The Oxford University Rugby Football Club (Oxford University RFC or OURFC) is the

rugby union Rugby union football, commonly known simply as rugby union in English-speaking countries and rugby 15/XV in non-English-speaking world, Anglophone Europe, or often just rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that orig ...

club of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate university, collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the List of oldest un ...

. The club contests

The Varsity Match 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 ...

every year against

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209, the University of Cambridge is the List of oldest universities in continuous operation, wo ...

Twickenham Twickenham ( ) is a suburban district of London, England, on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, since 1965 it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, who ...

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 following year the return game was played in Cambridge on Parker's Piece. 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, who represented

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

1873 Events January * 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 the Unit ...

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

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

after

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. 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

Source: 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 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 ...

and recent Stanley's XVs have included Cardiff RFC. 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 (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 winners: 1976 Oxford University Women's Blues: * BUSA Champions 1998/1999 season * 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.

Internationals

The following former Oxford University players have been capped at full international level. Blues are listed in brackets: British & Irish Lions * – John Brett * – Walter Carey (1894, 95, 96, 97) * – Percy Diggle (1908, 09) * – Thomas Gubb (1926, 27, 28, 29) * – Gerald Kyrke (1902, 03) * – Cuth Mullins (1894) * – Donald Troup (1928) Australia * – Thomas Baxter (1958, 59) * – Bill Calcraft (1986, 87) * – Bill Campbell (1987) * – Troy Coker (1988, 89) * – Philip Crowe (1981, 82, 83) * – Roger Davis (1974,75) * – Bob Egerton (1987, 88) * – Tom Lawton (1921, 22, 23) * – Brendan Nasser (1992) * – Roland Raymond (1924) * – Brett Robinson (2000, 01) * –

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(2006, 07) * – Bill Ross (1980) * – Ainslie Sheil (1958) * – Ian Williams (1988) Canada * – Andrew Bibby (1980, 81) * – Rob Brewer (1965) * – Alan Douglas (1970, 71) * – Sean Fauth (2005) * – Dan Moor (2017) * – Stan McKeen (2008, 09, 10) * – David Penney (1995, 96) * – Gareth Rees (1993, 94) * – Karl Svoboda (1995) * – Kevin Tkachuk (2001, 02, 03) England * – Harry Alexander (1897, 98) * – Edward Baker (1893, 94, 95) * – Doug Baker (1952) * – Stuart Barnes (1981, 82, 83) * – Lancelot Barrington-Ward * – Tremlett Batchelor (1906) * – Harold Bateson (1874, 75, 77) * – Thomas Batson * – Brian Black (1929) * – Charles Bolton * – Edgar Bonham-Carter (1890, 91) * – Brian Boobbyer (1949, 50, 51) * – Ian Botting (1949, 50) * – Cecil Boyle * – William Bromet (1889) * – Marshall Brooks (1873) * – Henry Brougham * – Bruno Brown (1910, 11, 12) * – Tony Bucknall (1965, 66) * – Richard Budworth (1887, 88, 89) * – Lewis Cannell (1948, 49, 50) * – Godfrey Carey (1891, 92, 93, 94) * – Vincent Cartwright (1901, 02, 03, 04) * – Richard Cattell (1893) * – William Cheesman (1910, 11) * – Ernest Cheston * – Percy Christopherson (1886, 87, 88) * – Charles Cleveland (1885, 86) * – William Collins * – Paul Cooke (1936, 37) * – Edward Court (1882, 83) * – Peter Cranmer (1933, 34) * – Gordon Cridlan (1928, 29, 30) * – Charles Crosse (1874) * – John Currie (1954, 55, 56, 57) * – Alfred Davenport * – Phil de Glanville (1990) * – Robert de Winton (1888, 89, 90) * – Ted Dillon * – Arthur Dingle (1911) * – Peter Dixon (1967, 68, 69, 70) * – Denys Dobson (1899, 1900, 01) * – Martin Donnelly (1946) * – Aubrey Dowson (1896) * – John Dugdale * – Arthur Evanson (1880, 81) * – Frank Evershed * – William Fletcher (1972, 73, 74) * – Howard Fowler (1877, 78) * – Edward Fraser (1873, 74, 75) * – Hubert Freakes (1936, 37, 38) * – Harold Freeman * – Nigel Gibbs * –

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* – Arthur Gibson * – Simon Halliday (1979, 80, 81) * – Curly Hammond (1899, 1900) * – Reginald Hands (1908, 09) * – Charles Harper (1897, 98) * – Danny Hearn (1964) * – Arthur Heath (1875, 77, 78, 79) * – Anthony Henniker-Gotley (1909) * – Ronald Hillard (1923, 24) * – Bob Hiller (1965) * – Harold Hodges (1905, 06, 07, 08) * – Murray Hofmeyr (1948, 49, 50) * – Peter Hordern (1928) * – Peter Howard (1929, 30) * –

