The Oxford University Rugby Football Club (Oxford University RFC or OURFC) is the rugby union club of the University of Oxford. The club contests The Varsity Match every year against Cambridge University at Twickenham.

History

Men's team

The University of Oxford RFC was founded in 1869, fifteen months before the creation of the

Rugby Football Union The Rugby Football Union (RFU) is the Sports governing body, national governing body for rugby union in England. It was founded in 1871, and was the sport's international governing body prior to the formation of what is now known as World Rugby ...

. The first Varsity Match was played in February 1872 in Oxford at '

The Parks The Oxford University Parks, commonly referred to locally as the University Parks, or just The Parks, is a large parkland area slightly northeast of the city centre in Oxford, England. The park is bounded to the east by the River Cherwell, thoug ...

', the following year the return game was played in Cambridge on

Parker's Piece Parker's Piece is a flat and roughly square green common located near the centre of Cambridge, England, regarded by some as the birthplace of the rules of association football. The two main walking and cycling paths across it run diagonally, an ...

. In 1874 it was decided that the game be played on a neutral ground. Oxford, like rivals Cambridge, have supplied hundreds of players to national teams, and was key in spreading the sport of rugby throughout Britain as past students brought the game back to their home counties. The very first international player to be capped whilst at Oxford was

Cecil Boyle Cecil William Boyle (16 March 1853 – 5 April 1900) was an English sportsman who played international rugby union for England and first-class cricket. He was killed in action during the Second Boer War. Educated at Clifton College and Universit ...

, who represented England in

1873 Events January–March * January 1 ** Japan adopts the Gregorian calendar. ** The California Penal Code goes into effect. * January 17 – American Indian Wars: Modoc War: First Battle of the Stronghold – Modoc Indians defeat ...

, one season before Cambridge University. In 1951 OURFC became the first Western rugby team to tour

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

after World War II. OURFC currently has 3 Men's teams: 1st XV Blues, 2nd XV Greyhounds and 3rd XV Whippets. All three teams play Varsity matches against their respective Cambridge opponents. Additionally, there is also a Men's U20s squad which contest their own Varsity Match alongside the Women's 2nd XV.

Major Stanley's Match

Major R. V. Stanley was an Oxford local who took a hearty interest in the development of OURFC, becoming its first representative on the RFU Committee 1903–27. The first recorded Stanley's Match took place in 1919, after the 1914 match was cancelled due to the outbreak of World War I. An invitational squad, similar to the Barbarians, the Major Stanley's XV historically drew in big name players such as Thomas Voyce and William Wavell Wakefield. Major Stanley's Match is an annual fixture played in preparation of the Varsity Match and recent Stanley's XVs have included

Cardiff RFC Cardiff Rugby Football Club ( cy, Clwb Rygbi Caerdydd) is a rugby union club based in Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. The club was founded in 1876Parry-Jones (1989), pg 59 and played their first few matches at Sophia Gardens, shortly after ...

. In 2019, the centenary year of the first Major Stanley's fixture, the Women's Blues faced the first ever Major Stanley's Women's XV.

Women's Team

Oxford University WRFC was founded in 1988 and has been playing Cambridge University WRUFC annually since. The first women's Varsity was won by Cambridge; Oxford currently have 20 Varsity victories to Cambridge's 13. Notable players include

Sue Day Susan Day (born 29 October 1972) is an English female rugby union footballer who played fullback for London Wasps Ladies and for England. Career Day made her debut versus in 1997. She was selected for the 2006 Six Nations Squad. She appear ...

(St John's), who has won 59 England caps. As of May 2015, Oxford University RFC and Oxford University WRFC have officially merged into one University RFC. 2015 also marked the first year that the women's Varsity Match was held at Twickenham on the same day as the men's game. OURFC Women's 1st XV compete in BUCS Premiership South.

Honours

* Hawick Sevens ** Champions (1): 1925 Oxford University Greyhounds: *

Oxfordshire RFU County Cup The Oxfordshire RFU County Cup is an annual rugby union knock-out club competition organised by the Oxfordshire Rugby Football Union. It was first introduced during the 1970–71 season, with the inaugural winners being Oxford. It is the most ...

winners: 1976 Oxford University Women's Blues: * BUCS Vase Champions 2017 * BUCS Vase Runners Up 2019

Notable former players

Oxford University RFC has fielded over 300 international rugby players, many of whom were first Capped during their time playing for the club. *

Gareth Baber Gareth Baber (born 23 May 1972) is a Welsh former rugby player and now a rugby union coach. He is best known for coaching and leading the Fiji sevens team to win their second gold medal in rugby sevens at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He coached Fij ...

