The Cambridge sporting calendar is getting into the business end. Fresh from success on the slopes in France, the light blues head into a jam-packed schedule of Varsity showdowns and season-deciding BUCS clashes this Lent. The University ranked 19th in the country out of 170 in 2025, securing 12 BUCS titles and reaching 8 BUCS finals, and will be looking to replicate such success in 2026.

With a new term underway, there’s a tangible sense of momentum around University sport, as training intensity ramps up and rivalries are renewed across courts, pitches, rivers and rings. There are a host of fixtures against the dark blues to look forward to in the coming weeks, following on from a 2025 that saw Cambridge triumph across disciplines and set the benchmark once more.

It all culminates just after the term’s close on the Thames, as the waters between Putney and Mortlake ripple with rivalry once more. Cambridge will be looking to plunge Oxford to new depths by making it three clean sweeps in four years, reaffirming their recent dominance on the biggest amateur stage of all. Before that, however, there’s plenty to get excited about as Cambridge aim to make it another special sporting year to remember and inter-collegiate competition also heats up.

“The waters between Putney and Mortlake ripple with rivalry once more”

The first Varsity battles commence in February with the University Sports Centre playing host to the Men’s and Women’s powerlifting showdowns on the 7th. This kicks off a busy February Blues schedule, as Cambridge’s gymnasts look to go back-to-back after securing the double last March. In rugby, both the Men’s and Women’s Union sides will hope to achieve the same feat in standout matches at Saracens’ StoneX Stadium on the 28th; while the League sides will be hoping to wrestle back the bragging rights two weeks prior, in what promises to be another fiercely contested encounter.

March brings a change of pace and scenery as the Lent Bumps take centre stage on the Cam. One of the most distinctive events in the Cambridge sporting calendar, Bumps racing combines tradition, spectacle and fierce college rivalry, drawing crowds to the riverbanks. For many students, it’s their first taste of large-scale University sport, whether rowing, marshalling, or cheering on their college crews, and it remains a defining highlight of Lent term.

By March, the Cuppers competitions will also be reaching a crescendo, with Fitzwilliam hoping to have wrapped up the Men’s Football Premier Division title yet again, and a double still on the cards. The crown for best ranking college in inter-collegiate sport is still up for grabs, with Downing College currently leading the way and hoping to cling onto top spot, having secured four titles last term.

There are four light blue outfits sitting top of the tree in their respective BUCS leagues, looking to see out Lent Term in style by picking up where they left off in Michaelmas. The Men’s Football first team are vying for promotion, kicking off the term with a crucial top of the table clash against University of East Anglia. The Hockey Men’s 2, Netball Women’s 4, and Ultimate Women’s 1 teams are also in pole position as we head into Lent.

“Cuppers competitions will also be reaching a crescendo”

Meanwhile, Varsity rivalry returns to the ring as Oxford and Cambridge trade blows once more, with 13 bouts taking place at the Cambridge Corn Exchange for the 118th chapter of a boxing spectacle that dates back to 1897. The Men’s and Women’s Blues Football teams are also looking to continue their dominance over the dark blues on 20th March at the newly-developed Grange Road. The first teams will be hoping to add to a fruitful ‘Super Sunday’ at Oxford City’s ground on March 1st for the second and third teams – maintaining last year’s performances, which saw CUAFC named the University’s club of the year.

There is also plenty going on away from the spotlight, all part of what makes Cambridge’s sports offering so enticing. Alongside all the elite competition, Varsity clashes and college rivalries, the University’s ‘Give It a Go’ sessions are running throughout the term, offering students the chance to try something new and become part of the sporting community – from Pickleball to Volleyball – an initiative that over 1000 students took part in last term.

There is also the heart-warming opportunity for Cambridge to unite once more and line the streets in support of those participating in the Cambridge Half Marathon on Sunday 8th March. It’s an event that sees vital funds raised for many worthy causes across the 13.1 mile course which passes through four University colleges – reminding us of sport’s power as a platform to share stories, raise awareness and embrace challenges.

With so much on offer – from Varsity clashes to college competition and beginner sessions – Lent term is the perfect time to get involved, get active, and be part of another memorable chapter of Cambridge sport.