Women make their mark at Cambridge as well

HQ heroines: Cambridge women’s team at Twickenahm in 2017

WOMEN’S rugby started to really blossom in the late 1980s. England played their first international against Wales in April 1987 and the women of Cambridge were determined to register their presence, accepting the challenge of their Oxford counterparts to meet at Iffley Road in 1988.

Cambridge emerged victorious 8-6 that day and the late try scorer was Sophia Mirchandani, nee Peggers, the Cambridge No.8 who remembers the early days.

“We had started playing at my college, Robinson, just for a laugh because we were bored with other sports.But the word spread and we got a team together with a few other more adventurous types from other universities. We trained and played on parkland or any pitch anybody would lend us. We weren’t allowed anywhere near the men’s ground at the time. I don’t think they took us very seriously.

“We weren’t allowed to use any of the light blue shirts either but I managed to get my dad to bend a friend’s arm and get a little bit of sponsorship from Kent and Curwen who rustled up a set of jerseys for us. I think they were red and blue hoops. Those of us who were graduating passed the jerseys on so the newcomers to the team the next year would have the right kit. We managed just one warm up game and we got absolutely hammered by Hull University. A couple of the boys did help with some coaching as the game approached – Andy Mason and the Blues captain Mark Hancock. It would be fair to say we had low expectations going into the game and were pleasantly surprised to win.”

Since 1997 there has been a Varsity Second XV fixture – Cambridge Tigers v Oxford Panthers – while Twickenham has been the venue for the main match since 2015 although along with the men they moved to Welford Road during the pandemic.