Today’s (19/03) Blues Football Varsity match has been postponed due to a waterlogged pitch. Persistent heavy rain over the last few days has meant that the pitch at Leyton Orient’s Breyer Group stadium is too sodden to play on. The matches will be rescheduled to a later date after desperate last-minute attempts from CUAFC’s presidents to find an alternative ground were unsuccessful.

The matches would have formed the 138th Blues Varsity match between Oxford and Cambridge. They represented an opportunity for both Cambridge teams to avenge last year’s narrow defeats. Last season, the men lost 1-0 to Oxford due to a first half penalty. This season, they were hopeful of victory after two Sean Cusack goals saw them beat the Dark Blues in the league in November.

The women’s Blues were also out for revenge this season. Last year, they lost on penalties after the game finished 2-2 in 90 minutes. This season they were hopeful of victory after a strong showing in the league and an excellent cup run. However, the cancellation gives them more recovery time as they prepare for their National Cup Final match against Nottingham Trent on Wednesday.

The Blues matches followed the Varsity matches between CUAFC and OUAFC’s second and third teams. Cambridge’s Eagles (Women’s 2s) beat Oxford’s Furies 2-0. The Falcons (Men’s 2s) also beat their Oxford rivals (the Centaurs). The match went to penalties after finishing goalless in normal time, and Cambridge prevailed 6-5. In the men’s 3s match, Oxford’s Colts eased past Cambridge’s Kestrels to win 2-0.

The Blues Varsity match is likely to be rescheduled at some point in the next few weeks. It is not the only classic Cambridge sporting event to have been cancelled this term. Just last Friday (10/03), Lent Bumps (a highlight of the college rowing calendar) was called off due to heavy rain, which made the river unsafe for boats. On Saturday (the final day), racing was restricted to crews in the top two divisions. This decision stopped some lower crews from achieving blades, which are awarded only to crews that “bump” on every day of the competition. A similar situation will be avoided by CUAFC, as their rescheduled match will allow their players to earn Blues.