St Paul’s School, Barnes
Saturday, 21st February 2026
Bob Dolby reports: Last year’s Men’s Varsity Match was close, with Oxford just one point up after the Singles and Cambridge pulling back 8 points in the Doubles. This year’s contest was not quite as tight in the end but the mathematical remarkableness continued, with the Doubles being tied and Cambridge consequently winning by the exact margin of the lead they had earlier amassed in the Singles – 17 points. In victory the Light Blues had much to thank their bottom IV of Pyman, Walton, Glover and Menhart for, while the top IV, without Ben Yass, battled hard against the experienced Oxford first IV, from among whom Seb Ion was declared Man of the Match.
The Cambridge Sparrows versus Oxford Beavers match has tended for some years to be won by Oxford, and it was no exception this year. The Beavers were as delighted as ever to retain the Fist of Iron in a six-a-side contest by a comfortable margin, but the Light Blues could claim to have edged the top four stats. What matters most is: Twelve people played, and one of them even managed to get to the Chelsea match by 3 o’clock. And Isaac M-G can now claim to be perhaps the first to have played for both universities in this particular match.
The Women’s Match was 4-a-side this year, with Oxford pleased to have Lena Barton back from Armenia to boost Abbie Evans’ side. Cambridge had worked hard to maintain the progress they achieved at last year’s match, but found the strengthened Oxford IV tough opponents. The light blue ladies did, though, achieve better results as the day went on, and there is plenty of reason to hope for a closer contest next year, with Oxford now looking to add to their run of three wins in a row.
A big thank you goes to St Paul’s, to the young man in reception, to supporting family and friends, and to our organiser and umpire, Viola King Forbes, who manages the unenviable task of getting 36 players through some 8-9 hours of Fives in the space allotted, without once raising her voice. No jelly babies, just quiet authority.
Results
Men’s Match: Cambridge VIII beat Oxford VIII 284-267
Second Team Match: Oxford Beavers beat the Cambridge Sparrows 202-154
Women’s Match: Oxford University Women beat Cambridge University Women 182-74
Click here for detailed scores
Two squads
The Cambridge squad with their champagne
Cambridge Men’s VIII with the Jock Burnet Trophy
Oxford squad with trophies
Oxford Beavers celebrate winning the Fist of Iron
Oxford celebrate winning the Ladies’ Salver
Oxford University squad
Men’s VIII
Oxford Beavers
Women’s IV
Combined women’s IVs
Combined women’s squads
Cambridge squad
Men’s VIII
Men’s squad
Sparrows
Women’s IV
Women’s squad
*****
On-court action from Singles and Doubles
How matches end
