As we approach Friday evening’s anniversary matches, marking exactly 150 years since the first Varsity football match in which Cambridge men defeated Oxford 3-1, it becomes clear that much has changed since the 1800s. Notably, the admission of women into both universities has transformed the landscape of Varsity football. Over the years, their participation in the sport has steadily increased, culminating in the historic inclusion of a women's third team match, convincingly won by Cambridge’s Merlins, in this year's competition. Also, the rise in significance of the event over the past century and a half has seen Varsity games being played from humble beginnings at the Queen’s Club to major arenas such as Wembley Stadium. This year, the Varsity double header fixture will be hosted at Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium in what is expected to be an occasion in which local businesses, alumni and current students will come together to witness a historic clash. 

 

However, despite the progressive evolution of the tie, a deeply rooted rivalry against the opposition persists within both camps. Last year's Varsity held at Oxford City’s stadium saw neither team clinch the double, which, among the historical significance of this year’s version, makes it an even greater spectacle prospect with both universities vying for a clean sweep. Cai La-Trobe Roberts, captain of the men's side, acknowledges the significance of the fixture while emphasising the need for composure: "There is so much history and passion against Oxford, but nothing changes." Women's co-captain Abbie Hastie (Emmanuel) echoes this sentiment, expressing an even greater determination to defeat the Dark Blues. She recognises the historical significance of the fixture and the importance of defending Cambridge's place in footballing history, particularly on the 175th anniversary of the invention of Association football, the  rules of which are said to have been formulated at Parkers' Piece.

 

Friday’s event is scheduled to kick off at 5pm with the women’s fixture. Following their 4-0 victory over Oxford last year, thanks to goals from Hastie and striker Neve Mayes, coach Dave Mellor and his talented Light Blues team will approach this year's match with confidence, hoping to replicate last year’s spectacular performance with another triumph. Despite grappling with injuries throughout the season, Cambridge has demonstrated strength in the league and advanced to the semi-finals of the Women's National Championship, overcoming the might of Loughborough along the way - a team Hastie describes as being far superior to Friday’s opposition.

 

Hastie appears renewed with optimism telling us that she and her fellow co-captain Emilia Keavney (Homerton), herself having recently returned from a spell out with a broken finger, are hoping to have a full squad available for selection, with at least three first-years expected to make their Varsity debuts: Lara Branston (Jesus), Eva Straw (Sidney Sussex) and Isabella Winnifrith (King’s). 

 

Third-year engineer Ella O’Connell (King’s), who netted the winner in the cup against Loughborough, has been the stand-out performer in front of goal this season, and will most certainly cause a whole host of problems for Oxford’s backline either from either the wing or a more central position. 

 

After watching both the Eagles and Merlins win their matches two weeks ago, Hastie and the Light Blues will be eager to make it a hat-trick and create history on the women’s side of the Varsity fixture. 

 

Immediately after Cambridge women hopefully  dispatch  Oxford to lift the Varsity trophy, the men will play their game at the Abbey Road pitch at approximately 8pm.

 

Following last year’s 2-0 defeat in Varsity, Cambridge men will be looking to break their  unfortunate losing streak going back to 2019. 

 

There is a slightly different look to the Light Blues this year with three first-years, namely Deniz Ozer (Trinity Hall), Aaran Mehmood (Emmanuel) and Tristan Martin (Christ’s) all expected to start. “We have a fantastic fresher contingent this year, and their presence has brought the entire squad closer together”, La Trobe-Roberts believes.  

 

Having contended with injuries to key players throughout the entire campaign, resulting in over 35 players wearing the Light Blues' colours this year, coach Tom Blatch will be relieved that many of his most senior players are available for this crucial clash. Captain La Trobe-Roberts, an engineer at Jesus and a former Bangor City player in his youth, along with his deputy Reece Linney (Girton), both of whom have been sidelined for significant parts of the season, will be eager to start. There were also concerns about the availability of Asa Campbell (Fitzwilliam), believed by some to be the university’s outstanding player, and Makafui Avevor (Robinson), but both are expected to feature at least to some extent on Friday evening. 

 

 When asked about the challenges of not being able to field a consistent team this year, La Trobe-Roberts maintains that Cambridge have had to rely on the united character of the squad: “We have only had 10 league games, so there cannot be much evidence to evaluate how every player has played, but we have trained a lot, and I trust that we have a lot of cohesion in the team, in contrast to Oxford who are not very united.” 

 

Yet, despite the injury setbacks, Cambridge has enjoyed an exceptionally successful season, setting their sights on a potential treble-winning campaign. Following their victory in the Midlands BUCS Conference Cup last week against Nottingham, a win in the Varsity match would mark the second step toward a historic treble. Additionally, the title decider for the BUCS Midlands Division Two against league leaders Loughborough, whom they trail by one point, is still to come.

 

With the score currently tied at 1-1 after the results of the reserve teams' matches (the men's 2's defeated Oxford 2's 3-2, while the men's 3's lost 1-0 to the Dark Blues' 3's), it is crucial that Cambridge secure a strong result at the Abbey Stadium to claim overall bragging rights over their old rivals.

 

Both captains have expressed their excitement at the prospect of playing at the Abbey Stadium: “The pitch looks in good condition, which will suit us as we like to play passing football”, Hastie said.  La-Trobe Roberts added to this by urging students and civilians alike to come out and support both the men’s and women’s teams, believing that the twelfth man could give Cambridge the upper hand whilst having a cheeky dig at Oxford’s lack of a fanbase, who are only expected to be bringing a grand total of one supporters’ coach across to Cambridge to represent the entire university. “We know that the bulk of the crowd should be Cambridge, and that should be intimidating for Oxford. It will be nice considering that we played at Oxford City last year and nobody was there”, the Welshman said. Indeed, over 3000 tickets have already been sold and are still available to buy online (the link to tickets can be found at the bottom of this article). 

 

With both Cambridge’s men's and women's teams naturally poised for victory, the stage is set for a memorable evening at the Abbey Stadium, where fans can expect thrilling football and fierce competition between these historic rivals: a fitting narrative for Varsity football’s 150th anniversary.

 

Buy tickets to the game here.