Oxford University Handball Club Explained

Clubname:Oxford University HC
Fullname:Oxford University Handball Club
Short Name:Blues
Founded:2001
Ground:Iffley Road Sports Centre
Chairman:Zoé Lacour
Manager:Jan Kropf
League:Regional League - South
Website:https://oxfordhandball.org
Colour1:darkblue
Colour2:white
Shortname:OUHaC

Oxford University Handball Club (OUHaC) was founded and registered as a club at the University of Oxford in 2001 and has since established itself as one of England's most successful clubs. It is a member of the England Handball Association since 2002 and the Association of British Universities Handball Clubs since 2011. Every year, OUHaC competes in the English Handball League, EHA Cup and the British University Championships.[1] Beginning in 2014, the club has played in the varsity match against the Cambridge University Handball Club.[2] [3] In 2016 and 2017 respectively, the women's and men's teams were granted Half Blue status by the Blues committees of the University of Oxford.[4] [5]

Teams

Men's team

The men's team won the British University Championship title 9 times (in 2004–07, 2009, 2013, 2014, 2023 and 2024)[6] [7] as well as the English National League in 2006, being the first ever university team in the history of English handball to win the National League title.[8] [9] [10] Additionally, they were the first university team to compete in the EHF Challenge Cup (2006–07 and 2007–08). They have also won two mixed English Beach Handball tournaments. The team won the EHA League Cup in 2016 and reached the semi-finals of the EHA National Cup in 2017.[11]

Women's team

The women's team was created within the club in 2003. The team's greatest achievements include winning the EHA National League 1st Division in 2015 and 2016 as well as the British University Championships in 2016. Moreover, they defeated the University of Cambridge in five consecutive Varsity matches from 2015 to 2019.[12]

International competitions

The men's team of the Oxford University Handball Club has participated twice in European competitions, the EHF Challenge Cup both in 2006 and 2007. They qualified for the first round as winners of the English league in 2006 and as winners of the cup in 2007.[13] [14]

SeasonDateTeam 1ResultTeam 2
2006–0729 September 2006B.B. Ankara SK38–14Oxford University HC
30 September 2006Oxford University HC12–56RK Konjuh Namjestaj Zivinice
1 October 2006Riihimäki Cocks43–22Oxford University HC
2007–0828 September 2007St Patrick's College25–24Oxford University HC
29 September 2007Oxford University HC14–34Ankara Il Özel Idare SK
30 September 2007Arkatron Minsk39–19Oxford University HC

Results summary

Source:[15] [16]

Men's team

SeasonEnglish League Division 1English League Division 2 (Regional)EHA Cup/ShieldUniversity ChampsVarsity
2001-02---3rdCUHC founded in 2013
2002-03---2nd
2003-04---1st
2004-05---1st
2005-061st-3rd (Cup)1st
2006-073rd-3rd (Cup)1st
2007-085th-3rd (Cup)2nd
2008-09---1st
2009-10---4th
2010-11-1stQF (Shield)2nd
2011-124th--4th
2012-13--1st
2013-14---1st32 - 26
2014-15----31 - 24
2015-16--1st (Shield)3rd19 - 27
2016-17-2ndSF (Cup)26 - 38
2017-18-1stQF (Cup)29 - 31
2018-19---8 - 23
2019-20Cancelled due to COVID-193rd26 - 32
2020-21Cancelled due to COVID-191st36 - 30
2021-22-1st-4th31 - 32
2022-23-1stR2 (Cup)1st44 - 23
2023-24-1st39 - 7

Women's team

SeasonEnglish League Division 2 (Regional)English League Division 3EHA CupUniversity ChampsVarsity
2001-02----CUHC founded in 2013
2002-03----
2003-04----
2004-05--2nd-
2005-06----
2006-07----
2007-08----
2008-09----
2009-10----
2010-111st---
2011-12----
2012-13----
2013-14----12 - 23
2014-151st--3rd31 - 21
2015-161st--1st31 - 14
2016-17----27 - 21
2017-18-4th--16 - 14
2018-19----25 - 15
2019-20Cancelled due to COVID-194th21 - 23
2020-21Cancelled due to COVID-19-Forfeit
2021-22-1st-1st30 - 21
2022-233rd--8th28 - 14
2023-24-7th24 - 19

References

  1. Web site: Handball . 2023-05-24 . www.bucs.org.uk.
  2. Oxford University Sport: Spoils Shared In First Handball Varsity Matches on 17 February 2014
  3. http://handball.soc.srcf.net/varsity-201314/ Cambridge Match Report
  4. https://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/handball Half Blues Sport (Oxford University Sport)
  5. https://www.sport.ox.ac.uk/blues-awards Oxford University Sports: "Handball Half Blue 7 awards maximum awarded by Club President"
  6. Web site: Handball Blues celebrate national success. The Oxford Student.
  7. Web site: Handball: Championships 2022-23 . 2023-05-24 . www.bucs.org.uk.
  8. "En Oxford se estudia, se rema, y se gana la liga de balonmano", Marca (Madrid), 17 Nov 2006.
  9. https://www.waz.de/sport/lokalsport/gladbeck/abenteuer-europapokal-id1722382.html Waz.de (paywall)
  10. Web site: Historic League Winners . 2023-05-24 . Google Docs . en-US.
  11. https://www.englandhandball.com/news/hawks-and-wolves-meet-in-all-north-west-men-s-cup-final EHA news, May 2017.
  12. Web site: Varsity . 2023-05-24 . Oxford Handball . en.
  13. Web site: Oxford University HC. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210313163556/https://www.eurohandball.com/en/club/_wHYcp3FfvOytpt-0ysIHA/oxford-university-hc/. 13 March 2021. 13 March 2021. Eurohandball.
  14. https://www.pressball.by/articles/handball/eurocups/21747 Pressball.by, 2nd Oct 2007
  15. Web site: Fixtures & Results . 2023-05-24 . Oxford Handball . en.
  16. Web site: University Championships . 2023-05-24 . Oxford Handball . en.

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