Varsity week is finally here and we could not be more excited. CURUFC have had an absolutely thrilling start to Varsity Season leading the series 3-1 after the 2nd & 3rd team Varsities over the weekend. You can read about the fantastic performances across the club further below. The atmosphere at Grange Road and Iffley Road on Saturday and Sunday was truly something to behold! First though, we’re kicking off with our preview of the Blues Varsity Matches this Saturday. A reminder, last minute tickets can be bought here:
1. General access
3. Students
4. Hospitality
Varsity Previews
Women’s season so far: The Women’s Blues are in the midst of an excellent season, ably led by their captain, Emilia Bushrod. They sit 2nd in the league in BUCS Premier South, the second tier of university rugby. They’ve won 7 of their games to date, losing 2 and drawing 1. They come into this game off the back of a strong 12-0 win over Birmingham University in the National Vase after falling to the 88s invitational team the week prior. Whilst they lost to the 88s, the game showcased the talent they have across the park – solid defence, big hitters, structure and excitingly, the ability to score some tries.
They’ve already played O*ford twice this season in the league. The first they came out on top by 2 points in a 28-26 thriller at Grange Road. Away at Iffley Road, they drew 17-17. This Saturday’s decider is finely poised and should be a genuine thriller. Last year’s game ended
31-12 to the wrong side in Cambridge Women’s first loss since 2016. This year, we can’t wait to see the women in Light Blue bring the trophy back home where it belongs.
Ones to watch: Keep an eye out for the gruesome twosome in the back row: openside flanker, Phoebe Smith and number eight, Emily Bell. Anyone who watched the 88s match will have seen Phoebe channeling her inner Lewis Moody and putting in some of the biggest hits Grange Road has seen in a long while. Emily’s carrying from the base of the scrum has set the base for many CURUFC attacks and returned a few tries along the way. Out wide, centre Izzy Boothroyd is destined to have an impact on the game. A recent convert from the University football club, Izzy has picked up 3 Player of the Match awards so far this season, including one against the Dark Blues. She scores tries like there’s no tomorrow and her goalkicking has been invaluable throughout the season, dissecting the uprights from all over the pitch. Given how tight the games with O*ford have been so far, her cultured right boot could well decide the game.
Emily Bell leaving O*ford players for dust
Men’s season so far: As you likely know, the Men’s Blues don’t play in a BUCS league, instead playing a series of friendly games that are usually anything but friendly. Head coach, the legendary James Shanahan, uses these games to tinker with his team to bring them into Varsity in top form. That tinkering seems to have worked well so far as the team comes into Varsity with 9 wins and 3 losses despite the changes over the season. The losses came at the hands of Durham University in the first game of the season, an exceptionally strong Steele Bodgers side and the British Army. Shanners’ side have attacking form, however, having scored over 40 points in 4 of their 12 games. This is a team where every member of the backs is a try threat. They come into the big dance off the back of a big 50 point win over Trinity Western University and a series of challenging games against each of the Armed Forces – always physical encounters which help harden a defence. In recent weeks we’ve seen the return of various players including Jamie Benson (Cambridge RFC on loan from Harlequins), Makoto Tosa (formerly of Mitsubishi Dynaboars in Japan) and Jamie Farndale (current GB 7s player and formerly of Edinburgh). The team has come together nicely and the squad is largely injury-free so should be raring to go come Saturday. We hope to see them retain the trophy.
Ones to watch: Last year’s man of the match Jamie Benson scored all the Light Blue’s 15 points in their 15-10 win. He returns to the starting lineup this year after leading Cambridge RFC’s backs in their inaugural year in the Championship alongside his studies. Jamie pulls strings like a genuine puppet master – expect him to bring the CURUFC backs to life like Gepetto to Pinocchio. And if you’re wondering about his kicking, have a look at this last gasp, match-winning kick from the touchline to give Cambridge RFC their first Championship win.
Makoto Tosa is a former Japan U20 who had the misfortune of representing O*ford in the 2009 edition of the Varsity Match. He has apologised profusely for his misjudgment and now returns to the Varsity Matches in the right Blue – this time around wearing number 8 for Cambridge. He’s a big ball carrying 8 and his big game experience combined with his size should help the pack against an O*ford side with a 30 cap Wallaby prop anchoring their scrum. Winger Tim Andrew will be wearing the famous Cambridge number 14 shirt this Saturday. His 7 tries so far this season have helped the Light Blues on their way to many a victory and if he’s given some space on the StoneX 4G, then we may well see the former sprinter crossing the whitewash.
Tim Andrew leaving his opposite number in his wake against the Royal Navy
2nd & 3rd XV Varsities
Men’s home at Grange Road
2nd XV: Cambridge LX 26 – 18 Oxford Greyhounds
3rd XV: Cambridge Centurions 13 – 8 Oxford Whippets
Women’s away at Iffley Road
2nds XV: Oxford Panthers 7 – 14 Cambridge Tigers
3rd XV: Oxford Pumas 5 – 0 Cambridge Jaguars
We had a packed house at Grange Road on Saturday to witness the Centurions and LX teams go at it. The Centurions came back from 8-0 down at half time to win 13-8 thanks to tries from Sam Hinton and Owen Branthwaite who both crossed over in the corner off the back of some lovely Cambridge hands. Outside centre, Jim O’Reilly, took home Player of the Match in a fantastic start to the weekend.
The LXs game was a tense affair with several yellow cards for both sides and a red card for the O*ford Greyhounds too. Player of the Match, Jack Allinson, ran the game from 10, kicked beautifully and even picked himself up a try to boot. Tomos Miller, on the bench for the Blues this weekend, scored in the corner and, on the other wing, Joe Day was a menace all game, wreaking havoc on the Oxford defence before scoring a try of his own. The boys held off pressure in the last 10 minutes before Allinson showed a cool head, slotting home a penalty to wrap the game up and ensure bragging rights remained at Grange Road for another year. It would be remiss of us not to mention the late Gareth McComb who coached the LX team up until his untimely passing last year. We have no doubt he would be smiling down on the boys from above and we hope we did him proud.
The LXs celebrating their 26-18 win post-game with CURUFC DoR, Scott Annett (far left) and LX Head Coach Buka Tuwai (far right)
After a wonderful 2-0 start to Varsity we went away to Iffley Road for the Women’s Jaguars & Tigers matches. Our fantastic away support helped the Light Blue women on despite being in hostile territory. Player of the Match, Maddy Wainwright’s heroics from hooker weren’t quite enough to keep the clean sheet going, however, and the Jaguars fell to a 5-0 loss in an incredibly tight match decided by a single score.
The Tigers, however, had other ideas. After losing 15-19 at home last year they had a score to settle and settle it they did. The Tigers led from start to finish with tries coming from Player of the Match, flanker Ali-Mae Brown and outside centre Caragh Haspel. Haspel intercepted an Oxford pass before running the length of the pitch to score under the posts before adding the afters with her conversion. Turns out you can have your cake and eat it too. Despite conceding a last minute try, the Tigers brought home a 14-7 win to leave Cambridge 3-1 up going into the big day this Saturday.
Both Tigers and Jaguars and pictured with their travelling support
A huge congratulations to all the teams that have played so far. It was a magnificent advert for Cambridge rugby over the weekend and we hope for more of the same on March 2nd. We cannot wait to see you all at the StoneX. We’d like to wish the very best of luck to both Blues teams on behalf of all club members and supporters.
See you at StoneX!
