Varsity
The first Varsity hockey match was played in Oxford in 1890 whilst full Blues have been awarded for hockey since 1926. The status of a Blue is jealously guarded at both universities and a close watch is kept on it by the Blues Committee. Less than 2% of the student body are awarded Blues and therefore a Blue remains an award of sporting distinction. The men's and women's Blues play their varsity matches on the same day at the beginning of March each year with the matches currently being held at the neutral venue of Southgate Hockey Club in North London. The 2nd and 3rd Teams also play varsity matches held alternately in Oxford and Cambridge. All four matches are played on the same day, and the after-party is one of the biggest social events of the OUHC calendar!
The 2009 varsity dates:
2s/3s Varsity: Monday 16th February, in Cambridge. Matches start at 9.30, all support is very welcome.
Blues Varsity: Tuesday 3rd March at Southgate Hockey Club in London. The timetable for all the matches is as follows;
9.30am Boys 1890s (sand)
10am Girls 1890s (water)
11.30am Kings High Warwick v Bablake (sand)
12pm Worksop v St George's College (water)
1pm Jesus College Oxford v Jesus College Cambridge (sand, 30 mins each way)
2pm Womens Blues Varsity (water)
4pm Mens Blues Varsity (water)
You are warmly invited to the Varsity Ball, held at Southgate HC at 7.30pm on 3rd March. Tickets are 45 pounds, please email alice.cook@linc.ox.ac.uk for more information and ticket reservations, or follow the link below.
Varsity Ball 2009
The wearing of dark blue by Oxford was established at the first Boat Race in 1829, while Cambridge adopted their lighter hue in this annual sporting contest in 1836. The man who began the Varsity rivalry was Charles Wordsworth of Christ Church, nephew of the poet. He arranged a two-day cricket match against Cambridge at Lord's in June 1827. After Oxford were dismissed for 158 and Wordsworth himself had bowled out seven Cambridge batsmen, who collectively made only 26 runs, Cambridge hung on for a draw.
The first Boat Race was rowed over only 2 miles from Hambleden Lock to Henley Bridge on 10 June 1829. The Oxford crew was dominated by oarsmen from Christ Church in J E Bates, the first "double-blue" Charles Wordsworth, G B Moore and the Boat Club President, T Staniforth and their cox, W R Freemantle. Dark blue was the colour ascribed to Christ Church and the Oxford crew sported white jerseys with dark blue stripes. The second Boat Race on 17 June 1836, rowed over more than double the distance - 5 miles from Westminster Bridge upstream to Putney Bridge. R N Philips of Christ Church is reputed to have tied to the bows of the Cambridge boat a light blue ribbon (Eton College colours since 1625) to show his support for the crew, because their No.3, E S Stanley had been that school's Captain of Boats the previous year.
It is known that in Oxford, by 1863, the year before athletics matches were inaugurated, University oarsmen and cricketers had taken to wearing dark blue 'coats'. The introduction of the Oxford 'Half-Blue' can be precisely pinpointed to an entry in the Blues Committee minute book dated 10 June 1885.Half-Blues were soon distinguished by a blazer with alternating dark blue and white vertical lines, reminiscent of pyjamas
The 2009 varsity dates:
2s/3s Varsity: Monday 16th February, in Cambridge. Matches start at 9.30, all support is very welcome.
Blues Varsity: Tuesday 3rd March at Southgate Hockey Club in London. The timetable for all the matches is as follows;
9.30am Boys 1890s (sand)
10am Girls 1890s (water)
11.30am Kings High Warwick v Bablake (sand)
12pm Worksop v St George's College (water)
1pm Jesus College Oxford v Jesus College Cambridge (sand, 30 mins each way)
2pm Womens Blues Varsity (water)
4pm Mens Blues Varsity (water)
You are warmly invited to the Varsity Ball, held at Southgate HC at 7.30pm on 3rd March. Tickets are 45 pounds, please email alice.cook@linc.ox.ac.uk for more information and ticket reservations, or follow the link below.
Varsity Ball 2009
The Oxford Blue
By Norris McWhirter, Trinity CollegeThe wearing of dark blue by Oxford was established at the first Boat Race in 1829, while Cambridge adopted their lighter hue in this annual sporting contest in 1836. The man who began the Varsity rivalry was Charles Wordsworth of Christ Church, nephew of the poet. He arranged a two-day cricket match against Cambridge at Lord's in June 1827. After Oxford were dismissed for 158 and Wordsworth himself had bowled out seven Cambridge batsmen, who collectively made only 26 runs, Cambridge hung on for a draw.
The first Boat Race was rowed over only 2 miles from Hambleden Lock to Henley Bridge on 10 June 1829. The Oxford crew was dominated by oarsmen from Christ Church in J E Bates, the first "double-blue" Charles Wordsworth, G B Moore and the Boat Club President, T Staniforth and their cox, W R Freemantle. Dark blue was the colour ascribed to Christ Church and the Oxford crew sported white jerseys with dark blue stripes. The second Boat Race on 17 June 1836, rowed over more than double the distance - 5 miles from Westminster Bridge upstream to Putney Bridge. R N Philips of Christ Church is reputed to have tied to the bows of the Cambridge boat a light blue ribbon (Eton College colours since 1625) to show his support for the crew, because their No.3, E S Stanley had been that school's Captain of Boats the previous year.
It is known that in Oxford, by 1863, the year before athletics matches were inaugurated, University oarsmen and cricketers had taken to wearing dark blue 'coats'. The introduction of the Oxford 'Half-Blue' can be precisely pinpointed to an entry in the Blues Committee minute book dated 10 June 1885.Half-Blues were soon distinguished by a blazer with alternating dark blue and white vertical lines, reminiscent of pyjamas
