Varsity match

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A varsity match is a fixture (especially of a sporting event or team) between two university teams. [1] The Scottish Varsity rugby match between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh at Murrayfield stadium is claimed to be the oldest recurring varsity match in the world, having been played since the 1860s. [2] It is predated by the University Match in Cricket between Oxford and Cambridge, which was first played in 1827. [3]

Contents

Varsity in England

The country's longest-running series of varsity matches is played between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge. In addition to the 1827 University Match in Cricket mentioned above, the first "Boat Race" in 1829 [4] the first "Varsity Match" (in Rugby Union) in 1872, [5] and the first "Varsity Game" (in Basketball) in 1921 were all contested between Oxford and Cambridge. Unusually for British university sporting events, both the Boat Race and Varsity Match are shown on broadcast television. [6] [7] Unlike many more recent varsity competitions, the Oxford–Cambridge matches stand alone rather than being part of a wider multi-sport varsity competition.

British newspaper The Independent proposed in 2008 that Bath vs Loughborough was "the real varsity match" on the basis that these were the top two teams (at that time) in British Universities Sports Association (BUSA) competitions. [8] Since 2015, British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS), the successor to BUSA, has organised fixtures between Loughborough and Durham (the top two universities since 2011-12) to occur on the same day, in what has been termed the "BUCS Varsity". [9] [10]

A number of city and regional sporting rivalries exist between universities, which are also dubbed varsity matches. The Roses Tournament between the universities of York and Lancaster is one of the oldest and largest of these, dating back to 1965. It is frequently referred to as the largest inter-university sports tournament in Europe. [11]

Interregional rivalries

Regional rivalries

East

London

Midlands

North East

North West

South East

South West

Yorkshire and the Humber

Varsity in Ireland

Varsity in Scotland

Varsity in Wales

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Loughborough University</span> Public university in Loughborough, UK

Loughborough University is a public research university in the market town of Loughborough, Leicestershire, England. It has been a university since 1966, but it dates back to 1909, when Loughborough Technical Institute began with a focus on skills directly applicable in the wider world. In March 2013, the university announced it had bought the former broadcast centre at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park as a second campus. The annual income of the institution for 2021–22 was £328 million of which £39.2 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £379.4 million.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Team Durham</span> Sport organisation of Durham University

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham Regatta</span> Rowing event

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Boat Race of the North</span>

The Boat Race of the North is an annual rowing event between the boat clubs of Durham and Newcastle universities in England. The event is usually staged on the River Tyne in Newcastle, although the 2018 race was held on the River Wear in Durham.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham University Boat Club</span>

Durham University Boat Club (DUBC) is the rowing club of Durham University. In recent years, DUBC has cemented itself as one of the strongest university boat clubs in Great Britain. Under the leadership of former British Olympian Wade Hall-Craggs, DUBC notably won the BUCS Victor Ludorum for ten consecutive years (2004-2013), and has produced a number of athletes that have competed internationally at European and World Championship level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Nottingham Boat Club</span>

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">York St John University Rowing Club</span> British rowing club

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Imperial College School of Medicine Students' Union</span> Medical students union in London, England

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Durham University</span> Collegiate public research university in Durham, United Kingdom

Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by an Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years, after Oxford and Cambridge, and is thus, following standard historical practice in defining a university, the third-oldest university in England. As a collegiate university its main functions are divided between the academic departments of the university and its 17 colleges. In general, the departments perform research and provide teaching to students, while the colleges are responsible for their domestic arrangements and welfare.

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