Colleges to kick-off ‘Derby Month’ in battle of the Blues

December has always been the month of the ‘Varsity Match’ and as the 15^th decade of the annual battles between Oxford and Cambridge comes to an end, 2019 is no different.

There are only seven of the 137 matches between the Dark and Light Blues in the past that haven’t been played in the last month of the year – 1872, 1873, 1879, 1880, 1883, 1891 and 1947. These days there is more than one match to savour.

The derby season kicks-off on Tuesday when the Colleges XVs from the two arch-rivals meet at Grange Road. The following day it will be Oxford’s Iffley Road that hosts the battle between the Greyhounds and the LX Cambridge LX Club.

Oxford managed to clinch their own version of the Triple Crown last season when they won the Colleges match 27-15, the 2^nd XV fixture 9-6 and then the Varsity Match 38-16.

Last seven meetings

Greyhounds v LX Club
2018: Oxford 9-6
2017: Oxford 24-7
2016: Oxford 49-8
2015: Oxford 50-5
2014: Cambridge 27-20
2013: Cambridge 24-22
2012: Oxford 39-0

Colleges
2018: Oxford 27-15
2017: Oxford 27-7
2016: Oxford 17-8
2015: Oxford 54-5
2014: Cambridge 27-5
2013: Cambridge 31-5
2012: Oxford 19-16

The Varsity Match itself will be at Twickenham on Thursday, 12 December, with the game being broadcast live on ITV4. The Women’s Varsity Match precedes it.

It will be the 21^st time the Men’s match has been played on 12 December and it is a luckier day for Cambridge than it is for Oxford. The Light Blues hold an 11-7 lead, with two matches drawn, on that date, including a five try, 21-8, triumph in 1922, which was the first time the game had been played on the 12^th at Twickenham.

Varsity match results on 12 December

P20  Ox 7  Cam 11 Draw 2

2013) Oxford 33-15 Cambridge: 24,463
2006)Oxford 6-15 Cambridge: 41,000
2000)Oxford 19-16 Cambridge: 55,000
1995) Oxford 19-21 Cambridge: 71,000
1989) Oxford 13-22 Cambridge :51,000
1978) Oxford  7-25 Cambridge: 35,000
1972) Oxford  6-16 Cambridge: 26,400
1967) Oxford  0-6  Cambridge: 40,000
1961) Oxford  3-9  Cambridge: 67,000
1945) Oxford  8-11 Cambridge: 20,000
1931) Oxford   5-3   Cambridge: 40,000
1922) Oxford   8-21 Cambridge: 25,000
1911) Oxford 19-0   Cambridge: 15,648
1908) Oxford   5-5   Cambridge: 12,993
1905) Oxford 13-15 Cambridge: 5,620
1894) Oxford   5-5   Cambridge: 10,000
1888) Oxford 0-1G2T Cambridge: 8,000
1883) Oxford 3G4T-0 Cambridge: 3,000
1877) Oxford 2T-0   Cambridge: 1,500
1874) Oxford 2T-0   Cambridge: 800