The Varsity Polo Match

The Varsity Polo Match is an annual polo match between the Oxford University Polo Club and the Cambridge University Polo Club, played between teams of four players. Historically it was known as the inter-University Challenge Cup or inter-Varsity polo match.Sporting Notes. In: Nottingham Evening Post, Tuesday 27 June 1905The Times. 12 June 1965, Woolmers Park p.1 It is also known as the University Polo Match or by a title that includes the name of its current sponsor (1982 Champagne Taittinger University matches; 1984 Krug Champagne Varsity Polo;Horse and Hound, June 18, 1982. from 2007 to 2014, the Jack Wills Varsity Polo, and from 2016 onwards the La Martina Varsity ). Members of both teams are traditionally known as Blues, with Oxford in dark blue and Cambridge in light blue.

The polo match is held annually, attracting normally around 500 up to 5000 spectators due to royal participants.The Inter-University Match. In: The Times. 11 July 1938, p.4.Oxford Victory. In: Horse and Hounds. 12 June 1970 It usually takes place at the beginning of June at Guards Polo Club. The Varsity Match was most recently contested in May 2025, and was won by Oxford by a margin of 5-2. As of 2026 Oxford has won the match 70 times and Cambridge 57 times.

History The Varsity Polo Match is the second oldest continuing polo match with the inter-regimental match preceding it by only 7 years. The first Varsity match was played in 1878. The event has been held annually with the exceptions of the two World Wars as well as 1894, 1900, 1960–61, 1963 and 2020. The match was originally played at Hurlingham Club on the Monday after Ascot, but moved to Woolmers Park as well as to Cowdray Park after World War II. From 1962 onwards, the venue for the match was decided annually, with the choice alternating with each university. Since 1994, the Varsity Match is played at Guards Polo Club. The Match is played for a Challenge Cup presented by the Hurlingham Club in 1920.

Competitors The match format is extremely unusual as it is played open (handicaps are not taken into account). Teams are also mixed which is a rare opportunity amongst the Blues sports of both universities. The original conditions are:

No player eligible who has been a member of his University for more than four years, or who has not been in residence during the term in which the match takes place. Instituted in 1878. Played generally at Hurlingham, in June. (Modern Polo, 1896) No player eligible who has been a member of his University for more than four years, or who has not been in residence during the term in which the match takes place. The Cup shall be held by the winning University in each year until May 1st in the succeeding year, when it shall be returned to The Hurlingham Club. Play – 6 periods. (The Polo Yearbook 1939)

Old Blues Match The main varsity match is preceded by a match between the two Old Blues teams. This match has a similar tradition to the Varsity Match as it is held annually and its records go back to 1879 (with major gaps in the statistic). It was known by the title Old Oxonians vs Old Cantabs. In the past, both teams helped to promote British polo not just on Varsity Day but also in other tournaments and events and were seen as one of the strongest British polo teams until World War II brought an end to that.

Results and statistics A selection of the more frequently cited statistics includes:

Number of wins: Oxford, 70; Cambridge, 57 Most consecutive victories: Oxford, 11 (2015-2026) Match record: Oxford, 2016 winning 19 – 0