* J.M. Bannerman *

Stuart Barnes Stuart Barnes (born 22 November 1962 in Grays, Essex) is a former English rugby union footballer, and now rugby commentator for Sky Sports. Barnes played fly-half for Newport RFC, Bristol, Bath; and represented England at international level ...

* Onllwyn Brace *

Ian Buckett Ian Martin Buckett (born 23 December 1967 near Holywell in Flintshire) is a former international rugby union front row forward who played for Swansea and London Welsh and played county rugby for North Wales. He was a championship winning player, ...

* Raymond Burse * -

Ernest Cheston Ernest Cheston was a rugby union international who represented England from 1873 to 1876. Early life Ernest Cheston was born on 24 October 1848 in Hackney the sixth son of Chester Cheston of Clapton. He attended Haileybury and Imperial Service ...

Troy Coker Troy Coker (born 30 May 1965 in Brisbane) is a former Australian international rugby union player. He played as a number 8 and was capped 27 times for Australia between 1987 and 1997. He was a member of the winning Australian squad at the 1991 ...

* Jack Crabbie * Philip Crowe *

Simon Danielli Simon Charles Jonathan Danielli (born 8 September 1979 in Edinburgh) is a Scottish former rugby union footballer who played on the wing for Ulster and Scotland. Early life Danielli who is of Italian descent, was educated at Cheltenham College ...

* Gareth Davies *

Dan Drysdale Daniel Drysdale (18 May 1901 – 15 October 1987) was a Scotland national rugby union team, Scotland international rugby union player. He was 65th President of the Scottish Rugby Union. Rugby union career Amateur career Born in Kippen, Stirling ...

* Bob Egerton *

David Evans David, Dave, or Dai Evans may refer to: Academics * Sir David Emrys Evans (1891–1966), Welsh classicist and university principal * David Evans (microbiologist) (1909–1984), British microbiologist * David Stanley Evans (1916–2004), British a ...

Walter Rice Evans Walter Rice Evans (10 September 1863 – 9 June 1909) was a Welsh international rugby union player, who won three caps between 1890 and 1891. Life Evans was born in Neath, Glamorgan. He was educated at Cowbridge Grammar School and Jesus College, ...

Ewen Fergusson Sir Ewen Alastair John Fergusson (28 October 1932 – 20 April 2017) was a British diplomat and international rugby union player. The son of Sir Ewen MacGregor Field Fergusson, formerly Chairman and Managing Director of the Straits Tra ...

* Charles Fleming *

Gwyn Francis David Gwyn Francis (2 February 1896 – 7 May 1987) was a Welsh international rugby union player, who played for the Welsh national side twice (in 1919 and 1924). Life Francis was educated at Jesus College, Oxford, where he was part of the col ...

* Billy Geen *

Phil de Glanville Philip Ranulph de Glanville (born 1 October 1968 in Loughborough) is a former English rugby union player who played at centre for Bath and England. Rugby career de Glanville played for Durham University while an Economics and Politics stude ...

Thomas Gubb Thomas Witheridge Gubb (23 March 1908 – 19 November 1978) was a South African businessman and an early twentieth century rugby union international who is known as one of the "lost lions" due to his participation on the 1927 British Lions t ...

* Simon Halliday *

Toshiyuki Hayashi , (born 8 February 1960 in Tokushima) was a Japanese rugby union player. He played as a prop and as a lock. He was educated at Tokushima Prefectural Johoku High School and was graduated in economics at Doshisha University. He was nicknamed and . ...

Gary Hein Gary Mel Hein (born March 26, 1965 in Los Angeles) is a former American rugby union player. He played as a wing. He is grandson of the late New York Giants player and Pro Football Hall of Famer Mel Hein and son of the pole vaulter Mel Hein Jr., wh ...