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(1883, 84) * – Francis Isherwood (1872) * – Jake Jacob (1923, 24, 25) * – John Kendall-Carpenter (1948, 49) * – Charles Kent (1972, 73, 74, 75) * – Richard Kindersley (1882, 83) * – Harold Kittermaster (1922, 24) * – Ronald Lagden (1909, 10, 11) * – Archibald Law (1875) * – Frederic Lee (1874, 75, 76, 77) * – Frederick Leslie-Jones (1894, 95, 96) * – Mike Marshall (1936, 37, 38) * – John Maxwell-Hyslop (1920, 21, 22) * – Laurence Merriam (1913) * – Arthur Michell (1872, 73, 74) * – William Moberly (1872, 73) * – Edward Moore (1882, 83) * – Philip Moore (1945, 46) * – Maurice McCanlis (1926, 27) * – Edward Nash (1874, 75) * – Syd Newman (1946, 47) * – Philip Newton (1879, 80) * – Ossie Newton-Thompson (1945, 46) * – Philip Nicholas (1897, 98, 99) * – Ernie Nicholson (1931, 32, 33, 34) * – Eustace North (1888, 89, 90) * –

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(1927) * – Alexander Obolensky (1935, 37) * – Sidney Osborne (1900, 01, 02) * – Tuppy Owen-Smith (1932, 33) * – Colin Payne (1960) * –

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(1889, 91) * – Malcolm Phillips (1956, 57, 58, 59) * – Charles Phillips (1876, 77, 78, 79) * – James Pitman (1921) * – Francis Poole (1891, 92, 93, 94) * – Garnet Portus * – Ronald Poulton (1909, 10, 11) * – Robin Prescott (1932) * – Leo Price (1920, 21) * – John Raphael (1901, 02, 03, 04) * – John Ravenscroft (1877, 78) * – Bill Redwood * – Steve Richards (1962) * – James Richardson (1925) * – Ryder Richardson (1881) * – Laurie Rimmer (1958) * – Chris Rittson-Thomas (1949, 50) * – Peter Robbins (1954, 55, 56, 57) * – Geoffrey Roberts (1908, 09) * – Matthew Robson (1929) * – Walter Rogers (1898, 1900) * – Alan Rotherham (1882, 83, 84) * – Ted Rudd (1963, 64) * – Joseph Sandford (1902, 03)) * – John Scott (1957, 58) * – Edward Scott * – Richard Sharp (1959, 60, 61) * – Nick Silk (1961, 62, 63) * – Harry Small (1949, 50) * – Mike Smith (1954, 55) * –

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(1965, 66) * – Eric Steinthal (1906) * – Ernest Still (1872, 73) * – Adrian Stoop (1902, 03, 04) * – Edmund Strong (1881, 83) * – David Swarbrick (1946, 47, 48) * – Deneys Swayne (1930, 31) * – Frank Tarr (1907, 08, 09) * – William Tatham (1881, 82, 83) * – Basil Travers (1946, 47) * – Henry Tristram (1882, 83, 84) * – Victor Ubogu (1987) * – Clive van Ryneveld (1947, 48, 49) * – Harry Vassall (1879, 80, 81, 82) * – Henry Vassall (1906, 07, 08) * – Charles Wade (1882, 83, 84) * – John Walton (1900, 01) * – Antony Warr (1933, 34) * – John Willcox (1959, 60, 61, 62) * – Rupert Williamson (1906, 07, 08) * – Chris Winn (1950) * – Alan Wood (1904) * – Charles Wooldridge (1882) * – Derek Wyatt (1981) * – John Young (1957, 58) Ireland * – Rowland Byers (1926) * – William Cullen * – Arthur Curtis (1949) * – David Curtis (1989) * – Niall Hogan (1996, 97) * –

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(1994, 95) * – David Humphreys (1995) * – Hugo MacNeill (1982, 83, 84) * – Niall Malone (1992) * – Brendan Mullin (1986, 87) * – Noel McGrath (1934, 35, 36) * – John Reid * – Brian Smith (1988, 89) * – Shaun Waide (1932) * – Ollie Waldron (1965, 67) Japan * – Toshiyuki Hayashi (1990) * – Takuro Miuchi (1998) New Zealand * – George Aitken (1921, 22) * – David Kirk (1987, 88) * –

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(1968, 69) * – Anton Oliver (2008) Scotland * – David Bain (1910, 11, 12, 13) * – John Bannerman (1928) * – David Bell (1970) * – William Berkley (1924, 25, 26) * – Charles Berry (1883, 84) * – William Bolton (1873, 74, 75) * –