Full results by year No. Date Venue Winner Score Oxfordtotal Cambtotal Old Blues Match 1 Oxford Oxford 5–0 1 0 2 Hurlingham Cambridge 1–2 1 1 Oxonians 3 Hurlingham Oxford 4–1 2 1 Draw 4 Hurlingham Cambridge 0–3 2 2 5 17/ 22 June 1882 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–3 2 3 6 Hurlingham Oxford 4–1 3 3 7 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–4 3 4 Oxonians 8 Hurlingham Oxford 4–0 4 4 9 Hurlingham Oxford 8–2 5 4 10 Hurlingham Cambridge 6–7 5 5 11 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–10 5 6 12 Hurlingham Cambridge 0–7 5 7 13 Hurlingham Oxford 5–4 6 7 14 Hurlingham Oxford 4–1 7 7 15 Hurlingham Cambridge 1–12 7 8 16 1894 no match Hurlingham Cambridge 1–6 7 9 17 Oxford Cambridge 1–8 7 10 18 Oxford Cambridge 3–5 7 11 19 Hurlingham Oxford 12–0 8 11 20 Hurlingham Oxford 15–0 9 11 21 1900 no match Hurlingham Oxford 11–1 10 11 22 Hurlingham Oxford 8–2 11 11 23 Oxford Oxford 14–0 12 11 24 Hurlingham Oxford 14–1 13 11 Cantabs 25 Hurlingham Cambridge 3–4 13 12 26 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–9 13 13 27 Hurlingham Oxford 4–3 14 13 28 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–9 14 14 29 Hurlingham Cambridge 1–6 14 15 30 Wembley Park Cambridge 4–5 14 16 31 Hurlingham Oxford 10–2 15 16 32 Roehampton Cambridge 3–8 15 17 33 Hurlingham Oxford 6–5 16 17 34 Hurlingham Oxford 9–5 17 17 35 1915–1919 no match Hurlingham Oxford 19–1 18 17 36 Hurlingham Cambridge 3–4 18 18 37 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–7 18 19 38 Hurlingham Cambridge 1–5 18 20 Cantabs 39 Hurlingham Cambridge 3–6 18 21 Oxonians 40 Hurlingham Oxford 7–5 19 21 Cantabs 41 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–8 19 22 42 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–7 19 23 43 Hurlingham Oxford 8–3 20 23 44 Hurlingham Cambridge 2–3 20 24 45 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–5 20 25 46 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–5 20 26 47 Hurlingham Oxford 9–0 21 26 48 Hurlingham Oxford 11–0 22 26 49 Hurlingham Oxford 6–4 23 26 50 Hurlingham Oxford 5–3 24 26 51 Hurlingham Cambridge 4–5 24 27 52 Hurlingham Oxford 4–1 25 27 53 Hurlingham Oxford 12–0 26 27 54 Hurlingham Oxford 8–4 27 27 55 1940–1950 no match Hurlingham Cambridge 4,5 – 5 27 28 56 Woolmers Park Oxford 6–0 28 28 57 Henley (Friar Park) Cambridge 0–9 28 29 58 Woolmers Park Cambridge 0–4 28 30 59 Woolmers Park Cambridge 2–8 28 31 60 Windsor Park Oxford 3–2 29 31 61 Windsor Park Oxford 5–1 30 31 62 Windsor Park Cambridge 2–4 30 32 63 Windsor Park Oxford 6–5 31 32 64 1960–1961 no match Cowdray Park Cambridge 1–4 31 33 65 1963 no match Cowdray Park Cambridge 4–5 31 34 66 Windsor Park Oxford 5–3 32 34 67 Woolmers Park Cambridge 6–7 32 35 68 Kirtlington Oxford 7–0 33 35 69 Kirtlington Oxford 12 -1 34 35 70 Kirtlington Oxford 2–1 35 35 71 Woolmers Park Oxford 4–1 36 35 72 Kirtlington Oxford 5–0 37 35 73 Woolmers Park Oxford 3–2 38 35 74 Kirtlington Oxford 11–1 39 35 75 Woolmers Park Oxford 5–2 40 35 76 Kirtlington Cambridge 3–4 40 36 77 