A new home for the Varsity Matches

The legendary Cambridge vs Oxford Varsity Rugby Matches are moving to the Saracens StoneX Stadium for the first time in their 152-year history.

Longstanding rivals Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club (CURUFC) and Oxford University Rugby Football Club (OURFC) will play the fiercely competitive 141st men’s and 36th women’s Varsity Matches in their new North London venue on Saturday 2nd March 2024.

The move to StoneX Stadium is an exciting development for the Varsity Matches whose home has been Twickenham since 1921. The decision to move was made following a decline in ticket sales and the increasing complexity of staging an event, run entirely by volunteers, at an 82,000 seater stadium. Hosting the renowned annual matches at StoneX Stadium secures their future for upcoming generations of rugby fans.

The 2024 women’s match will see Emilia Bushrod lead CURUFC for a second time in a fight to reclaim the trophy against OURFC women, captained by Sophie Shams of Premiership Women’s Rugby side Ealing Trailfinders.

In the men’s match, the Light Blues will be led by former Bristols Bears player Ben Gompels, who also captained CURUFC on the pitch in the 2023 and will be seeking to retain their winning streak. They'll be playing against an OURFC squad led by Jack Glover.

In a joint statement, CURUFC Captains Ben Gompels and Emilia Bushrod and their OURFC counterparts Jack Glover and Sophie Shams said:

“It will be a privilege for all our players to play at StoneX and the rivalry between the two Clubs will be as great as it has ever been”.

Lucy Wray, Saracens CEO, is delighted to be hosting such a prestigious occasion at StoneX Stadium and said:

“The Varsity Matches are an intrinsic part of the rugby landscape, and we are hugely excited to welcome such an iconic event to StoneX Stadium. Combining an event with such history with the amazing facilities and atmosphere at StoneX is a recipe for a truly memorable day”.

The Varsity Matches are made possible thanks to sponsorship by Jefferies. Ed Keen, Head of Equities EMEA at Jefferies, said:

“The Varsity Matches combine the best of old and new traditions, while celebrating achievement and high-performance. 2024 marks the third year of our partnership, and we are delighted that this has enabled us to continue to build on the work done to date in both financial services and sport, by sharing learnings and engaging on the key issues of gender diversity, LGBTQ+ awareness and inclusion, while supporting the next generation of sporting talent – from the grassroots to the skilled young people taking part in this year’s matches.”