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Not to be confused with Oxford R.F.C..

Oxford University RFC
Full nameOxford University Rugby Football Club
Nickname(s)Blues
Founded1869; 155 years ago (1869)
LocationOxford, England
Ground(s)Iffley Road (Capacity: 5,500[1])
Captain(s)Edward David & Hazel Ellender
Team kit
Official website
www.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

Men's Team

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

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] The record for most appearances in a Varsity Match for Oxford is held by Lewis Anderson who has played in six matches between 2010 and 2015, all won by Oxford. Over 300 OURFC players have gone on to win international honours.

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. Additionally, there is also a Men's U20s squad which contest their own Varsity Match alongside the Women's 2nd XV.[4]

Major Stanley's Match[5]

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

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.[6]

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.[7]

Women's Team

Sue Day (St. John's) scoring a try against Scotland in the 2007 Six Nations
Sue Day (St. John's) as England Captain in 2007

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 20 Varsity victories to Cambridge's 13.[8] Notable players include Sue Day (St John's), who has won 59 England caps.[9]

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 Women's 1st XV compete in BUCS Premiership South[10] and the 2nd XV (the Panthers) play friendlies as well as a 2nd XV Varsity against Cambridge University Women's 2nd XV (the Tigers).

Honours

Oxford University Greyhounds:

Oxford University Women's Blues:

  • BUCS Vase Champions 2017
  • BUCS Vase Runners Up 2019[11]

Notable former players

See also: Category:Oxford University RFC players

Oxford University RFC has fielded over 300 international rugby players, many of whom were first Capped during their time playing for the club.[12]

Recent OURFC Captains[14][15]

  • 2000 Jamie Weston (Keble)
  • 2001 Brett Robinson (Wadham) & Karen Jones
  • 2002 Fraser Gemmell (St Catherine's)
  • 2003 John Allen (University)
  • 2004 David Lubans (St Anne's) & Zahler Bryan
  • 2005 Andrew Dalgliesh (St Anne's) & Rebecca Young
  • 2006 Kevin Brennan (Linacre)
  • 2007 Joe Roff (Harris Manchester)
  • 2008 Peter Clarke (St Cross) & Hannah GC
  • 2009 Daniel Rosen (Worcester) & Jenny Rossdale
  • 2010 Nick Haydon (University) & Ashley Massey
  • 2011 John-Henry Carter (Kellogg) & Beth O'Brien
  • 2012 John-Henry Carter (Kellogg) & Rona Mitchell
  • 2013 John-Henry Carter (Kellogg) & Katie Sage
  • 2014 Jacob Taylor (Keble) & Tatiana Cutts
  • 2015 George Messum (St Anne's), Carly Bliss (St. Edmund Hall) & Tess Braunerova (Keble)
  • 2016 Fergus Taylor (St Catherine's) & Catherine Wilcock (Wadham)
  • 2017 Conor Kearns (Jesus) & Sophie Behan (St. Edmund Hall)
  • 2018 Dominic Waldouck (Kellogg) & Abby D'Cruz (Keble)
  • 2019 Edward David (St. Hilda's) & Hazel Ellender (St Cross)

Current Squad

Men's Blues Varsity Squad 2019[16]
Player Position College Player Position College
Euan Friend Prop University George Tressider Scrum-Half Harris Manchester
Ben Parker Prop Brasenose Jack Dalton Scrum-Half Keble
Barnaby Vaughan Prop Corpus Christi Tom Humberstone Fly Half Jesus
Louis Wright Prop Trinity Louis Jackson Centre Oriel
John Aaron Henry Hooker Somerville Nick Greenhalgh Centre Keble
Abhijeet Oswal Hooker St Edmund Hall Henry Hackett Centre Christ Church
Jasper Dix Lock Oriel Tom Stileman Wing Christ Church
Charlie Pozniak Lock St Benet's Hall Ed David (C) Wing St Hilda's
George Warr Lock New Henry Martin Wing St Benet's Hall
Ryan Jones Back Row St Edmund Hall Dan Stoller Fullback Queen's
Sam Miller Back Row St Edmund Hall Seb Haddock Fullback St Edmund Hall
George Messum Back Row Kellogg
Herbert Watson Back Row St Edmund Hall
George Robson (Keble) in attack for Oyonnax
Women's Blues Varsity Squad 2019[17]
Player Position College Player Position College
Hazel Ellender (C) Prop St Cross Síle Johnson Scrum-Half St Hugh's
Jessica Abele Prop Exeter Pat Metcalfe-Jones Fly-Half Christ Church
Shekinah Opara Prop Keble Abby D'Cruz Centre Keble
Esme Haywood Prop Brasenose Nina Jenkins Centre Keble
Melanie Onovo Prop Christ Church Megan Carter Centre Lincoln
Anna Bidgood Hooker University Helen Potts Wing New
Ruby James Hooker Worcester Clodagh Holmes Wing University
Katie Collis Lock Lincoln Zoe Nunn Wing St Catherine's
Carla Schmidt Lock New Maddie Hindson Wing Keble
Meryem Arik Lock Somerville Connie Hurton Fullback Pembroke
Ailsa Clark Back Row Worcester
Phoebe Haste Back Row Trinity
Hannah Cooper Back Row Worcester
Millie Cohen Back Row Jesus

References

  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. ^ a b c "Oxford University RFC | About". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  5. ^ "Oxford University RFC | Stanleys Match". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  6. ^ "Men's Blues Squad Announced to Face Cardiff in the Major Stanley's Match". Oxford University RFC. 13 November 2018. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  7. ^ "Oxford University RFC | Stanleys Match". www.ourfc.org. Retrieved 27 February 2020.
  8. ^ "The Varsity Match", Wikipedia, 18 January 2019, retrieved 28 March 2019
  9. ^ "International Women's Day 2019". Oxford University Sport. 8 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  10. ^ "BUCScore - Oxford University Womens 1st Rugby Union Team". BUCS. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  11. ^ "Oxford University RFC | News". Oxford University RFC. 27 March 2019. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  12. ^ "Oxford University RFC | Internationals". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  13. ^ Godwin, Terry; John M. Jenkins (1987). Complete Who's Who of International Rugby. Poole: Blandford Press. pp. 127–128. ISBN 0-7137-1838-2.
  14. ^ "Oxford University RFC | Captains". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Oxford University RFC | Womens Captains". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
  16. ^ "OURFC MEN". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  17. ^ "OURFC WOMEN". Oxford University RFC. Retrieved 28 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
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