Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club

Cambridge University Australian Rules Football Club (CUARFC, also known as the Lions), founded in the early 20th century, is the Australian rules football club for Cambridge University. Both men's and women's teams represent the club in the National University League,[1] the Fitzpatrick Cup, and the annual Varsity Match against Oxford, among other things.

History

The club has been active for over 100 years, with the first recorded men's game against Oxford taking place on March 18, 1911.[2] The women's game has developed more recently, with the first women's varsity match in 2018 ending in a tie.

The 90th Varsity match was the subject of a short ABC documentary.[3]

The connection between the university and the sport in fact stretches much further back to when Tom Wills, one of the founders of the game, studied there (seemingly to be more concerned about playing cricket than academics), then returning to Australia to set up the Melbourne Football Club.[4]

Club record

Varsity match results
Men's Varsity results
Year Winner Results Notes
1923 Oxford Oxford ?.? (80) d Cambridge ?.? (30)
1925 Oxford Oxford 10.17 (77) d. Cambridge 1.11 (17)
1926 Cambridge Cambridge 8.11 (59) d Oxford 8.7 (55)
1927 Oxford Oxford 10.10 (70) d. Cambridge 5.10 (40)
1928 Cambridge Cambridge 11.12 (78) d Oxford 5.10 (40)
1929 Oxford Oxford 9.19 (73) d Cambridge 5.9 (39)
1930 Oxford Oxford 4.4 (28) d Cambridge 4.2 (26)
1931 Oxford Oxford 12.11 (83) d Cambridge 7.5 (47) [5]
1935 Oxford Oxford 9.8 (62) d Cambridge 1.4 (10)
1949 Oxford Oxford 12.6 (78) d Cambridge 3.13 (31)
1954 Oxford Oxford 12.10 (82) d Cambridge 8.10 (58)
1983 Cambridge Cambridge 15.10 (100) d Oxford 7.9 (51)
1984 Cambridge Cambridge 15.10 (100) d. Oxford 7.9 (51)
1985 Cambridge Cambridge 15.11 (101) d. Oxford 6.15 (51)
1986 Cambridge Cambridge 9.6 (60) d. Oxford 4.4 (28)
1987 Oxford Oxford 8.10 (58) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39)
1988 Oxford Oxford 7.10 (52) d. Cambridge 5.9 (39)
1989 Oxford Oxford 11.14 (80) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30)
1990 No engraving on trophy
1991 Oxford Oxford 10.15 (75) d. Cambridge 3.3 (21)
1992 Oxford Oxford 6.4 (30) d. Cambridge 1.4 (10)
1993 Oxford Oxford 15.20 (110) d. Cambridge 5.5 (35)
1994 Oxford Oxford 7.7 (49) d. Cambridge 5.4 (34)
1995 Oxford Oxford 12.11 (83) d. Cambridge 11.7 (73)
1996 Cambridge Cambridge 9.18 (72) d. Oxford 8.9 (57)
1997 Cambridge Cambridge 4.7 (31) d. Oxford 3.8 (26)
1998 Oxford Oxford 10.12 (72) d. Cambridge 3.8 (26)
1999 Oxford Oxford 13.11 (89) d. Cambridge 1.13 (19)
2000 Oxford Oxford 9.10 (64) d. Cambridge 7.5 (47)
2001 Cambridge Cambridge 6.13 (49) d. Oxford 5.16 (46)
2002 Oxford Oxford 17.17 (119) d. Cambridge 1.2 (8)
2003 Oxford Oxford 8.15 (63) d. Cambridge 3.5 (23)
2004 Oxford Oxford 10.17 (77) d. Cambridge 0.5 (5) Two matches in 2004
2004 Cambridge Cambridge 3.4 (22) d. Oxford 2.6 (18) Two matches in 2004
2005 Oxford Oxford 14.15 (99) d. Cambridge 3.4 (22) [6]
2006 Oxford Oxford 5.2 (32) d. Cambridge 3.9 (27)
2007 Oxford Oxford 19.11 (125) d. Cambridge 3.10 (28) Highest ever score recorded
2008 Oxford Oxford 8.11 (59) def Cambridge 5.2 (32) [7]
2009 Oxford Oxford 6.14 (50) d. Cambridge 1.1 (7) [8]
2010 No record engraved on trophy
2011 Oxford Oxford 17.16 (118) d. Cambridge 9.12 (66) Highest scoring match to date
2012 Oxford Oxford 9.11 (65) d. Cambridge 4.12 (36)
2013 Oxford Oxford 10.6 (66) d. Cambridge 3.6 (24)
2014 Oxford Oxford 14.6 (90) d. Cambridge 2.2 (14)
2015 Cambridge Cambridge 7.13 (55) d. Oxford 3.4 (22) [9]
2016 Oxford Oxford 9.4 (58) d. Cambridge 7.10 (52)
2017 Oxford Oxford 12.8 (80) d. Cambridge 4.4 (28)
2018 Cambridge Cambridge 4.10(34) d. Oxford 4.4 (28)
2019 Oxford Oxford 8.8 (56) d. Cambridge 4.6 (30)
2020 Cambridge Cambridge 13.8 (86) d. Oxford 8.9 (57)
2021 Cambridge Cambridge 10.20 (80) d. Oxford 10.13 (73)
2022 Oxford Oxford (89) d. Cambridge (16) To add breakdown
2023 Oxford Oxford 9.13 (67) d. Cambridge 0.2 (2)
Women's Varsity results
Year Winner Results Notes
2018 Tie Oxford 1.1 (7) drew with Cambridge 1.1 (7) First tie in Australian rules football Varsity history.
2019 Cambridge
2020 Oxford Oxford 8.9 (57) d. Cambridge 6.4 (40)
2021 Cambridge Cambridge 7.2 (44) d. Oxford 5.4 (34)
2022 Oxford Oxford (18) d. Cambridge (14) To add breakdown
2023 Oxford Oxford 3.6 (24) d. Cambridge 2.2 (14)

Membership & organisation

Membership of the club is not restricted to Cambridge University students or staff, although a significant proportion of the club would fall into these groups. The club naturally has a large Australian membership, as well as many Irish players, due to the similarity of the game to Gaelic football.

Players have a wide range of sporting backgrounds, ranging from having not played much sport at all, to having played Australian rules previously for a large part of their lives.

The club is managed by a committee, elected annually, consisting of the President, Treasurer, and other responsible people.

The club also has strong ties with the North London Lions, and a handful of players have ended up playing for both teams.

See also

AFL Europe

Australian Rules Football in Europe

Australian Rules Football in the United Kingdom

References
  1. "National University League – AFL England". www.aflengland.org. Retrieved 11 February 2022.
  2. afleurope (13 March 2020). "Oxford and Cambridge to meet for 100th Varsity Match • AFL Europe". AFL Europe. Retrieved 10 August 2021.
  3. "Australian Rules Football". www.sport.ox.ac.uk. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  4. De Moore, Greg (2011). Tom Wills : first wild man of Australian sport. Crows Nest, N.S.W.: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74237-598-4. OCLC 730051341.
  5. "The Argus, 20 Nov 1931". Archived from the original on 9 August 2021. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  6. "Triumphant Oxford are rucking great". Archived from the original on 20 August 2007. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  7. "No boats, but Oxford downs Cambridge - AFL.com.au". Archived from the original on 26 September 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  8. "AFL.com.au: Four quarters decides 1000-year rivalry, 12/1/2010". Archived from the original on 17 June 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
  9. "Who won the most Varsity Matches in 2014-15?". Blue Bird Cambridge. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
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