It’s been a busy week of rugby since we last wrote to you with 6 games having been played. The Varsity Matches are now only 25 days away!
If you haven’t got your ticket yet – buy yours here today:
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Past players
2. CURUFC Members & Supporters
3. Students
4. HospitalityCoach tickets from Cambridge can be bought hereand parking passes are also available.
Build up to Varsity
The Women’s Blues have continued their BUCS winning streak by beating Brunel University 25-17 last Wednesday, with Izzy Boothroyd once again taking home PoTM. The Tigers followed the Blues lead with a 59-7 win over Brunel University 2nd XV, led by PoTM Katie Cobbett. The Blues then lost by one point to the Pacific Islanders in a friendly on Saturday.
The LXs, however, have turned around their last two losses to Loughborough University and UEA by putting 70 points on the Pacific Islanders Men’s side in a 74-14 win.
The Men’s Blues kicked off their games against the armed forces with a 39-20 victory over the RAF. Tim Andrew scored 2 tries, with scrum half Charles Favell taking home player of the match. Centres Ikeche Mere and Max Loveridge also made it onto the scoresheet so the top try scorer stakes are hotting up as we move towards the Varsity Matches at StoneX on March 2nd.
You can check out some of the photos of the week on our Instagram page here and read a full match report of the Men’s Blues victory here.
We also hosted the men’s team Backs dinner where we invited up 5 former Blues to chat to the current team about their CURUFC & Varsity experience over a burger at Hawks Club. Thank you to Mark “Herbie” Hancock (Blue 1987 & captain in 1988), Fraser Gillies (2014, 15 & 16), Mike Phillips (2015, 16, 17, 18 & 19), Chris Bell (2017, 18 & 19) and Tom Lovelace (2019) for coming up to speak to the team.
This week
We’re in for another thrilling week as the Women’s Blues take on Oxford in their rearranged BUCS fixture on Wednesday night at Iffley road. If you’re in the area please come down to support.
Their next game will then be their final match pre Varsity as they take on the 88s next Friday 16th March. You can buy tickets for the 88s game here but remember entry is free if you’ve already bought a Varsity ticket!
The Men’s Blues take on the Army on Wednesday evening and the LXs are taking on the Philippinnes Marharlikans on Saturday, both at Grange Road.
Meet the players – Dave Holdroyd
This week we’re also introducing you to Men’s Blues player, David Holdroyd, in our Meet the Players series.
Name, College & Matriculation: David Holdroyd, Jesus College, 2019
Nickname: Fresher Dave or Frave
Position: Scrum Half
Honours & previous clubs: Shropshire u19s, Colleges XV, u20s, LXs, Blues 2022/23
Favourite moment at CURUFC: Running on at Twickenham for the first time.
Special talents: Healing hands
Pre-game meal? Chicken pesto pasta
Hype song? Running Bear – Johnny Preston
Favourite CURUFC player of all time? Alex King
You’re now in 5th year and a senior member of the club, how has this season gone so far and how does it compare to previous ones?
With a good number of players leaving at the end of last season, this year has presented an exciting challenge with lots of new players getting an opportunity to play for the blues. This has included a couple of freshers such as George Bland and James Wyse who have made regular appearances in the starting XV. Whilst there has been a steep learning curve for some of the boys getting used to playing men’s rugby, it has added a lot of energy to the team, and having a few of the more senior boys unavailable in Michaelmas gave a great chance for more players to step up and develop their games ahead of varsity term.
With the move of Varsity from December to March 2nd, how’s the longer build-up compared to December Varsity?
The longer build gives us more chance to develop together as a team. It’s been good to have more time to find different partnerships within the team before varsity term, when it can of course be a very intense few weeks before the big game.
You’ve still got some players to come back, who are you most excited about joining the squad?
We’re very fortunate to have some excellent players rejoin the squad this term. After spending the first half of the season on loan from Harlequins to Cambridge City playing in the Championship, it’s great to have Jamie Benson back training and playing with us. Jamie has continued to be a standout player even in the professional tiers, and his vision, game control and ability to beat defenders will be a massive addition to the squad. We’re also looking forward to current GB 7s player Jamie Farndale joining us in the backs. Having played in a couple of games last term, his ability and experience at the top level is invaluable. Additionally, after training with the team a few times during Michaelmas whilst commuting from Japan, back row, Makoto Tosa has now moved to Cambridge. Tosa has already integrated very well into the squad and is a very physical player in all areas of the game, so will be a great asset to get us on the front foot.
What’s your prediction for Varsity?
It’s always difficult to call the result for Varsity matches, as I’ve experienced first-hand in the previous two seasons. 2022 as underdogs with only 14 men for most of the game, we nearly pulled off a miraculous comeback, whilst last year, with an incredibly strong team, we struggled to put in the performance we’d hoped for, culminating in a closely fought win which went right down to the last play. Having said that, we’re looking forward to putting out another strong team this year, with great intensity in our training and matches, so I’m looking forward to another Light Blue victory.
You’re in your penultimate year at Cambridge and CURUFC, what are you going to miss most about your time at the club?
As a medic, I’ve been incredibly fortunate to have more time than most at CURUFC, which has definitely been the defining experience of my time at university. I’d have to say what I’ll miss most about the club will be the people and getting to train and play with my best mates. It already feels a bit strange seeing some of them leave, and not having them at the club anymore. Despite this, I still regularly keep in touch and meet up with many of the friends I’ve made at CURUFC who have now left, who I’ve been lucky enough to have some incredible experiences with. I’ll also miss having Seb cook for me 3 nights a week!
Best of luck to Dave and the team in their upcoming matches and at Varsity!
