As most Oxbridge students prepare to head home for the summer, ancient academic rivalries can be laid to rest – if just for a while. For many students, though, the real competition is about to begin. The University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge are nearly neck-and-neck overall in this year’s Varsity sports matches. According to the match tracker on Cambridge sports website The Blue Bird, the 108 matches played so far show a tight but troubling situation for the Cantabs. At present, Oxford holds a narrow lead of 54 wins to Cambridge’s 52. But the overall tally will not be known for another couple of weeks.

The current scores:

University of Oxford: 54 Wins

University of Cambridge: 52 Wins

 

Varsity looks at the all-important battles still to be fought.

Cricket

Although the Twenty-Twenty event went in Oxford’s favour for both the men and women, the Light Blues have a chance to redeem themselves at Lord’s where they will be playing the One-Day event on Friday 1st July and the traditional Four-Day event from Tuesday 5th July at University Parks, Oxford. This famed fixture began in 1827, with history weighted slightly in Cambridge’s favour, 59 wins to Oxford’s 55 (56 drawn). Can Cambridge wrest the momentum from their Dark Blue counterparts? A win in Oxford would be a return to winning ways for the club and a repeat of what they achieved in 2014 at the Oxford ground.

Croquet

They might only be distinguished by a few letters, but the Croquet Varsity match will be an entirely different beast from its faster-paced counterpart. This is a game of nerve, precision and snazzy sweaters. For over a decade, the tie has been dominated by Oxford, so it seems difficult to predict anything else happening this year. But if the Light Blues can do it, they will have the distinction of being the first winners from Cambridge since 2002. If nothing else, it promises to be quite a stylish affair, hosted at London’s Hurlingham Club, with a lunch provided for both teams.

Sailing

One of the more glamorous fixtures to look forward to, the 99th Varsity Sailing Match will take place at the Royal Southern Yacht Club on 29th and 30th June. It is one of the world’s longest-running sailing regattas, and last year the honours were split between the men and the women. If you fancy a couple of days of sunshine on the south coast, relaxing on the beach while the crews slog it out on the water, this could be the Varsity for you.

Open water swimming

Another water-based battle, this one may – at first glance – be a rather less attractive prospect for spectators. The gruelling race is held between 2nd and 7th July, as the best swimmers from Oxford and Cambridge come together to race across the 21 miles between Dover and Calais. The competition seems fierce, as each swimmer takes to the water for an hour, swapping with another member of the squad until they reach the French coast, typically achieved in just over seven hours. The water is cold and salty, but the support doesn’t have to be – last time the clash was held (2014), the race was declared a draw, so this year there is everything to play for.

Tennis

As the dust settles on the heat of the clay-court season, attention turns towards the beautifully manicured lawns of Queen’s Club, Devonshire Park and the All England Club.
But slotting comfortably into the middle weekend of the Wimbledon Championships, another hotly contested match will be taking place at Moor Park in Hertfordshire, between the Dark and Light Blues.

Last year’s disappointing loss was the first in the last decade for Cambridge, and they’ll be looking to quickly snatch back the initiative with a victory next month.