Oxford Cambridge Intervarsity Australian Rules Football Match

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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).

Contents

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

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 Australian rules captains of Oxford Cambridge match in 1949 from Avon Argus and Cunderdin-Meckering-Tammin Mail 5 January 1950.png
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 Cambridgeoxfordfootball.jpg
Oxford against Cambridge circa 2008
OUARFC Men's team at the 2020 Varsity Match played in Oxford Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club Men's team at the 2020 Varsity Match.jpg
OUARFC Men's team at the 2020 Varsity Match played in Oxford

Results

Men's

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

Women's

YearWinnerResultsNotes
2018TieOxford 1.1 (7) drew with Cambridge 1.1 (7)First tie in Australian rules football Varsity history.
2022OxfordOxford (43) d. Cambridge (34)

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References

  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. 1 2 "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. ↑ The Times (London), 3 December 1983
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