|
THE UNIVERSITIES that host the oldest continuous sporting competition in the world played the longest-running Australian football contest held outside of Australia last weekend.
Oxford and Cambridge, hosts of the famous boat race held yearly since 1829, met for their 88th consecutive annual Australian football match, with Oxford winning 8.11 (59) to Cambridge’s 5.2 (32).
Inaugurated by a group of expatriates studying at the universities after World War I, the game is one of the oldest varsity matches,player issue football shirts, and continues to attract Australian scholars homesick for their code.
As an Oxford Rhodes Scholar in the 1970s, AFL Commission chairman and former Carlton captain Mike Fitzpatrick had some unique experiences in his three varsity matches.
In his second year, in 1976, the politics,chelsea personalised shirt, philosophy and economics student had the bizarre experience of playing football on a frozen field.
“Everyone was skating around on their stops and you had to be very careful one, when you were running, and two, when you fell,” Fitzpatrick recalls.
The following year was the first time he saw an umpire sent off the ground.
Despite having a perfectly capable umpire to half time, an insistent spectator who claimed to have umpiring skills was given the chance to show his wares.
“After about five minutes there were blues all over the ground,scotland football kits, he just didn’t have the authority our original umpire had,” Fitzpatrick says.
“It was the only time I’ve seen an umpire sent off. I think he was actually pretty relieved.”
Some of Fitzpatrick’s teammates would go on to hold distinguished posts back at home Supreme Court of Victoria judge Chris Maxwell, Joe Santamaria QC, incoming ANZ chairman Sir Rod Eddington, and Oz Minerals CEO Andrew Michelmore, to name a few.
The Australian Rhodes Scholars padded out the Oxford team, while Cambridge often attracted an influx of rugby league and union players from London who “had no idea what was going on”.
In recent years, players from Ireland and Canada have become common as the game’s reach extends internationally.
“There’s a huge atmosphere for it, because it’s one of the longest running games. At least the Australians and New Zealanders will try and get involved in the game, and then that attracts the other nationalities as well,” says Oxford University Australian Rules Football Club president and captain, Travers McLeod.
Originally from Exmouth, WA, McLeod is a Rhodes Scholar studying for a Masters in International Relations.
He says the match was talked up from the moment he arrived at Oxford. The game is an all-day affair that emulates the Australian country town tradition of hosting football,football shirts design, netball and post-match celebrations. Hosted alternately by the universities, the 2008 match took place at Cambridge.
“It’s quite a big day. We have obviously the game between the men and there’s also an annual varsity netball match between the two Australian-New Zealand societies at Oxford and Cambridge,” McLeod says.
Supporter buses bring university students and alumni along in their hundreds,man utd new away kit, weather permitting.
“You’re on a hiding to nothing here with the weather,” McLeod explains.
“If it’s a nice day then you could have a couple of hundred people watching it but if it’s pouring down with rain … you’re going to have less.”
Not even last year’s record-breaking score line a 97-point win to the Oxford Blues deterred the loyal band of supporters, who have maintained steady numbers since Fitzpatrick’s day.
“They were really the only big event we had for Australians, not only around Oxford and Cambridge, but also elsewhere in the British Isles,” Fitzpatrick says.
“It’s a terrific day for Aussies from London and everywhere in the UK.”
|
