Although women have participated in boxing for almost as long as the sport has existed, female fights have been effectively outlawed for most of boxing's history until recently, with athletic commissioners refusing to sanction or issue licenses to women boxers, and most nations officially banning the sport. Reports of women entering the ring go back to the 18th century.
Rivalry between the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge is a phenomenon going back many centuries. During most of that time, they were the only two universities in England and Wales, making the rivalry more intense than it is now.
Richard John Hatton is a British former professional boxer who competed between 1997 and 2012, and has since worked as a boxing promoter and trainer. During his boxing career he held multiple world championships at light-welterweight and one at welterweight. BoxRec ranks Hatton as the 11th greatest European boxer of all time and 5th greatest British boxer of all time, pound for pound. In 2005 he was named Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine, the Boxing Writers Association of America, and ESPN.
The Varsity Match is an annual rugby union fixture played between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge in England. The event began in 1872 with the first men's match, with interruptions only for the two World Wars and the COVID-19 pandemic. From 1921 to 2023 the game was played at Twickenham Stadium, London and usually took place in early December. The game is now played in March and will take place at StoneX Stadium in 2024.
Chess boxing, or chessboxing, is a hybrid sport that combines two traditional disciplines: chess and boxing. Two combatants play alternating rounds of blitz chess and boxing until one wins by checkmate or knockout. It is also possible to win by time penalty as in normal chess, and by boxing decision if there is a draw in the chess round.
A blue is an award of sporting colours earned by athletes at some universities and schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. They are now awarded at a number of other British universities and at some universities in Australia, Canada and New Zealand.
Amateur boxing is a variant of boxing practiced at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games, Pan American Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as many associations.
Francis Barrett, commonly known as Francie Barrett, is a retired Irish professional boxer, who represented Ireland at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Lacrosse in England is an amateur sport played mainly by community based clubs and university teams. Field lacrosse was introduced to England in 1876 by William George Beers and other Canadians who toured the country playing exhibition matches. A second tour was arranged in 1883; by then England had 60 clubs playing regular fixtures in Cambridgeshire, Cheshire, Lancashire, Middlesex and Yorkshire.
Oxford University Cycling Club (O.U.C.C.) is a cycling club for students and associated members of the University of Oxford. Via earlier incarnations, the Dark Blue Bicycle Club (D.B.B.C.) and the Oxford University Bicycle Club (O.U.Bi.C.), it has a history reaching back to the very origins of club and competitive cycling.
Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club at the University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England, is one of the oldest ice hockey teams in the world.
Oxford University Handball Club (OUHaC) was founded and registered as a club at the University of Oxford in 2001and has since established itself as one of England's most successful clubs. It is a member of the England Handball Association since 2002 and the Association of British Universities Handball Clubs since 2011. Every year, OUHaC competes in the English Handball League, EHA Cup and the British University Championships. Beginning in 2014, the club has played in the varsity match against the Cambridge University Handball Club. In 2016 and 2017 respectively, the women's and men's teams were granted Half Blue status by the Blues committees of the University of Oxford.
Blue Blood is a documentary film that was released in UK cinemas in 2007 and showed on BBC2's Storyville in 2008. The film follows the paths of five students from Oxford University as they try to win a place on the Oxford University Amateur Boxing Club Varsity squad. Those who do will face off against students from the University of Cambridge and earn the right to call themselves a "Blue".
Oxford University Dancesport Club (OUDC) is Oxford University's largest sports club and is the second largest club at the university after the Oxford Union. Founded in 1968 it currently has an annual membership of around 800 members. It runs professionally taught classes in the following dance styles:
The University Golf Match is the annual golf match contested between the Full Blue golf teams from Oxford and Cambridge universities. Dating back to 1878, it is the oldest amateur event in golf, as the first Amateur Championship was played in 1885. It is also the oldest team event in English golf. Scottish team matches were common after 1849, and included St Andrews University matches against Fife artisan clubs.
Cambridge University Amateur Boxing Club (CUABC) is the boxing club of the University of Cambridge, England. The club was founded in 1896 after the King's College Boxing Club amalgamated with Fordham's School of Arms to form the Cambridge University Boxing & Fencing Club (CUB&FC).
Cambridge Dancers' Club (CDC) first opened its doors in October 1950 as a student society in the University of Cambridge to promote Ballroom and Latin dancing. It has since broadened the styles taught by their professional teachers to include Salsa and Rock 'n' Roll classes, as well as opening to all adult Cambridge residents. The club runs classes five nights a week during Full Term, including classes open to people with no previous dance experience. Classes also run outside Full Term. Having once had an annual membership of over 2000, the club now has a membership that is still well over 1000 members, making it purportedly one of the largest Ballroom and Latin Dancing Clubs in Europe.
The Oxford & Cambridge Sailing Society is a group of Oxford and Cambridge sailing Blues and Half Blues. Their influence on UK and international sailing, particularly team racing, has been quite disproportionate to their small numbers of just over 300 people. Since the founding of the Oxford & Cambridge Sailing Society (O&CSS) in 1934, members have competed in 13 Sailing Olympics and won eight medals.
The Oxford University Polo Club is the Discretionary Full Blue sports club for competitive polo at Oxford University. Founded in 1874, it is one of the four oldest continuing polo clubs worldwide. Its annual Varsity Match against Cambridge University Polo Club, established in 1878, is the second oldest continuing polo fixture in the Western world. It is played at Guards Polo Club, England, usually at the beginning of June.
Oxford University Women’s Association Football Club is an English football club representing the University of Oxford. The club consists of two squads, the Blues and the Furies. Both teams compete in the BUCS League against other British universities. The Blues won BUCS Midlands Division 2A in the 2013/2014 season, gaining them promotion into Midlands Division 1A. The Blues have retained their place in this league for the 2016/17 season. The Furies won the Midlands 3A league in 2015/16, gaining promotion to the 2A division.
