Oxford-Cambridge (water polo)

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One of the most traditional sports comparisons of the centuries-old rivalry between the English universities of Oxford and Cambridge is the duel between the two water polo teams. The duel between the two universities, which is called a varsity match , similar to the rugby comparison , was played for the first time in 1891 and is considered the oldest regularly held water polo comparison in the world.

development

The sport of water polo had also been developed in the second half of the 19th century in the British Isles and had spread rapidly there. The challenges Cambridge faced towards Oxford are believed to date back to 1882. The first documented game was played on October 16, 1891, only three years after the first English championship for club teams and only one year after the first international water polo match in swimming history . This first Varsity Duel came in the lack of a swimming pool on site in the capital London and brought a 4: 1 success Oxford.

The Inter-Varsity water polo match, the first of it's kind, is fixed for next Friday, at the Crown Baths, Kennington Oval, at 7.20pm. Owing to the want of a covered swimming bath at Cambridge, water polo can only be played at the sheds, and at the close of a bad season like the present men are necessarily very much out of practice. Our team will feel the loss of Muttlebury, who is unable to play, and our opponents have a strong team.

Since then, with the exception of the World War I (1914–1918 and 1940–1945), the games have been played annually. The overall balance of all games (as of 2013) shows 65 wins for Cambridge against 33 wins at Oxford; 15 games ended in a draw. In addition to the annual Varsity Match , both teams also take part in the British University Championships (BUCS).

The first duel between the women's teams from both universities followed in 1984 at a time when women's water polo was beginning to establish itself across Europe. Here Cambridge is in the front with 19:10 wins (as of 2013). Both men's and women's games are now held in February in a double event, with home law changing annually.

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cambridge Review , October 15, 1891. Here at http://www.cuswpc.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=37&Itemid=60 , accessed on September 21, 2013.