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Oxford University RFC

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

England Oxford University RFC
Full nameOxford University Rugby Football Club
NicknameBlues
Founded1869; 157 years ago (1869)
LocationOxford, England
GroundIffley Road (Capacity: 5,500[1])
Captain(s)Reed Prinsep and Melissa Morley
Team kit
Official website
ourfc.org

The Oxford University Rugby Football Club (Oxford University RFC or OURFC) is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford.[2][3] The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.

History

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Men's team

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The 1889 Oxford University Rugby union Varsity Match team, Back Row (L-R): L.J.Percival, W.E.Bromet, E.H.G.North, P.C.Cochran, R.S.Hunter. Sitting: J.H.G.Wilson, R.F.G. de Winton, C.J.N.Fleming, R.O.B.Lane, R.T.D.Budworth, A.M.Paterson, A.R.Kay. On Ground: P.R.Clauss, R.G.T.Coventry, J.S.Longdon.
The 1889 Oxford University Rugby Union Varsity Match team

The University of Oxford RFC was founded in 1869, fifteen months before the creation of the Rugby Football Union. The first Varsity Match was played in February 1872 in Oxford at 'The Parks', the following year the return game was played in Cambridge on Parker's Piece. In 1874 it was decided that the game be played on a neutral ground. Oxford, like rivals Cambridge, have supplied hundreds of players to national teams, and was key in spreading the sport of rugby throughout Britain as past students brought the game back to their home counties. The very first international player to be capped whilst at Oxford was Cecil Boyle, who represented England in 1873, one season before Cambridge University. In 1951, OURFC became the first Western rugby team to tour Japan after World War II.[4]

OURFC currently has 3 Men's teams: 1st XV Blues, 2nd XV Greyhounds and 3rd XV Whippets. All three teams play Varsity matches against their respective Cambridge opponents.[4]

Captains

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Year Captain College
2025 Luke Wyllie St Hilda's
2024 Jack Glover St Peters
2023 Tom Osborne Trinity
2022 Louis Jackson Oriel
2021 George Messum Kellogg
2019 Ed David St Hilda's
2018 Dominic Waldouck Kellogg
2017 Conor Kearns Jesus
2016 Fergus Taylor St Catz
2015 George Messum St Anne's
2014 Jacob Taylor Keble
2013 John Carter Kellogg
2012 John Carter Kellogg
2011 John Carter Kellogg
2010 Nick Haydon University
2009 Daniel Rosen Worcester
2008 Peter Clarke St Cross
2007 Joe Roff Harris Manchester
2006 Kevin Brennan Linacre
2005 Andy Dalgleish St Anne's
2004 David Lubans St Anne's
2003 John Allen University
2002 Fraser Gemmell St Catz
2001 Brett Robinson Wadham
2000 Jamie Weston Keble
1999 Norman Celliers Keble
1998 David Kelaher St Cross
1997 Richie Maher University
1996 Quentin de Bruyn Keble
1995 Tyrone Howe Keble
1994 David Henderson Keble
1993 Chad Lion Cachet Keble
1992 Mike Patten St Catz
1991 Andrew Everett University
1990 Mark Egan St Cross
1989 Brian Smith St Anne's
1988 Rupert Vessey Green
1987 Bill Calcraft Brasenose
1986 Simon Griffin University
1985 Neil Macdonald University
1984 Tim O'Brien University
1983 Hugo MacNeill St Edmund Hall
1982 Phil Crowe University
1981 Neil Roberts Jesus
1980 Thyge Enevoldson University
1979 Nick Mallett Brasenose
1978 Anthony Watkinson St Edmund Hall
1977 Tim Bryan St Edmund Hall
1976 Dugald MacDonald University
1975 Cecil Shaw St Edmund Hall
1974 Charles Kent Worcester
1973 Dennis Kay University
1972 Darryl Jones Oriel
1971 Richard Jones St Edmund Hall
1970 Peter Carroll Mansfield
1969 Chris Laidlaw Merton
1968 Robert Phillips Corpus Christi
1967 Robert Phillips Corpus Christi
1966 Tommy Bedford St Edmund Hall
1965 Frederick Craig Balliol
1964 Ronnie Lamb St Edmund Hall
1963 Nick Silk Merton
1962 Joe McPartlin St Edmund Hall
1961 John Willcox Worcester
1960 James Glover Corpus Christi
1959 Malcolm Phillips Trinity
1958 Lodewyk (Theo) Lombard St Edmund Hall
1957 Peter Robbins St Edmund Hall
1956 David Brace University
1955 Roy Allaway University
1954 Paul Johnstone St John's
1953 Alexander Ramsay Brasenose
1952 Ken Spence Brasenose
1951 Giles Bullard Balliol
1950 John Kendall-Carpenter Exeter
1949 Alwyn Vintcent Trinity
1948 Graham Wilson Brasenose
1947 Basil Travers New
1946 Ossie Newton-Thompson Trinity
1945 John Pearce Brasenose
1938 Hubert Freakes Magdalen
1937 John Brett St Edmund Hall
1936 Malcolm Cooper University
1935 Kenneth Jackson Trinity
1934 Bertie Lorraine Christ Church
1933 John Bowers Trinity
1932 Norman Lamport Balliol
1931 William Roberts Brasenose
1930 Stephanus Hofmeyr University
1929 Thomas Gubb University
1928 Edward Taylor Trinity
1927 David Landale Balliol
1926 George Abell Corpus Christi
1925 Herbert Jacob Christ Church
1924 C. R. Wandsworth Balliol
1923 Phil Macpherson Oriel
1922 John Maxwell-Hyslop Balliol
1921 Ewan Campbell Oriel
1920 Denoon Duncan University
1919 Eric Loudoun-Shand University
1913 D. McBain Trinity
1912 Leonard Brown Balliol
1911 Ronald Poulton Balliol
1910 Frederic Turner Trinity
1909 George Cunningham Magdalen
1908 Harold Hodges Trinity
1907 Worthington Hoskin Trinity
1906 Basil Cozens-Hardy Trinity
1905 Patrick Munro Christ Church
1904 Adrian Stoop University
1903 Vincent Cartwright Christ Church
1902 Reginald Grellet Hertford
1901 John Crabbie University
1900 John Swanston Trinity

