The history of The Varsity Match extends back to early 1872. It was a year after the first ever rugby international (Scotland v England).
Both Cambridge and Oxford sent officials to arrange a challenge match. At The Parks, Oxford, they played a 20 a-side version of the game with the hosts victorious in this inaugural meeting. Oxford wore dark blue jerseys, however, Cambridge played in pink, changing to their blue and white in 1876.
Since those early days the Varsity Rugby concept has grown, not only in the most famous Universities – Oxford and Cambridge, but throughout the UK creating local rivalry in many cities.
The history of these matches from 1872, the individuals, such as Prince Obolensky from the 1930s who gained two rugby blues representing Oxford and the legendary English Wing Threequarter Cyril Lowe who was a rare ‘Triple Blue’ representing Cambridge in 1911, 1912 and 1913. These great teams and characters provide the inspiration for our Ellis Rugby Varsity Rugby Collection.
We’ve recently completed the first in a series of small promotional videos, with the help of Brand Lab Fashion. This first clip shows our superb ‘Varsity T-Shirt’ – a garment of exceptional quality.
If you want to check out the full range, follow this link