Victory in the men’s Varsity rugby, with strong performances from Teddy Hall players

10 Dec 2018

Dan Barley crossing the line for his first try. Photo credit: Matthew Impey, Wired Photos
Dan Barley crossing the line for his first try. Photo credit: Matthew Impey, Wired Photos

Last week’s annual Varsity match, on 6 December, saw Oxford’s men’s side beat Cambridge 38-16 at Twickenham. Three St Edmund Hall students started the match – Joe Morris (2016, Cell and Systems Biology), Dan Barley (2016, Engineering Science) and Sam Miller (2017, Materials Science) – and they were joined after just eight minutes when Ryan Jones (2017, Engineering Science) came on as a replacement.

Winger Dan Barley scored two tries, one either side of half-time. His first was particularly important as Cambridge had taken an early lead when Dan found some space to produce an excellent finish and touch down just before the break. The conversion was also made, which meant that Oxford led 10-9 at half-time. Oxford were more dominant in the second half, scoring five tries in total, with Dan crossing the line again in the corner for his second.

Joe Morris was unable to play Varsity Rugby last year due to his England U20 commitments but returned to win his second Blue. Sam Miller played most of the game but was unfortunately carried off injured late in the match, suffering from whiplash. We are pleased to hear that he is now recovering well and wish him a speedy return to full fitness. Read more about the game on the Varsity Match website.

The women’s match was played on the same day, and was preceded by celebrations featuring former players to mark the 30th anniversary of the women’s Varsity rugby fixture. In a very close game, Oxford lost 5-8, despite piling on the pressure in the later stages of the game. No Teddy Hall players started the match, but Laura Simpson (2017, Medicine) came on for the last 20 minutes. You can read a full match report here.

Thirty Aularians and their guests went to Twickenham to cheer on the teams from two boxes, accompanied by Director of Development Gareth Simpson and Professor Robert Wilkins. They included one couple who had spent their first date at the Varsity Match thirty years previously, and another couple who were celebrating their 21st wedding anniversary! This, combined with such a good showing from the Teddy Hall players including the two tries by Dan Barley, meant there was a very lively and enjoyable atmosphere. If you are interested in joining us next year (on Thursday 12 December 2019) to watch the match from an executive box, please contact Kate Townsend, Alumni Relations Manager.

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