Wikipedia

Oxford Cambridge Intervarsity Australian Rules Football Match

The annual Oxford-Cambridge Intervarsity Australian Rules Football Match is the most prolonged running Australian rules football fixture outside Australia.[1][2] Played as early as 1911, it has been contested annually by men's teams since 1923 between the two longest running clubs outside Australia, the Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club (founded in 1906) and the Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club (believed to have been founded around 1911).

The match has half blue status. Oxford has thus far dominated the contest. The teams contest a trophy which has been engraved since[when?]

Over the years, some distinguished Australians including Rhodes scholars have played in the match including Mike Fitzpatrick, Chris Maxwell, Joe Santamaria, Sir Rod Eddington and Andrew Michelmore.[3]

A women's match was added in 2018.

History

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As early as 1911, the game was being played regularly at Oxford with records of the university's Australian rules football club's foundation dating to 1906. The Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club is believed to have been founded around 1911. In 1911, Oxford University, captained by Alfred Clemens, defeated Cambridge University, captained by Ron Larking 13.9 (87) to 5.12 (42).[4][5][6] In 1914, H C A Harrison reported that the game was being played regularly at both Oxford and Cambridge universities[7] though few records exist of contests between 1911 and 1921.

After the war, in 1921, the Oxford University–Cambridge University Varsity match between expatriate Australian students became an annual contest.[8]

 
Australia's High Commissioner in London with the captains of the Oxford and Cambridge teams in 1949

The 90th Varsity match was the subject of a short ABC documentary (Video on YouTube).[9]

 
Oxford against Cambridge circa 2008
 
OUARFC Men's team at the 2020 Varsity Match played in Oxford

Results

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Men's

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Year Winner Results Notes
1911 Oxford Oxford 13.9 (87) d Cambridge 5.12 (42) [6]
1923 Oxford Oxford ?.? (80) d Cambridge ?.? (30) [10]
1925 Oxford Oxford 10.17 (77) d. Cambridge 1.11 (17) [11]
1926 Cambridge Cambridge 8.11 (59) d Oxford 8.7 (55) [12]
1927 Oxford Oxford 10.10 (70) d. Cambridge 5.10 (40) [13]
1928 Cambridge Cambridge 11.12 (78) d Oxford 5.10 (40) [14]
1929 Oxford Oxford 9.19 (73) d Cambridge 5.9 (39) [15] Morphett (of Geelong) captained Oxford while Mann (of Geelong) captained Cambridge.[16]
1930 Oxford Oxford 4.4 (28) d Cambridge 4.2 (26) [17]
1931 Oxford Oxford 12.11 (83) d Cambridge 7.5 (47) [18]
1935 Oxford Oxford 9.8 (62) d Cambridge 1.4 (10) [19]
1948 Oxford Oxford 11.8 (74) d Cambridge 0.3 (3) [20]
1949 Oxford Oxford 12.6 (78) d Cambridge 3.13 (31) [21]
1954 Oxford Oxford 12.10 (82) d Cambridge 8.10 (58) [22] Likely the first Australian Rules football game broadcast on television.[23]
1983 Cambridge Cambridge 15.10 (100) d Oxford 7.9 (51) [24]
1984 Cambridge Cambridge 15.10 (100) d. Oxford 7.9 (51)
1985 Cambridge Cambridge 15.11 (101) d. Oxford 6.15 (51)
1986 Cambridge Cambridge 9.6 (60) d. Oxford 4.4 (28)
1987 Oxford Oxford 8.10 (58) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39)
1988 Oxford Oxford 7.10 (52) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39)
1989 Oxford Oxford 11.14 (80) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30)
1990 No engraving on trophy
1991 Oxford Oxford 10.15 (75) d. Cambridge 3.3 (21)
1992 Oxford Oxford 6.4 (30) d. Cambridge 1.4 (10)
1993 Oxford Oxford 15.20 (110) d. Cambridge 5.5 (35)
1994 Oxford Oxford 7.7 (49) d. Cambridge 5.4 (34)
1995 Oxford Oxford 12.11 (83) d. Cambridge 11.7 (73)
1996 Cambridge Cambridge 9.18 (72) d. Oxford 8.9 (57)
1997 Cambridge Cambridge 4.7 (31) d. Oxford 3.8 (26)
1998 Oxford Oxford 10.12 (72) d. Cambridge 3.8 (26)
1999 Oxford Oxford 13.11 (89) d. Cambridge 1.13 (19)
2000 Oxford Oxford 9.10 (64) d. Cambridge 7.5 (47)
2001 Cambridge Cambridge 6.13 (49) d. Oxford 5.16 (46)
2002 Oxford Oxford 17.17 (119) d. Cambridge 1.2 (8)
2003 Oxford Oxford 10.7 (67) d. Cambridge 0.5 (5)
2004 Cambridge Cambridge 3.4 (22) d. Oxford 2.6 (18)
2005 Oxford Oxford 14.15 (99) d. Cambridge 3.4 (22)
2006 Oxford Oxford 32 d. Cambridge 27
2007 Oxford Oxford 19.11 (125) d. Cambridge 3.10 (28) Highest ever score recorded
2008 Oxford Oxford 8.11 (59) def Cambridge 5.2 (32)
2009 Oxford Oxford 6.15 (51) d. Cambridge 1.1 (7)
2010 Oxford Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) Highest scoring match to date
2011 Oxford Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) Highest scoring match to date
2012 Oxford Oxford 9.11 (65) d. Cambridge 4.12 (36)
2013 Oxford Oxford 10.6 (66) d. Cambridge 3.6 (24)
2014 Oxford Oxford 14.6 (90) d. Cambridge 2.2 (14)
2015 Cambridge Cambridge 7.13 (55) d. Oxford 3.4 (22)
2016 Oxford Oxford 9.4 (58) d. Cambridge 7.10 (52)
2017 Oxford Oxford 12.8 (80) d. Cambridge 4.4 (28)
2018 Cambridge Cambridge 4.10 (34) d. Oxford 4.4 (28)
2019 Oxford Oxford 8.8 (56) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30)
2020 Cambridge Cambridge 13.8 (86) d. Oxford 8.9 (57)
2021 Cambridge Cambridge 10.20 (80) d. Oxford 10.13 (73)
2022 Oxford Oxford (59) d. Cambridge (49)
2023 Oxford Oxford 9.13 (67) d. Cambridge 0.2 (2)
2024 Cambridge Cambridge 9.5 (59) d. Oxford 3.3 (21)

