The Scottish Varsity

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The Scottish Varsity
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First meeting1860s

The Scottish Varsity is an annual rugby union fixture between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In the Men's match, as of 2025, both St Andrews and Edinburgh are tied at seven victories each since the revival of the match in 2011. First played in the 1860s, it is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football. [1] [a]

Contents

History

Edinburgh University RFC was founded in 1857 and the University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club the following year. [5] Fixtures began in the 1860s, making this the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football. [1] [b]

In 1873, the University of St Andrews RFC and the Edinburgh University RFC, along with six other clubs, were foundering members of the Scottish Football Union (now, Scottish Rugby Union). Edinburgh University had joined the Rugby Football Union in 1871 and renounced their membership to join the SFU. [9]

The Scottish Varsity was resurrected in 2011 after a hiatus of over 50 years and was staged in London at the home of London Scottish RFC in order to build alumni relations. [10] In 2015, the match returned to Scotland in Murrayfield Stadium and drew a crowd of over 10,000 spectators. [11] In 2021, the match was played at University Park, the home of University of St Andrews RFC, due to Covid-19 pandemic crowd restrictions. The match is normally held in late September and has received coverage from Sky Sports, the BBC and IRB’s Total Rugby. [12]

The match has been named after its sponsor, The Royal Bank of Scotland, since 2015, [13] and has enjoyed popular support since the rivalry was renewed in 2011. [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23]

Men's Results

Varsity matches were initially held on St. Andrew's Day but have been moved earlier to late September, they have attracted notable attendees including her Royal Highness Princess Anne in 2012. [24]

No.DateVenueScoreWinner
130 November 2011 Richmond Athletic Ground, London 32 – 0Edinburgh
230 November 2012 Richmond Athletic Ground, London 28 – 8Edinburgh
328 September 2013 Richmond Athletic Ground, London 24 – 15St Andrews
427 September 2014 Richmond Athletic Ground, London 17 – 12St Andrews
526 September 2015 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 27 – 26St Andrews
624 September 2016 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 24 – 12St Andrews
723 September 2017 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 31 – 7Edinburgh
822 September 2018 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 26 – 15Edinburgh
921 September 2019 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 62 – 0Edinburgh
1025 September 2021 University Park, St Andrews 18 – 5St Andrews
1124 September 2022Peffermill, Edinburgh 24 – 14St Andrews
1223 September 2023 University Park, St Andrews 32 – 29Edinburgh
1321 September 2024 Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh 24 – 13St Andrews
1420 September 2025Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh26 – 23Edinburgh

By total wins (Men's)

Total matchesSt Andrews victoriesEdinburgh victoriesDraws
14770

Women's Results

In 2014, the inaugural Women's Varsity Match took place in the form of a 7-a-side match; it continued to take place as a 15-a-side match until 2019. [25] Edinburgh won all six matches played between 2014 and 2019.

No.DateVenueScoreWinner
127 September 2014 Richmond Athletic Ground, London 24 – 0Edinburgh
226 September 2015 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 36 – 7Edinburgh
324 September 2016 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 97 – 0Edinburgh
423 September 2017 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 53 – 5Edinburgh
522 September 2018 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 49 – 0Edinburgh
621 September 2019 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 52 – 0Edinburgh

By total wins (Women's)

Total matchesSt Andrews victoriesEdinburgh victoriesDraws
6060

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ The University Match and The Boat Race were first held in 1827 and 1829 respectively and are also varisty matches. [2] The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games were first held in 1864. [3] However, the Oxford-Cambridge varsity matches in rugby union and association football were first held in 1872 and 1874 respectively although intercollegiate matches in association football date back earlier. [4] The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers football game was the first intercollegiate football game in the United States while the first intercollegiate rugby football game in the United States took place in 1874 when Harvard University played against McGill University.
  2. ↑ The University Match and The Boat Race were first held in 1827 and 1829 respectively and are also varisty matches. [6] The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games were first held in 1864. [7] However, the Oxford-Cambridge varsity matches in rugby union and association football were first held in 1872 and 1874 respectively although intercollegiate matches in association football date back earlier. [8] The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers football game was the first intercollegiate football game in the United States while the first intercollegiate rugby football game in the United States took place in 1874 when Harvard University played against McGill University.

References

  1. 1 2 "Varsity match is coming home". Scottish Rugby News. 19 May 2015. Archived from the original on 8 November 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  2. ↑ "Varsity". Oxford Living Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  3. ↑ "The Varsity Match". World Athletics.
  4. ↑ Harvey, Adrian (13 May 2013). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Routledge. pp. 41–45, 150–151. ISBN   978-1-134-26912-9.
  5. ↑ "A renewed rivalry | Alumni Services". Alumni. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  6. ↑ "Varsity". Oxford Living Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 24 September 2018. Retrieved 23 September 2018.
  7. ↑ "The Varsity Match". World Athletics.
  8. ↑ Harvey, Adrian (13 May 2013). Football: The First Hundred Years: The Untold Story. Routledge. pp. 41–45, 150–151. ISBN   978-1-134-26912-9.
  9. ↑ "Rugby Football History". www.rugbyfootballhistory.com. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  10. ↑ "A Renewed Rivalry". The University of Edinburgh. 26 August 2015. Archived from the original on 9 December 2015. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  11. ↑ "Students set for Varsity encounters at BT Murrayfield". Edinburgh Evening News. 25 September 2015. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 December 2015.
  12. ↑ "The Scottish Varsity Match". Saints Rugby.
  13. ↑ dev (2 August 2015). "Royal Bank of Scotland to sponsor Scottish Varsity match". Scottish Rugby. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  14. ↑ Journalist, Deadline News (1 November 2011). "St Andrews and Edinburgh universities to clash in varsity rugby match". Deadline News. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  15. ↑ "A renewed rivalry | Alumni Services". Alumni. 25 August 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  16. ↑ "Rugby club to contest oldest match | Staff news". The University of Edinburgh. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  17. ↑ "Oldest varsity match in the world returns this St Andrew's Day | University of St Andrews news". news.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  18. ↑ dev (24 September 2016). "University of St Andrews win historic Scottish Varsity match". Scottish Rugby. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  19. ↑ Brunsdon, Stephen (23 September 2017). "RBS Scottish Varsity Match: Edinburgh University 31-7 St Andrews University". Rugby News from The Offside Line. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  20. ↑ dev (24 September 2017). "RBS Scottish Varsity ROUND-UP: University of Edinburgh secure the double victory". Scottish Rugby. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  21. ↑ dev (22 September 2018). "RBS Scottish Varsity ROUND-UP: University of Edinburgh retain silverware for second consecutive year". Scottish Rugby. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  22. ↑ "Double win for Edinburgh at Scottish Varsity | Edinburgh Sport". Sport and Exercise. 23 September 2019. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  23. ↑ "Ancient rivals battle it out in Scottish Varsity rugby matches | University of St Andrews news". news.st-andrews.ac.uk. Retrieved 25 October 2025.
  24. ↑ "Scottish Varsity Match". University of St Andrews: Saints Sports.[ permanent dead link ]
  25. ↑ "The Royal Bank of Scotland Scottish Rugby Varsity Match | HISTORY". www.scottishvarsitymatch.com. Archived from the original on 23 September 2018. Retrieved 22 September 2018.
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