OXFORD 1872 WOMEN’S RUGBY SHIRT

DETAILS

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 second in 1873 was played at Parker’s Piece in Cambridge. In 1874 it was decided that the game be played on a neutral ground and since then it has always been played in London. The Oval in Kennington staged seven matches, three games were played at Richardson’s Field in Blackheath and another Blackheath venue, Rectory Field, hosted four games before Queen’s Club in Kensington became the regular venue from 1887 to 1920. The 1878 and 1879 matches were postponed due to fog. In 1921 the match was moved to the Rugby Football Union’s famous home ground, Twickenham.

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.

The record for most appearances in a Varsity Match for Oxford is held by Lewis Anderson who has played in six matches between 2010 and 2015, all won by Oxford.

Over 300 OURFC players have gone on to win international honours.

In May 2015 the Oxford University Women’s Rugby Football Club – OUWRFC – officially became part of OURFC.