Women's

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Year Winner Results Notes
2018 Tie Oxford 1.1 (7) drew with Cambridge 1.1 (7) First tie in Australian rules football Varsity history.
2022 Oxford Oxford (43) d. Cambridge (34)

References

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  1. ^ AFL.com.au: Four quarters decides 1000-year rivalry, 12/1/2010 Archived 17 June 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Triumphant Oxford are rucking great Archived 20 August 2007 at the Wayback Machine from oxfordstudent.com
  3. ^ "No boats, but Oxford downs Cambridge - AFL.com.au". Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 2014-02-08.
  4. ^ "Australian Football". Kalgoorlie Miner. Vol. 17, no. 4850. Western Australia. 20 April 1911. p. 8. Retrieved 25 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  5. ^ "Football". The Mercury. Vol. XCV, no. 12, 820. Tasmania, Australia. 27 April 1911. p. 7. Retrieved 25 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  6. ^ a b "Hon. Victor Hood, Mr. H. Honeybone (Town Clerk), Sir Thomas Gibson Carmichael, The Mayor of Bendigo (Cr. Wilkie)". Melbourne Punch. Vol. CXIV, no. 2909. Victoria, Australia. 27 April 1911. p. 17. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  7. ^ "Football". Winner. No. 3. Victoria, Australia. 12 August 1914. p. 8. Retrieved 23 January 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  8. ^ "Aussie Rules' history in UK - in just 250 words Archived 22 August 2006 at archive.today"
  9. ^ "Australian Rules Football". www.sport.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  10. ^ The Argus, 13 April 1923
  11. ^ The Argus, 25 November 1925
  12. ^ The Argus, 27 November 1926
  13. ^ The Argus, 30 November 1927
  14. ^ The Argus, 23 November 1928
  15. ^ The Mercury, 16 November 1929
  16. ^ "Australian Rules Football in England". Countryman. No. 48. Victoria, Australia. 15 November 1929. p. 1. Retrieved 3 February 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  17. ^ The Argus, 28 November 1930
  18. ^ The Argus, 20 November 1931
  19. ^ The Advertiser, 11 November 1935
  20. ^ "Australian Rules Plated at Oxford". Border Morning Mail. Vol. XLV, no. 13514. New South Wales, Australia. 6 December 1948. p. 11. Retrieved 4 August 2023 – via National Library of Australia.
  21. ^ The Canberra Times, 5 December 1949
  22. ^ The Times (London), 22 November 1954
  23. ^ "Australian Game Stars On TV". Daily News. 1955-03-26. Retrieved 2024-04-17.
  24. ^ The Times (London), 3 December 1983
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