The annual Oxford-Cambridge Intervarsity Australian Rules Football Match is the most prolonged running Australian rules football fixture outside Australia.[1] [2] Played as early as 1911, it has been contested annually by men's teams since 1923 between the two longest running clubs outside Australia, the Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club (founded in 1906) and the Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club (believed to have been founded around 1911).
The match has half blue status. Oxford has thus far dominated the contest. The teams contest a trophy which has been engraved since
Over the years, some distinguished Australians including Rhodes scholars have played in the match including Mike Fitzpatrick, Chris Maxwell, Joe Santamaria, Sir Rod Eddington and Andrew Michelmore.[3]
A women's match was added in 2018.
As early as 1911, the game was being played regularly at Oxford with records of the university's Australian rules football club's foundation dating to 1906. The Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club is believed to have been founded around 1911. In 1911, Oxford University, captained by Alfred Clemens, defeated Cambridge University, captained by Ron Larking 13.9 (87) to 5.12 (42).[4] [5] [6] In 1914, H C A Harrison reported that the game was being played regularly at both Oxford and Cambridge universities[7] though few records exist of contests between 1911 and 1921.
After the war, in 1921, the Oxford University–Cambridge University Varsity match between expatriate Australian students became an annual contest.[8]
The 90th Varsity match was the subject of a short ABC documentary .[9]
| Year | Winner | Results | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | Oxford | Oxford 13.9 (87) d Cambridge 5.12 (42) | |
| 1923 | Oxford | Oxford ?.? (80) d Cambridge ?.? (30) | [10] |
| 1925 | Oxford | Oxford 10.17 (77) d. Cambridge 1.11 (17) | [11] |
| 1926 | Cambridge | Cambridge 8.11 (59) d Oxford 8.7 (55) | [12] |
| 1927 | Oxford | Oxford 10.10 (70) d. Cambridge 5.10 (40) | [13] |
| 1928 | Cambridge | Cambridge 11.12 (78) d Oxford 5.10 (40) | [14] |
| 1929 | Oxford | Oxford 9.19 (73) d Cambridge 5.9 (39) | [15] Morphett (of Geelong) captained Oxford while Mann (of Geelong) captained Cambridge.[16] |
| 1930 | Oxford | Oxford 4.4 (28) d Cambridge 4.2 (26) | [17] |
| 1931 | Oxford | Oxford 12.11 (83) d Cambridge 7.5 (47) | [18] |
| 1935 | Oxford | Oxford 9.8 (62) d Cambridge 1.4 (10) | [19] |
| 1948 | Oxford | Oxford 11.8 (74) d Cambridge 0.3 (3) | [20] |
| 1949 | Oxford | Oxford 12.6 (78) d Cambridge 3.13 (31) | [21] |
| 1954 | Oxford | Oxford 12.10 (82) d Cambridge 8.10 (58) | [22] Likely the first Australian Rules football game broadcast on television.[23] |
| 1983 | Cambridge | Cambridge 15.10 (100) d Oxford 7.9 (51) | [24] |
| 1984 | Cambridge | Cambridge 15.10 (100) d. Oxford 7.9 (51) | |
| 1985 | Cambridge | Cambridge 15.11 (101) d. Oxford 6.15 (51) | |
| 1986 | Cambridge | Cambridge 9.6 (60) d. Oxford 4.4 (28) | |
| 1987 | Oxford | Oxford 8.10 (58) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39) | |
| 1988 | Oxford | Oxford 7.10 (52) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39) | |
| 1989 | Oxford | Oxford 11.14 (80) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30) | |
| 1990 | No engraving on trophy | ||
| 1991 | Oxford | Oxford 10.15 (75) d. Cambridge 3.3 (21) | |
| 1992 | Oxford | Oxford 6.4 (30) d. Cambridge 1.4 (10) | |
| 1993 | Oxford | Oxford 15.20 (110) d. Cambridge 5.5 (35) | |
| 1994 | Oxford | Oxford 7.7 (49) d. Cambridge 5.4 (34) | |
| 1995 | Oxford | Oxford 12.11 (83) d. Cambridge 11.7 (73) | |
| 1996 | Cambridge | Cambridge 9.18 (72) d. Oxford 8.9 (57) | |
| 1997 | Cambridge | Cambridge 4.7 (31) d. Oxford 3.8 (26) | |
| 1998 | Oxford | Oxford 10.12 (72) d. Cambridge 3.8 (26) | |
| 1999 | Oxford | Oxford 13.11 (89) d. Cambridge 1.13 (19) | |
| 2000 | Oxford | Oxford 9.10 (64) d. Cambridge 7.5 (47) | |
| 2001 | Cambridge | Cambridge 6.13 (49) d. Oxford 5.16 (46) | |
| 2002 | Oxford | Oxford 17.17 (119) d. Cambridge 1.2 (8) | |
| 2003 | Oxford | Oxford 10.7 (67) d. Cambridge 0.5 (5) | |
| 2004 | Cambridge | Cambridge 3.4 (22) d. Oxford 2.6 (18) | |
| 2005 | Oxford | Oxford 14.15 (99) d. Cambridge 3.4 (22) | |
| 2006 | Oxford | Oxford 32 d. Cambridge 27 | |
| 2007 | Oxford | Oxford 19.11 (125) d. Cambridge 3.10 (28) | Highest ever score recorded |
| 2008 | Oxford | Oxford 8.11 (59) def Cambridge 5.2 (32) | |
| 2009 | Oxford | Oxford 6.15 (51) d. Cambridge 1.1 (7) | |
| 2010 | Oxford | Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) | Highest scoring match to date |
| 2011 | Oxford | Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) | Highest scoring match to date |
| 2012 | Oxford | Oxford 9.11 (65) d. Cambridge 4.12 (36) | |
| 2013 | Oxford | Oxford 10.6 (66) d. Cambridge 3.6 (24) | |
| 2014 | Oxford | Oxford 14.6 (90) d. Cambridge 2.2 (14) | |
| 2015 | Cambridge | Cambridge 7.13 (55) d. Oxford 3.4 (22) | |
| 2016 | Oxford | Oxford 9.4 (58) d. Cambridge 7.10 (52) | |
| 2017 | Oxford | Oxford 12.8 (80) d. Cambridge 4.4 (28) | |
| 2018 | Cambridge | Cambridge 4.10 (34) d. Oxford 4.4 (28) | |
| 2019 | Oxford | Oxford 8.8 (56) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30) | |
| 2020 | Cambridge | Cambridge 13.8 (86) d. Oxford 8.9 (57) | |
| 2021 | Cambridge | Cambridge 10.20 (80) d. Oxford 10.13 (73) | |
| 2022 | Oxford | Oxford (59) d. Cambridge (49) | |
| 2023 | Oxford | Oxford 9.13 (67) d. Cambridge 0.2 (2) | |
| 2024 | Cambridge | Cambridge 9.5 (59) d. Oxford 3.3 (21) |
| Year | Winner | Results | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Tie | Oxford 1.1 (7) drew with Cambridge 1.1 (7) | First tie in Australian rules football Varsity history. | |
| 2022 | Oxford | Oxford (43) d. Cambridge (34) |