* David Humphreys * Vivian Jenkins * David Kirk *

Pat MacLachlan Pat MacLachlan (born 16 March 1928 in Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia now Harare, Zimbabwe) is a former Scotland international rugby union player. In his rugby career he played as a Scrum half. Rugby union career Amateur career MacLachlan play ...

Nick Mallett Nicholas Vivian Haward Mallett (born 30 October 1956) is a former South African rugby union player who played for the Springboks, South Africa's national rugby union team, in 1984. He also coached the Springboks between 1997 and 2000 and was the ...

Niall Malone Niall Gareth Malone (born 30 April 1971 in Leeds, England) is a former rugby union player who played out-half for Leicester, Worcester, Ulster and Ireland. Having worked as an elite player development officer with Ulster's academy and as skills c ...

Stan McKeen Stan McKeen (born April 9, 1982, in Vancouver, British Columbia) is a Canadian rugby union player. Rugby career McKeen began his rugby career at St. George's School in Vancouver and eventually found himself playing for the UBC Old Boys rugby cl ...

* Prince

Alexander Sergeevich Obolensky Prince Alexander Sergeevich Obolensky KStJ (russian: Александр Серге́евич Оболенский; 17 February 1916 – 29 March 1940) was a Rurikid prince of Russian origin who became a naturalised Briton, having spent most of ...

* Katsuhiko Oku *

Anton Oliver Anton David Oliver (born 9 September 1975) is a retired New Zealand rugby union player. Previously, he played as a hooker for Marlborough (one of the predecessors to today's Tasman side) and Otago in the National Provincial Championship and Ai ...

* Ronald Poulton-Palmer *

Conway Rees John Conway Rees (13 January 1870 – 30 August 1932) was a Welsh international rugby union player. Life Rees was born in Llandovery, Carmarthenshire, Wales. He was educated at Llandovery College and Jesus College, Oxford (graduating in 1894) a ...

* Gareth Rees
( IRB Hall of Fame inductee) * Joe Roff *

Alan Rotherham Alan Rotherham (31 July 1862 – 30 August 1898) was a rugby union international who represented England from 1882 to 1887. He also captained his country. Rotherham is best known for his part in revolutionising half-back play in rugby union, b ...

( IRB Hall of Fame inductee) * Richard Sharp *

Ken Spence Ken Spence (21 November 1929 – 29 January 1989) was a Scottish international rugby union player. He played as a Scrum-half. Rugby union career Amateur career Spence played for London Scottish. In 1949, during a heatwave, in a London Sco ...

* Brian Smith * John Strand-Jones * Bruce Thomson *

Kevin Tkachuk Kevin Tkachuk (born September 11, 1976 in Thompson, Manitoba) is a former prop for the Canada national rugby union team and the Glasgow Warriors in Scotland. After completing his studies at Kellogg College, Oxford University,Victor Ubogu Victor Eriakpo Ubogu (born 8 September 1964) is a former Bath and England rugby union player. Arriving in the UK from Lagos, Nigeria in 1977, he attended West Buckland School in Devon he received the school's top award, the Fortescue Medal. ...

Mike Walker Mike Walker is the name of: Sports * Mike Walker (rugby union) (1930–2014), Scottish rugby union player * Mike Walker (English footballer) (born 1945), former English footballer * Mike Walker (Welsh footballer) (born 1945), former Welsh footbal ...

Derek Wyatt Derek Murray Wyatt (born 4 December 1949) is a British politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Sittingbourne and Sheppey from 1997 to 2010, having previously been a councillor in the London Borough of Haringey (1994–95) where ...

Norman Kennedy Norman Kennedy was a trade unionist and politician in Ireland. Kennedy worked in a Belfast linen factory for 20 years. He was a prominent member of the Amalgamated Transport and General Workers' Union. He served as President of the Irish Trade ...

* Charles Berry *

Nick Civetta Nick Civetta (born November 5, 1989) is an American professional rugby player currently playing for Rugby United New York (RUNY) of Major League Rugby. He also plays internationally for the United States rugby team. He plays as a second row. ...

References

External links

*
The Varsity Match
{{University of Oxford, state=collapsed English rugby union teams

Rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

1869 establishments in England Rugby clubs established in 1869 University and college rugby union clubs in England Sport at the University of Oxford Rugby union in Oxfordshire