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Wikipedia / List of British and Irish varsity matches

A varsity match in Britain and Ireland is a fixture, especially of a sporting event or team, between university teams, usually the highest-level team, or varsity team, in that sport.

The longest-running series of varsity matches in the world is between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, a key feature of Oxford–Cambridge rivalry. The University Match in cricket, first played in 1827, is the oldest varsity match in the world. The Boat Race followed, begnning in 1829. The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games in track and field, first held in 1864, pioneered modern athletic competition. The Scottish Varsity match in rugby union between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, dating to the 1860s, is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football. The Oxford v Cambridge women's University Match in (field) hockey was first played in 1895, making it the oldest women's varsity match in the world. Varsity matches held between Oxford and Cambridge influenced the development of college sports in the United States, and other countries around the world.

A number of city and regional sporting rivalries exist between universities, which are also dubbed varsity matches. Unlike the Oxford–Cambridge matches, which are stand alone events in each sport, some of the more recent varsity competitions are multi-sport varsity competitions. The Roses Tournament between the universities of York and Lancaster is one of the oldest and largest of these, dating back to 1965. It is frequently referred to as the largest inter-university sports tournament in Europe.

Most inter-university sport in Britain is now governed and organised by British Universities and Colleges Sport, alongside Scottish Student Sport, and in Ireland by Student Sport Ireland.

Varsity in England

Interregional rivalries

Anglia Ruskin University v University of East London

  • Challenge Cup

University of Bath v Cardiff Metropolitan University (Wales)

  • Varsity

Bath Spa University v University of Winchester

  • Varsity

Bradford University v King's College London

Camborne School of Mines v Royal School of Mines

University of Cambridge v University of Oxford

Comprises around 50 events across various sports, including the following notable events:

Durham University v Loughborough University

Durham University v University of York

Kingston University v University of Surrey

  • Varsity (2010 to 2016) – replaced by two regional rivalries: Kingston v City and Surrey v Royal Holloway

Lancaster University v University of York

University of Leeds v University of Liverpool v University of Manchester

Leeds Beckett University v Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Battle of the North

University of Sunderland v York St John University

  • Varsity

Regional rivalries

East

University of East Anglia v University of Essex

  • Derby Day

London

King's College London v University College London

  • London Varsity Series – multiple sports over 8 days, culminating in the London Varsity rugby match

London School of Economics v Imperial College London

  • The City Varsity – men's and women's rugby

Brunel University v St Mary's University, Twickenham

  • West London Varsity – rugby, football, basketball, netball and cricket

City, University of London v Kingston University London

  • Varsity

University of East London v Middlesex University

  • Varsity – replaced by UEL v Anglia Ruskin Challenge Cup from 2016

Goldsmiths, University of London v University of the Arts London

  • The Arts Cup – basketball, football, hockey, netball and rugby

Imperial College London v Imperial College School of Medicine

  • VarsityFest – rugby, hockey, netball, football, lacrosse, basketball, tennis

King's College London v King's College London School of Medicine

  • The Macadam Cup (since 2004) – swimming gala, water polo, badminton, squash, hockey (men and women), mixed fencing, mixed tennis, ultimate frisbee, rugby (men and women), netball, lacrosse, football (men and women) and darts

University of London Colleges and Imperial College School of Medicine

Queen Mary, University of London v Queen Mary, University of London, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry

  • The Merger Cup (since 1995) – rugby, football, hockey, rowing, tennis, badminton, netball, squash, and basketball

University of West London v University of Westminster

  • West London Varsity

Midlands

Aston University v Birmingham City University

  • Varsity

University of Birmingham v University of Birmingham Medics

  • Brum Rugby Varsity

University of Birmingham v University of Warwick

  • Varsity Boat Race (2006 and 2012)

Coventry University v University of Warwick

  • Varsity

Derby University v University of Hertfordshire

  • Varsity

De Montfort University v University of Leicester

  • Varsity

Keele University v Staffordshire University

  • Varsity (from 2001)

Loughborough University v University of Nottingham

University of Nottingham v Nottingham Trent University

North East

Durham University v Newcastle University

Newcastle University v Northumbria University

University of Sunderland v University of Teesside

  • Varsity

North West

University of Central Lancashire v Edge Hill University

  • Varsity

University of Chester v Salford University

  • Varsity (since 2016)

University of Liverpool v Liverpool John Moores University

  • Liverpool Varsity

University of Manchester v Manchester Metropolitan University

  • Varsity

University of Manchester v University of Salford

South East

University of Bedfordshire v University of Northampton

  • Varsity

University of Bournemouth v Southampton Solent University

  • Varsity

University of Brighton v University of Sussex

  • Varsity

Buckinghamshire New University v University of Roehampton

  • Varsity

Canterbury Christ Church University v University of Kent

  • Canterbury Varsity

University of Chichester v University of Winchester

  • Varsity

Oxford Brookes University v University of Reading

  • Varsity

University of Portsmouth v University of Southampton

  • Varsity Cup

Royal Holloway, University of London v University of Surrey

  • Varsity

South West

University of Bath v University of Exeter

  • Rugby Varsity

University of Bristol v University of West England

University of Plymouth v University of St Mark & St John

  • Varsity

University of Worcester v University of Gloucestershire

  • Varsity

Yorkshire and the Humber

University of Hull v University of Teesside v York St. John University

  • The Tri-Varsity (ended 2008)

University of Hull v University of Lincoln

  • The Humber Games – inaugurated in 2014 after Hull's annual series with York ended in acrimony in 2013.

University of Hull v University of York

University of Leeds v Leeds Beckett University

  • Leeds Varsity

University of Sheffield v Sheffield Hallam University

  • Sheffield Varsity (since 1997) – the largest ice hockey varsity match outside of North America, with the event reaching stadium capacity of 9,300 for the 2025 series.

University of York v York St. John University

Varsity in Ireland

Queen's University Belfast v Ulster University

  • Queen's v Ulster Varsity

University College Dublin v Trinity College Dublin

Varsity in Scotland

University of Aberdeen v Robert Gordon University

University of Abertay Dundee v University of Dundee

  • The Tay Games Varsity Challenge

University of Edinburgh v Heriot-Watt University

  • Varsity Quaich – men's football, men's and women's hockey, men's rugby and rowing

University of St Andrews v University of Edinburgh

University of Stirling v University of Dundee

  • Tayforth Boat Race

University of Edinburgh v University of Glasgow

University of the West of Scotland v Edinburgh Napier University

  • East v West Varsity – men's American football, mixed badminton, men's basketball, men's and women's hockey, men's rugby

University of the West of Scotland v Scottish Rural College v Ayrshire College

  • West Coast Varsity

Varsity in Wales

Aberystwyth University v Bangor University

  • Aberystwyth-Bangor Varsity

Cardiff University v Swansea University

Varsity Shield in over 30 events, including:

Cardiff Metropolitan University v University of Bath (England)

  • Varsity

See also

Notes

References