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

rugby union Rugby union, commonly known simply as rugby, is a Contact sport#Terminology, close-contact team sport that originated at Rugby School in the first half of the 19th century. One of the Comparison of rugby league and rugby union, two codes of ru ...

club of the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a 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 world's second-oldest university in contin ...

. 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. Since 1921, the game has ...

every year against

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

Twickenham Twickenham is a suburban district in London, England. It is situated on the River Thames southwest of Charing Cross. Historically part of Middlesex, it has formed part of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames since 1965, and the borou ...

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 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 (WR) in 1886. It promo ...

. 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 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 England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe ...

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 after

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

. 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 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. Since 1921, the game has ...

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 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 * J.M. Bannerman * Stuart Barnes * 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 * Jack Crabbie * Philip Crowe * Simon Danielli * Gareth Davies *

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

* 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 * 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 studen ...

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 Simon John Halliday (born 13 July 1960 in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire, Wales) is a former English rugby union international. He also played nine first-class cricket matches. He was educated at Downside School, Somerset and St Benet's Hall, O ...

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 *

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

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 * 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
( IRB Hall of Fame inductee) * Richard Sharp * Ken Spence * 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 *

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 *

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

References

External links

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