Women's team

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Oxford University WRFC was founded in 1988 and has been playing Cambridge University WRUFC annually since. The first women's Varsity was won by Cambridge; Oxford currently have 24 Varsity victories to Cambridge's 14[5]. Notable players include Sue Day (St John's), who won 59 England caps.[6]

As of May 2015, Oxford University RFC and Oxford University WRFC have officially merged into one University RFC.[4] 2015 also marked the first year that the women's Varsity Match was held at Twickenham on the same day as the men's game.

OURFC currently has 3 Women's teams: 1st XV Blues, 2nd XV Panthers[7], and 3rd XV Pumas[8]. All three play Varsity matches against their respective Cambridge opponents. The Women's Blues compete in BUCS Premiership South, and the Panthers compete in BUCS Midlands Tier 3.[9]

Captains

[edit]
Year Captain College
2027 Melissa Morley St John's
2026 Chloe-Marie Hawley Queen's
2025 Alex Wilkinson Keble
2024 Sophie Shams St Edmund Hall
2023 Lauren Webb Corpus Christi
2022 Jessica Abele Exeter
2021 Fiona Kennedy St Hilda's
2019 Hazel Ellender St Cross
2018 Abby D'Cruz Keble
2017 Sophie Behan St Edmund Hall
2016 Catherine Wilcock Wadham
2015 Tess Braunerova St Edmund Hall
2015 Carly Bliss St Edmund Hall
2014 Tatiana Dancy Keble
2013 Katie Sage Pembroke
2012 Rona Mitchell St Hugh's
2011 Beth O'Brien Keble
2010 Ashley Massey Keble
2009 Jenny Rossdale Jesus
2008 Hannah Grainger Clemson Green Templeton
2007 Bethan Walsh St Hilda's
2006 Sarah Taylor St Hilda's
2005 Rebecca Young Keble
2004 Zahler Bryan Magdalen
2003 Rachel Murphy Brasenose
2002 Beth Temple St Hilda's
2001 Karen Jones Pembroke
2000 Ulrika Andersson Merton
1999 Olivia White Merton
1998 Beth Sage Lady Margaret Hall
1997 Amanda Proctor Jesus
1996 Jo Hudson New
1995 Diane Nixon Wadham
1994 Jenny Ayres New
1993 Diane Nixon Wadham
1992 Carolyn Ford Queen's
1991 Nancy Levenson Jesus
1990 Julie Potter Merton
1989 Miriam Jorgensen Christ Church
1989 Heather Bunting St Hugh's

Major Stanley's Match

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1906 joint team photo of Oxford University RFC and the South African national rugby union team
1906 joint team photo of Oxford University RFC and the South African national rugby union team

Source:[10]

Major R. V. Stanley was an Oxford local who took a hearty interest in the development of OURFC, becoming its first representative on the RFU Committee 1903–27. The first recorded Stanley's Match took place in 1919, after the 1914 match was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I. An invitational squad, similar to the Barbarians, the Major Stanley's XV historically drew in big name players such as Thomas Voyce and William Wavell Wakefield. Major Stanley's Match is an annual fixture played in preparation of the Varsity Match and recent Stanley's XVs have included Cardiff RFC.[11] In 2019, the centenary year of the first Major Stanley's fixture, the Women's Blues faced the first ever Major Stanley's Women's XV.[12]


Honours

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Oxford University Greyhounds:

Oxford University Women's Blues:

  • BUSA Champions 1998/1999 season
  • BUCS Vase Champions 2017[citation needed]
  • BUCS Vase Runners Up 2019[13]

Notable former players

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Oxford University RFC has fielded over 300 international rugby players, many of whom were first Capped during their time playing for the club.[14]

Internationals

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The following former Oxford University players have been capped at full international level.[15]

Blues are listed in brackets:

British & Irish Lions

Australia

Canada

England

Ireland

Japan

New Zealand

Scotland

South Africa

United States

Wales

SRU presidents

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Former Oxford University players have been President of the SRU:

References

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  1. "Hats off to the Wallabies". BBC Sport. 5 November 2001.
  2. "Men's Rugby Union". Oxford University Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  3. "Women's Rugby Union". Oxford University Sport. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  4. 1 2 3 "Oxford University RFC | About". Oxford University RFC. Archived from the original on 16 October 2015. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  5. "Varsity Matches Results". OURFC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  6. "International Women's Day 2019". Oxford University Sport. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. "Panthers". OURFC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  8. "Pumas". OURFC. Retrieved 18 June 2026.
  9. "BUCScore - Oxford University Womens 1st Rugby Union Team". BUCS. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  10. "Oxford University RFC | Stanleys Match". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  11. "Men's Blues Squad Announced to Face Cardiff in the Major Stanley's Match". Oxford University RFC. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  12. "Oxford University RFC | Stanleys Match". www.ourfc.org. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  13. "Oxford University RFC | News". Oxford University RFC. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  14. "Oxford University RFC | Internationals". Oxford University RFC. Archived from the original on 28 April 2020. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  15. "Ex-Blues". OURFC.
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