Jefferies to Sponsor the Varsity Matches

Jefferies has today been announced as the new title sponsor for The Varsity Matches —the annual Rugby Union fixtures between Oxford University and Cambridge University. Known as ‘the Battle of the Blues’, the matches are now key events in the Rugby calendar, taking place at Twickenham and televised live.

The 2022 fixtures will be the 150th anniversary of the first meeting between the sides, which took place at The Parks, Oxford, on 10 February 1872. The ‘Oxford Football Club’ was founded in 1869 and Cambridge followed in 1871. The current series stands at 64-61 in favour of Cambridge, with 14 matches drawn.

Both Jefferies and The Varsity Matches share a commitment to supporting inclusion through increased gender diversity, LGBTQ+ awareness, and creating lasting social change in the local communities where employees and students live and work. As part of the sponsorship, the two will collaborate on a series of initiatives including promotion of higher level education for students in disadvantaged communities, LGBTQ+ awareness campaigns to expand ally networks, and partnering with Leonard Cheshire, a charity that supports independent living and working for people of varying abilities. They will also be continuing the partnership with Whale and Dolphin Conservation on sustainability awareness projects such as urban beach cleans and the fan cup initiative in the stadium on match day.

Tim Jones, Chairman of the Varsity Match Company, said: “This is a major boost for our two showpiece matches and will add extra lustre to our celebration game at Twickenham in 2022. The partnership with Jefferies also fills us with confidence about the direction in which we are moving with our fixtures. Having added the women’s match to our big day out at Twickenham in 2015 we now offer a double dose of excitement every year.”

“Whilst we are incredibly proud of the 150 year rivalry between the two universities, we also realise we have to continue to evolve to ensure we provide the best possible student rugby experiences for the players at both Oxford and Cambridge. We also want to continue using our platform to encourage and inspire more participation in sport from all backgrounds, especially from those in more challenging circumstances. We are hugely appreciative of the support provided by Jefferies and look forward to working with them.”