlequins, and will debut in the Premiership in the new year. But, in his spare time, he’s also studying for a M-Phil in Medical Science at the Queen’s College, Cambridge, and in just under two weeks, he two will join the battle of the blues for the first time.
But he is not alone. Since the first fixture in 1872, many internationals have lined up on Twickenham’s turf whilst they further their academic credentials at one of the two world famous institutions. Let’s take a look at some of the most famous of those competitors.
Jamie will join three other notable Welsh internationals who have played in the prestigious fixture’s history. Gerald Davies adds fourty six Welsh cap and five Lions caps to the game’s history, appearing between 1968 and 1971 on the wing whilst studying at Cambridge, whilst Oxford fly half Onllwyn Brace adds nine. Welsh fly half Gareth Davies also joined the fixture in 1977, whilst studying for his teaching qualifications at St Catherine’s College, Oxford. He too, has both Welsh and Lions caps.
England too boast plenty of internationals to have graced the fixture. The most decorated of those include RFU director Rob “Squeaky” Andrew, who played for Cambridge during his time at St John’s College between 1982 and 1985 and also captained both England and the Lions during his playing career. Popular commentator Stuart Barnes also captained the Oxford team, whilst studying for a history degree at Teddy Hall, Oxford. Centre Phil de Glanville also donned dark blue colours. Among them too, is former England Sevens captain Simon Amor, who played at scrum half for Cambridge and twenty five time capped lock Paul Ackford, who joined the light blues for the 1979 match.
Moving North, Scottish legend Gavin Hastings captained Cambridge to victory in the 1985 Varsity match, whilst former Scotland captain Rob Wainwright lined up for CURUFC whilst studying for a medical degree at Magdalene College. Simon Danielli boasts two Oxford blues alongside his thirty two Scotland caps. Other internationals include flanker Simon Holmes, centre Joe Ansbro and fullback Stuart Moffat.
To complete the home nations, Irish fly half David Humphreys scored all of Oxford’s points in the 1995 Varsity Match and adds seventy two international caps to the fixture’s history. Winger Tyrone Howe also joined the dark blue lineup, whilst David Quinlan played in opposing colours. Mike Gibson, who was inducted into the IRB Hall of Fame in 2011, boasts sixty nine Irish caps, twelve Lions accolades and nine Barbarians appearances, played in the centre for Cambridge during his time studying law there.
Italy have only one international to have graced the fixture: Cambridge centre Marco Rivaro, whilst three former players have Japanese honours — Oxford’s Toshiyuki Hayashi from St Catherine’s, Takura Miuchi from Mansfield, and Cambridge’s Kensuke Iwabuchi.
Across the pond, four Canadians have lined up for OURFC, including IRB Hall of Fame member Gareth Rees — the first member of the Hall from a nation outside the traditional top tier of the sport — Kellogg College graduate Kevin Tkachuk, who has fifty five international caps, winger Andrew Bibby and Flanker Stan McKean, who presently continues his studies in Law at Harris Manchester College. Matthew Guinness-King played at centre for Cambridge, whilst the light blues also have one sole US international: scrum half Doug Rowe. Oxford’s US contingent boasts Pembroke alumnus Will Johnson, fellow American props Don James and Ray Lehner, lock Adam Russell, fullback Kurt Shuman and winger Gary Hein.
Looking towards the other side of the equator, the SANZAR nations have also seen plenty of representatives compete. The most famous of these has to be rugby world cup winning New Zealand captain David Kirk, who captained the 1988 Varsity match whilst at Worcester College, Oxford, studying PPE on a Rhodes scholarship. Fellow scholar and kiwi Chris Laidlaw played at half back whilst at Merton College Oxford, as well as former All Blacks captain Anton Oliver, who has fifty nine international caps and is also a Worcester alumnus. Mark Ranby joined the fixture during his year at Cambridge studying theology and Mark Robinson has also lined up for CURUFC.
Equally renowned is former Wallaby Brian Smith, who captained Oxford from the fly half position and Joe Roff also led the side and has gained eighty six Australian caps. Sixty three time international Daniel Vickerman played during his Degree in Land Economy at Hughes Hall, Cambridge, whilst world cup winners Troy Coker and Bob Egerton have both lined up in dark blue colours.
Italian head coach Nick Mallett played for Oxford during his time at University college and famously also was awarded blues in cricket where he took three sixes off one Ian Botham over. Fellow South African and former OURFC lock Anton van Zyl finishes the rich international membership of the game’s history.
So, on the 10th December, Jamie Roberts is set to join a long line of internationals to start a fixture which has spanned two centuries since it’s beginnings in 1872. He dons light blue colours alongside captain Don Stevens, who is studying for a PHD in land economy at St Edmund’s. Opposing captain George Messum studies History at Saint Anne’s college, but has just been deemed ineligible to play according to criteria set by the Oxford and Cambridge Joint Blues Committee. OURFC’s captain for the fixture will be announced on Monday alongside their 23-man squad.
Tickets are available here to see what promises to be “a game full of pride, passion and commitment and a great day out to kick start your festive season” (According to the Varsity Match website).
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