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2014 Varsity Match: Champagne Fives

Rodney Knight reports:

If victory in this historic encounter were to be measured in bottles of Pol Roger Champagne, the laurels this year would go to Oxford 9-3. The Men’s Blues match was in fact decisively won by Cambridge 3-0, however, while the Oxford Peppers won their match equally convincingly and the Oxford Ladies achieved a second successive 6-0 whitewash.

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2009 Varsity Match

Rodney Knight reports:

The Battle of Wills

Oxford 2, Cambridge 1

The slightly later date of this time-honoured encounter produced the mildest weather for some years and ensured that natural light could be enjoyed throughout by players and spectators alike.

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Varsity Match 2013: The Wind of Change

The 2013 Pol Roger Varsity Match took place at Eton on Saturday and saw dominant performances from the Cambridge men and the Oxford ladies.

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2008 Varsity Match

Dale Vargas reports:

Cambridge 3, Oxford 0

The Eton Fives match is a comparative youngster as Varsity matches go: the first Rackets match was played in 1852, Real Tennis in 1859 and even Squash was played three years before the first Eton Fives match in 1928. However, eighty years later, it is a pleasure to report a keenly fought contest of high quality fives: the fact that Cambridge won the blues match 3-0 - their fourth victory in a row - hides the fact that courts 2 and 3 both went to five games.

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2012 Varsity Match: Oxford regain the crown

Rodney Knight reports:

In this Jubilee year it was the Dark Blues who swept the board in the Men's Blues match; and although Cambridge Penguins did the same in the second team match, the Light Blues have reason to be disappointed with their result on the day. The Ladies match saw a clean sweep for the Oxford team, whilst Cambridge took the Alumni match 5-1.

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2007 Varsity Match

Rodney Knight reports:

Rain encourages Play

On a very wet but mild day at Eton, a collection of nearly 50 supporters were fortunate to see Fives of a high standard in all courts in this time-honoured encounter, which produced a third successive win for the Light Blues.

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2011 Varsity Match: Cambridge edge historic contest

Rodney Knight reports:

In fine but cold weather, the newly refurbished Eton College courts welcomed this historic Varsity Match first, courtesy of the Provost and Fellows; and the occasion did not disappoint. Not just two men’s teams as has been the tradition now for 50 years, but for the frist time ever, two full teams of ladies contested the highly-prized result.

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2006 Varsity Match

Rodney Knight reports:

Some flat spots in Cambridge Win.

How often is a win achieved without some minor setbacks? Or in the case of this 2006 Pol Roger Varsity Match the major setbacks of having to pass round the winners' magnums, due to an unfortunate mix-up over the champagne for the Reception and then discovering that the team bus has a flat battery when you set out for home and victory celebrations!?

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2010 Varsity Match: Light Blue skies over Eton

The sunny but bitterly cold weather favoured Cambridge this year in an enjoyable and closely fought match at Eton, courtesy of the Provost and Fellows.

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2005 Varsity Match

Rodney Knight reports:

Blue was the colour.....including spectators

The Dunbar brothers again made the news in the Varsity Match held at Eton courtesy of the Provost and Fellows on a bitter February afternoon, the absence of one almost certainly losing the match for Oxford, the presence of the other ensuring that it was not a Cambridge whitewash!

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