Woolmers Park Cambridge 2 – 5 40 37 78 Kirtlington Oxford 2 – 1 41 37 79 Woolmers Park Cambridge 2 – 3 41 38 80 Kirtlington Cambridge 2–3 41 39 Oxonians 81 Kirtlington Cambridge 3–4 41 40 Oxonians 82 Kirtlington Oxford 11–1 42 40 Draw 83 Carver Barracks, Saffron Walden Oxford 4–2 43 40 84 Kirtlington Oxford 8 – 1 44 40 Oxonians 85 Kirtlington Oxford 7 – 0 45 40 Cantabs 86 Kirtlington Cambridge 3 – 6 45 41 Oxonians 87 Rutland Cambridge 4 – 5 45 42 88 Kirtlington Park Oxford 7 – 1 46 42 Cantabs 89 Rutland Polo Club Cambridge 2–3 46 43 90 Kirtlington Park Cambridge 2 – 5 46 44 Oxonians 91 Kirtlington Park Oxford 2–1 47 44 92 Cambridge & Newmarket Cambridge 1–4 47 45 Oxonians 93 Cambridge & Newmarket Cambridge 2–4 47 46 94 Kirtlington Park Oxford 3–2 48 46 Oxonians 95 Cambridge & Newmarket Oxford 10–2 49 46 96 Guards Cambridge 1–2 49 47 Oxonians 97 Cambridge & Newmarket Cambridge 3–5 49 48 Oxonians 98 Guards Cambridge 2–7 49 49 Oxonians 99 Guards Cambridge 5–6 49 50 Oxonians 100 Guards Cambridge 1–13 49 51 Oxonians 101 Guards Cambridge 2–4 49 52 102 Guards Oxford 6–0 50 52 Cantabs 103 Cambridge & Newmarket Cambridge 1–3 50 53 Cantabs 104 Guards Cambridge 3–4 50 54 cancelled 105 Guards Oxford 6–0 51 54 Oxonians 106 Guards Oxford 5–4 52 54 Oxonians 107 Guards Oxford 12–2 53 54 Cantabs 108 Guards Cambridge 1–6 53 55 Cantabs 109 Guards Oxford 9–5 54 55 Oxonians 110 Guards Oxford 4–0 55 55 111 Kirtlington Park Oxford 5–4 56 55 Oxonians 112 Guards Oxford 5–4 57 55 Oxonians 113 Guards Oxford 5–4 58 55 Oxonians 114 Guards Cambridge 2–13 58 56 Cantabs 115 Guards Oxford 11–3 59 56 Cantabs 116 Guards Cambridge 3–6 59 57 Oxonians 117 Guards Oxford 14–2 60 57 Oxonians 118 Guards Oxford 19–0 61 57 Oxonians 119 Guards Oxford 5–1 62 57 Cantabs 120 Guards Oxford 13–0 63 57 Cantabs 121 2020 no match Guards Oxford 15–1 64 57 Oxonians 122 Guards Oxford 8–3 65 57 Oxonians 123 Guards Oxford 8–2 66 57 Cantabs 124 Guards Oxford 7–5 67 57 Cantabs 125 Guards Oxford 5-3 68 57 Cantabs 126 Guards Oxford 5-2 69 57 Cantabs 127 Guards Oxford 12-0 70 57 Oxonians

a. At the call of time the score was still one goal all, so the teams met again at Hurlingham a few days later, when Cambridge won by 3 goals to 2.

Notable players Walter Long, 1st Viscount Long, Oxford (1854–1924) Thomas Hitchcock Sr., Oxford (1860–1941) Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig, Oxford (1861–1928) Walter Buckmaster, Cambridge (1872–1942) Frederick Freake, Cambridge (1876–50) Patteson Womersley Nickalls, Oxford (1877–1946) Devereux Milburn, Oxford (1881–1942) Harold Pearson, 2nd Viscount Cowdray, Oxford (1882–1933) John Wodehouse, 3rd Earl of Kimberley, Cambridge (1883–1941) Prince Henry, Duke of Gloucester, Cambridge (1900–1970) Weetman Pearson, 3rd Viscount Cowdray, Oxford (1910–1995) George Haig, 2nd Earl Haig, Oxford (1918–2009) Claire Tomlinson, Oxford (1944-2022) Charles III, Cambridge (b. 1948) Redmond Watt, Oxford (b. 1950) Lanto Sheridan, Oxford (b. 1988)

The Varsity Polo Match

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