Oxford University RFC

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 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 in 1873, one season before Cambridge University. In 1951, OURFC became the first Western rugby team to tour Japan 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.

Captains +YearCaptainCollege2025Luke WyllieSt Hilda's2024Jack GloverSt Peters2023Tom OsborneTrinity2022Louis JacksonOriel2021George MessumKellogg2019Ed DavidSt Hilda's2018Dominic WaldouckKellogg2017Conor KearnsJesus2016Fergus TaylorSt Catz2015George MessumSt Anne's2014Jacob TaylorKeble2013John CarterKellogg2012John CarterKellogg2011John CarterKellogg2010Nick HaydonUniversity2009Daniel RosenWorcester2008Peter ClarkeSt Cross2007Joe RoffHarris Manchester2006Kevin BrennanLinacre2005Andy DalgleishSt Anne's2004David LubansSt Anne's2003John AllenUniversity2002Fraser GemmellSt Catz2001Brett RobinsonWadham2000Jamie WestonKeble1999Norman CelliersKeble1998David KelaherSt Cross1997Richie MaherUniversity1996Quentin de BruynKeble1995Tyrone HoweKeble1994David HendersonKeble1993Chad Lion CachetKeble1992Mike PattenSt Catz1991Andrew EverettUniversity1990Mark EganSt Cross1989Brian SmithSt Anne's1988Rupert VesseyGreen1987Bill CalcraftBrasenose1986Simon GriffinUniversity1985Neil MacdonaldUniversity1984Tim O'BrienUniversity1983Hugo MacNeillSt Edmund Hall1982Phil CroweUniversity1981Neil RobertsJesus1980Thyge EnevoldsonUniversity1979Nick MallettBrasenose1978Anthony WatkinsonSt Edmund Hall1977Tim BryanSt Edmund Hall1976Dugald MacDonaldUniversity1975Cecil ShawSt Edmund Hall1974Charles KentWorcester1973Dennis KayUniversity1972Darryl JonesOriel1971Richard JonesSt Edmund Hall1970Peter CarrollMansfield1969Chris LaidlawMerton1968Robert PhillipsCorpus Christi1967Robert PhillipsCorpus Christi1966Tommy BedfordSt Edmund Hall1965Frederick CraigBalliol1964Ronnie LambSt Edmund Hall1963Nick SilkMerton1962Joe McPartlinSt Edmund Hall1961John WillcoxWorcester1960James GloverCorpus Christi1959Malcolm PhillipsTrinity1958Lodewyk (Theo) LombardSt Edmund Hall1957Peter RobbinsSt Edmund Hall1956David BraceUniversity1955Roy AllawayUniversity1954Paul JohnstoneSt John's1953Alexander RamsayBrasenose1952Ken SpenceBrasenose1951Giles BullardBalliol1950John Kendall-CarpenterExeter1949Alwyn VintcentTrinity1948Graham WilsonBrasenose1947Basil TraversNew1946Ossie Newton-ThompsonTrinity1945John PearceBrasenose1938Hubert FreakesMagdalen1937John BrettSt Edmund Hall1936Malcolm CooperUniversity1935Kenneth JacksonTrinity1934Bertie LorraineChrist Church1933John BowersTrinity1932Norman LamportBalliol1931William RobertsBrasenose1930Stephanus HofmeyrUniversity1929Thomas GubbUniversity1928Edward TaylorTrinity1927David LandaleBalliol1926George AbellCorpus Christi1925Herbert JacobChrist Church1924C. R. WandsworthBalliol1923Phil MacphersonOriel1922John Maxwell-HyslopBalliol1921Ewan CampbellOriel1920Denoon DuncanUniversity1919Eric Loudoun-ShandUniversity1913D. McBainTrinity1912Leonard BrownBalliol1911Ronald PoultonBalliol1910Frederic TurnerTrinity1909George CunninghamMagdalen1908Harold HodgesTrinity1907Worthington HoskinTrinity1906Basil Cozens-HardyTrinity1905Patrick MunroChrist Church1904Adrian StoopUniversity1903Vincent CartwrightChrist Church1902Reginald GrelletHertford1901John CrabbieUniversity1900John SwanstonTrinity

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 24 Varsity victories to Cambridge's 14. Notable players include Sue Day (St John's), who 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 currently has 3 Women's teams: 1st XV Blues, 2nd XV Panthers, and 3rd XV Pumas. All three play Varsity matches against their respective Cambridge opponents. The Women's Blues compete in BUCS Premiership South, and the Panthers compete in BUCS Midlands Tier 3.

Captains +YearCaptainCollege2027Melissa MorleySt John's2026Chloe-Marie HawleyQueen's2025Alex WilkinsonKeble 2024Sophie ShamsSt Edmund Hall 2023Lauren WebbCorpus Christi2022Jessica AbeleExeter2021Fiona KennedySt Hilda's 2019Hazel EllenderSt Cross 2018Abby D'CruzKeble 2017Sophie BehanSt Edmund Hall 2016Catherine WilcockWadham 2015Tess BraunerovaSt Edmund Hall 2015Carly BlissSt Edmund Hall 2014Tatiana DancyKeble 2013Katie SagePembroke 2012Rona MitchellSt Hugh's 2011Beth O'BrienKeble 2010Ashley MasseyKeble 2009Jenny RossdaleJesus 2008Hannah Grainger ClemsonGreen Templeton 2007Bethan WalshSt Hilda's 2006Sarah TaylorSt Hilda's 2005Rebecca YoungKeble 2004Zahler BryanMagdalen 2003Rachel MurphyBrasenose2002Beth TempleSt Hilda's 2001Karen JonesPembroke 2000Ulrika AnderssonMerton 1999Olivia WhiteMerton1998Beth SageLady Margaret Hall1997Amanda ProctorJesus1996Jo HudsonNew1995Diane NixonWadham1994Jenny AyresNew1993Diane NixonWadham1992Carolyn FordQueen's 1991Nancy LevensonJesus 1990Julie PotterMerton 1989Miriam JorgensenChrist Church1989Heather BuntingSt Hugh's

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 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.

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) – Joe Roff (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) - Piers von Dadelszen (2021, 22, 23)

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 – Charles Gibson – 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) – Rupert Inglis (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) – Tony Novis (1927) – Alexander Obolensky (1935, 37) – Sidney Osborne (1900, 01, 02) – Tuppy Owen-Smith (1932, 33) – Colin Payne (1960) – Launcelot Percival (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) – Nigel Starmer-Smith (1965, 66)