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(1885, 86, 87) * – Fletcher Buchanan (1909, 10) * – Pat Burnet (1960) * – Alexander Cairns (1899, 1900, 01) * – George Cawkwell (1946, 47) * – Paul Clauss (1889, 90, 91) * – Mac Cooper (1935, 36, 37) * – Ian Coutts (1951) * – John Crabbie (1898, 99, 1900, 01) * – Gerard Crole (1913, 19) * – George Cunningham (1907, 08, 09) * – Simon Danielli (1999, 2000) * – Hamish Dawson * – Maurice Dickson (1903) * – Grahame Donald (1911, 12, 13) * – Bill Donaldson (1892, 93, 94) * – Harvey Druitt (1929, 30, 31) * – Dan Drysdale (1925) * – Denoon Duncan (1919, 20) * – Ewen Fergusson (1952, 53) * – Charles Fleming (1887, 88, 89, 90) * – Hector Forsayth (1920, 21) * – Henry Gedge (1893) * – Colin Gilray (1908, 09) * – Augustus Grant-Asher (1881, 82, 83) * – Charles Grieve (1934, 35, 36) * – Thomas Hart * – Nelson Henderson (1886) * – John Henderson (1952) * – Gurth Hoyer-Millar (1952) * – Jo Hume (1927, 28) * – Ken Jackson (1932, 33) * – Norman Kennedy (1901) * – Peter Kininmonth (1947, 48) * – George Lindsay (1882, 83, 84) * – Bertie Lorraine (1932, 33, 34) * – Eric Loudoun-Shand (1913, 19) * – Donald MacDonald (1974, 75, 76) * – Chris Mackintosh (1925) * – Pat MacLachlan (1953) * –

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(1922, 23, 24) * –

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* –

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(1907, 08, 09) * – Patrick Munro (1903, 04, 05) * – Joe McPartlin (1960, 61, 62) * - Alec Elliot Murray (1944) * – Tommy Nelson (1897, 98) * – William Renwick (1936, 37) * – William Roughead (1924, 25, 26) * – Douglas Schulze * – Tennant Sloan (1908) * – Allan Smith (1894, 95, 96, 97) * –

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(1926) * – Ken Spence (1951, 52) * – Peter Stagg (1961, 62) * – Stephen Steyn (1911, 12) * – Malcolm Swan (1957) * – Edward Taylor (1926, 27, 28) * – Frans ten Bos (1958, 59, 60) * – William Thomson (1895, 96) * – Bruce Thomson (1951, 52) * – Frederick Turner (1908, 09, 10) * – James Walker (1879, 80, 81) * – Mike Walker (1950, 51) * – Archibald Walker (1880) * – Johnnie Wallace (1922, 23, 24, 25) * – Donald White * – David Whyte (1963) * – Stewart Wilson (1963, 64) * – Gully Wilson (1946, 48) * – Eric Young South Africa * – Andrew Aitken (1993) * – Tommy Bedford (1965, 66, 67) * – Herbert Castens (1886, 87) * – Noel Howe-Browne (1905, 06) * – Paul Johnstone (1952, 53, 54) * – Dugald MacDonald (1974, 75) * – Nick Mallett (1979) * – Stanley Osler (1931) * – Willie Rousseau (1929) United States * – Derek Asbun (2011) * – Nick Civetta (2022) * – Andrew Durutalo (2021) * – Eric Fry (2022) * – Gary Hein (1989, 90) * – Don James (1989) * – Will Johnson (2009) * – Ray Lehner (1997, 99, 2000, 01) * – Adam Russell (1999, 2000, 02) * – Kurt Shuman (1998, 99) * – Alan Valentine (1923, 24, 25) Wales * – Charles Allen (1881, 82, 83) * – Onllwyn Brace (1955, 56) * – Trevor Brewer (1951) * – Ian Buckett (1992) * – Mickey Davies * – Gareth Davies (1977) * – Robin Davies (1955, 56, 57) * – Alban Davies * – Bailey Davies (1905, 06, 07) * –

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* – Denis Evans (1959) * – David Evans (1887, 88) * – Gwyn Francis (1919) * – Richard Garnons Williams * – Billy Geen (1910, 11, 12) * – William Havard (1919) * – Hugh Ingledew * – Vivian Jenkins (1930, 31, 32) * – Ken Jones (1963) * – Ian Jones (1963, 64) * – Kenyon Jones (1931, 32) * – Charles Lewis * – Andrew Moore (1990) * – Tony O'Connor (1958) * – Edward Peake * – Aneurin Rees * – Conway Rees (1891, 92, 93) * – Geoffrey Rees-Jones (1933, 34, 35) * – Walter Rice Evans (1890) * – Bill Roberts (1928, 29, 30, 31) * – Mike Roberts (1968) * – David Roberts * – John Strand-Jones (1899, 1900, 01) * – William Thomas (1893, 94) * – Leonard Watkins (1879) * – David Wyn Evans (1988) * – Derek Williams (1945) * – Richard Wintle (1993)

SRU presidents

Former Oxford University players have been President of the SRU: * 1898–99

* 1909-10 Alexander Blair * 1910-11 Charles Fleming * 1929-30 Augustus Grant-Asher * 1936-38 Alfred Lawrie * 1939-42 Patrick Munro * 1951-52 Dan Drysdale * 1954-55 John Bannerman

References

External links

*
The Varsity Match
{{University of Oxford, state=collapsed Rugby union teams in England Rugby 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 clubs in Oxfordshire