Last weekend was the biggest weekend of the season for OUWAFC as we traveled to Cambridge to play the 26th Annual Varsity Match between Oxford and Cambridge. While this game doesn't mean anything for the league or cup, it is merely a point of pride between the two Universities and two football clubs. However, the game does hold repercussions in that, if we win this match, members of the first team earn Blues, which is sort of the equivalent of a Varsity letter for Oxford. Furthermore, this is a rivalry that has spanned hundreds of years. The only other real rivalry I've ever had (between AF and Army) is a much newer rivalry and so it's been great to be a part of this old and well established athletic animosity.
Last year I was relegated to the substitute bench for the Varsity match considering I had only come back from my broken ankle the week before the game. It was rough to watch from the sideline, especially when we went down early and wound up losing the game 1-0. So, this year, revenge was in the air as we were looking for just the second double away win in Varsity Match history.
We left Oxford on Friday afternoon and arrived in Cambridge that evening. We had a team dinner at Zizzi's and then headed back to the hotel. Everyone came to my room and we made posters for the Furies match the next morning. The highlight of the evening, however, was undoubtedly the debut of Juice and Liz's amazing song. There are no words, you have to watch the video:
Because of the BIG day the next day, we got an early night and slept in before getting up for breakfast in the hotel. We then went to watch and cheer on the Furies in their match against the Cambridge Eagles. Cambridge’s second team is in our league and so Furies had already played them once this season, winning that contest 6-1. So, they were fairly confident in their chances in the match, but very few people would have predicted the absolute drubbing they gave the Eagles. It didn’t take long for the Furies to settle in to the game and they were quickly out to a lead, taking a 4-0 into halftime. They kept right on scoring in the second half and it actually got a bit boring to watch them run circles around the other team, finishing the game with an easy 7-0 victory for the largest win in Varsity Match history.
Following the Furies game (and some confusion from the Cambridge Blues about whether or not we’d actually be allowed to use the pitch we were meant to play on) we headed over to the Fenners Cricket Gound where our match would be played. It took us forever to get into our changing rooms but eventually we managed to change into our new kit and get out to warm up. Everyone was buzzing with great energy in the warmup and we were all really excited to get the game under way.
It took both teams some time to settle in and find a rhythm in the match, but we gained the upper hand early, keeping the ball in the Cambridge half and earning several early corners. On the second corner kick, I launched an in-swinging corner into the Cambridge area which curled into the goal at the back post. The Cambridge keeper reached back to clear the ball but it had already crossed the goal-line. After some confusion in the box that included a Cambridge player handling the ball on the line and the referee originally calling for a penalty kick, discussions between the referee and linesman led to the awarding of a goal and a 1-0 lead for us. We kept pressing in the half but despite several close shots and great chances, we failed to score another in the first half.
About 15 minutes into the second half Cambridge equalized with a freak goal. A Cambridge defender, deep inside her own half, cleared an attempt at a through ball, Her clearance bounced just outside the 18 yard box, caught the Oxford goalkeeper off-guard, and floated just over the keepers head and into the back of the net. Despite the Cambridge equalizer, we continued to push forward, eventually getting the go-ahead goal after some great play down the right wing from Juice and Rouse, resulting in Rouse putting the ball in the back of the net with a great finish.
The final whistle sent us, and our great crowd of supporters including Kristen, Neal, Sim, Adam Comer, and all the Furies players among others, into cheers and celebrations. It felt so amazing to get the win, get a goal, and play a genuinely competitive match unlike most of our games this season. We had the medal ceremony and trophy presentation which, as captain, was even better than I imagined. As I had promised Kirsty I would do if we won, I downed beer out of the cup, which, I must say, was absolutely disgusting!!
We then returned to the hotel (absolutely giddy and buzzing from the win) and got showered and changed for dinner. One of my favourite parts of the Varsity weekend is the dinner on Saturday night because everyone dresses up. I usually see my teammates in football clothing or in fancy dress (costumes) so its great to get to see them in dresses, hair done, makeup, etc. Its also fun to dress up every once in a while so I relish the chance.
We took taxis to Wolfson College and had a really nice dinner that sort of descended into anarchy…typical. Last year was far worse, with the Furies and Cambridge Blues (the winning teams) shouting and chanting abuse at the teams they had beaten. This year, considering both Oxford teams had won, we didn’t really feel the need to rub it into Cambridge’s faces and so we kept it pretty civilized until Cambridge started with the “fines”. Basically, someone stands up and says “I fine anyone who (fill in the blank)” and whoever that applies to has to stand up and drink. These fines ranged from tame ones like “fine anyone who scored today” to more questionable ones like “hooked up with their coach.” We traded fines back and forth between the two teams throughout the meal and then, when the meal was over, it was time for the Man of the Match presentations and speeches. It was at this point that the Cambridge captain decided to make a drunken fool of herself as she slurred her way through her speech, starting and stopping three or four different times before finally relinquishing the chair on which we were standing to be seen by the whole room. Since it was my turn, I got up on the chair and started to talk but the Cambridge captain decided she wasn’t quite done yet and attempted to get back on the chair. She was so drunk that she was literally swaying back and forth and I had to grab onto both her shoulders to keep her from falling off the chair as she rambled on some more. Finally, we got through all the speeches and it was time to move on to the club.
Apparently there is really only one club in Cambridge, Cindies (which isn’t even called Cindie’s, that’s just what everyone calls it) and so it was really crowded with tons of Cambridge and Oxford athletes celebrating Varsity. I had a great time chilling and dancing with my teammates and Neal and Simon who joined us at the club, although the downside of the night was when Soupy hit her head getting what was probably a pretty significant concussion… But overall, great night, great group of girls, great weekend.
The next morning was absolutely brutal. There was not a single person who wasn’t hungover and exhausted. Despite getting to sleep around 3 or 4, I still couldn’t sleep in and was up around 7:30 for some unknown reason. Eventually everyone rolled out of bed and got themselves out the door for the worst Minibus ride ever. It is a miracle that nobody was sick on the journey and I couldn’t have been happier to get back home to Oxford. Why I thought it’d be a good idea to go to a pub and watch the Arsenal-Birmingham Carling Cup final, have a few pints, and then go play 5-a-side with the guys is beyond me, but I did it anyways…. Oi.
All in all, it was an AMAZING weekend. I’m so happy we won, I’m so happy to have gotten the chance to play and become friends with these INCREDIBLE girls, I’m so blessed to have friends who come watch me play (I love you Neal and Kristen), and so happy to have gotten to have this amazing experience in my time here at Oxford. Oh and now I get a cool Blue Blazer (that I will never be able to wear once I go back to the states and am stuck in a Flight School most of the time).
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