Oxford v Cambridge Varsity Matches LEAVE Twickenham
The iconic Oxford versus Cambridge Varsity Matches have are to move away from Twickenham Stadium after 100 years to head to north London.
Saracens‘ StoneX stadium will play host to the famous university rugby match, which has seen a male and female double-header in recent seasons.
But the move away from the home of English rugby will come as a disappointment to many who saw the fixture as a key date in the Twickenham diary.
The RFU, though, put the move down to the economic viability of the fixture – which does not sell out even a third of the 82,000 seat stadium.
“We are proud to have hosted the Varsity Matches at Twickenham for over 100 years but recognise that in today’s environment the event will be more sustainable at a smaller venue in keeping with crowds attending this historic fixture,” the governing body told City PM
“Many of our colleagues and volunteers will continue to enjoy and support these matches in their new home at StoneX Stadium and we wish them every success in the future.”
Lucy Wray, Saracens CEO, said: “The Varsity Matches are an intrinsic part of the rugby landscape, and we are hugely excited to welcome such an iconic event to StoneX Stadium.
“Combining an event with such history with the amazing facilities and atmosphere at StoneX is a recipe for a truly memorable day”.
Ed Keen, Head of Equities EMEA at sponsors Jefferies, said: “The Varsity Matches combine the best of old and new traditions, while celebrating achievement and high-performance.
“2024 marks the third year of our partnership, and we are delighted that this has enabled us to continue to build on the work done to date in both financial services and sport, by sharing learnings and engaging on the key issues of gender diversity, LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion, while supporting the next generation of sporting talent – from the grassroots to the skilled young people taking part in this year’s matches.”
In a joint statement, OURFC captains Jack Glover and Sophie Shams and their CURUFC counterparts Ben Gompels and Emilia Bushrod said: “It will be a privilege for all our players to play at StoneX and the rivalry between the two Clubs will be as great as it has ever been”.