Captain Catherine Wilcock will lead the Oxford University Women’s team into their opening BUCS League game at the Prince of Wales Stadium, Cheltenham, when they take on University of Gloucestershire in the Premiership South Division today.
The Dark Blues have three games this month to build-up to Varsity Match dress-rehearsal against arch-rivals Cambridge at Grange Road on Wednesday 2 November. The two sides are drawn in the same Division, along with reigning champions Cardiff Met, University of Gloucestershire, Bristol University and Exeter University.
Oxford pipped Gloucestershire 7-5 last season and will be looking for another win as they attempt to erase the memory of last season’s 52-0 Varsity Match at Twickenham Stadium. They travel to Bristol University on 19 October and then host Cardiff Met on 26 October.
Last season the champions won the two meetings between the sides 93-0 and 117-0. They then went on to beat Cambridge 138-0.
This month’s matches began with a friendly against Loughborough University and former England World Cup winning coach Gary Street will have been encouraged by Oxford’s performance in a 17-10 defeat. There were tries from two of last season’s returning Blues, Caitlin McArdle and Cecilia Peker.
While there were seven players involved in the Loughborough game who were in the matchday 23 at Twickenham last year, there were also a number of highly promising newcomers. Among them was centre Princess Ashilokun.
Describing herself as “a proud Nigerian who was born and raised in London, Hackney”, she is a second year English Language and Literature student who is renowned for her work as a performance poet. She has been playing rugby for six years.
The 135th Varsity Match and The 30th Women’s Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge will return to Twickenham on Thursday 8th December. Adult tickets from £28 and student tickets from £10 are on sale now alongside a range of corporate hospitality options and events.
