The Ice Hockey Varsity Match is a longstanding competition between the Cambridge and Oxford University Ice Hockey Clubs.
History Tradition places the origin of the match in 1885, when a game is said to have been played in St Moritz.Phil Drackett, Flashing Blades This date is recognised by the Hockey Hall of Fame, and prior to the 1985 Varsity Match, the International Ice Hockey Federation formally recognised the game played a century earlier as having been the first ice hockey match played in Europe.Oxford University Ice Hockey Club: Murky Beginnings However, there is no contemporary evidence that the 1885 match took place, and Oxford now claim that it was a bandy match. If the 1885 date is accepted, this is the oldest rivalry in ice hockey.Cambridge University Ice Hockey ClubOxford University Ice Hockey Club: Truth & Rumours
The oldest surviving evidence of the competition is a team photo and roster from 1895, for a game played on Blenheim Lake in Oxford, although this was definitely a bandy match. The first match usually counted as an ice hockey contest is that of 16 March 1900 at Princes Skating Club, although at Oxford's insistence, it was played using bandy sticks and a lacrosse ball.Martin C. Harris, Homes of British Ice Hockey
The following year, another Varsity Match was played at Princes, this time with hockey stick and a puck. However, a 1902 match at Blenheim Lake was again a bandy match.
The competition became established in 1909; the two universities then met each other on a European rink each year until World War I. From 1927, the match has been played for the Patton Cup, named for Peter Patton, the first President of the British Ice Hockey Association. It was then played most years until 1932, when it returned to England, being played at Richmond Ice Rink. The annual matches of the 1930s may no longer have been of professional standard, but they were able to attract crowds up to 10,000 strong.Cambridge University Ice Hockey Club: History In 2016, the Patton Cup was replaced by the King Edward VII Cup.
Other than a gap during World War II, the matches have continued annually ever since, and from 1996 alternated between Oxford Ice Rink and a rink nominated by Cambridge. After a two-decade campaign, championed by Prof. Bill Harris, Cambridge University opened their own rink for the 2019-2020 season and hosted the 2020 Match. Oxford, historically strengthened by Rhodes Scholars have won more than two-thirds of the encounters.
Results No.DatePlaceWinnerResult1(Bandy Match)St. MoritzOxford6-0Match not held from 1886 to 18942(Bandy Match)Blenheim LakeOxford6-1Match not held from 1896 to 18993Princes, LondonOxford7-64Princes, LondonCambridge6-55(Bandy Match)Blenheim LakeTie2-2Match not held from 1903 to 19086WengenOxford5-37MürrenOxford5-38MürrenCambridge2-09MürrenCambridge1-010MürrenCambridge10-0Match not held from 1914 to 1919 due to World War I11MürrenTie0-012MürrenOxford27-013MürrenOxford8-114MürrenOxford3-015St. MoritzOxford11-016St. MoritzCambridge3-017St. MoritzCambridge1-018ZürichOxford1-019St. MoritzCambridge2-120St. MoritzOxford5-121RichmondOxford7-022OxfordOxford1-023OxfordOxford4-224RichmondOxford3-225Earl's CourtCambridge2-026HarringayCambridge5-127Site UnknownOxford1-028Earl's CourtCambridge2-029HarringayOxford4-2Match not held from 1941 to 1946 due to World War II30BrightonOxford15-431BrightonOxford5-232RichmondOxford4-333RichmondOxford3-034RichmondOxford6-335Site UnknownCambridge8-236RichmondOxford5-337RichmondOxford7-438RichmondOxford29-039RichmondOxford11-140RichmondOxford5-241RichmondCambridge6-142RichmondCambridge13-143RichmondCambridge6-544RichmondOxford7-545RichmondCambridge11-146RichmondCambridge6-447RichmondOxford6-448RichmondOxford3-149RichmondOxford16-250BlackpoolOxford18-251BlackpoolOxford14-352SolihullOxford3-253SolihullOxford6-154BlackpoolOxford13-555BlackpoolOxford10-056BillinghamOxford8-257WembleyOxford5-158BillinghamOxford4-259SolihullOxford3-160SolihullCambridge7-461SolihullOxford11-162SouthamptonOxford5-163SolihullCambridge5-164StreathamCambridge6-565StreathamOxford7-566PeterboroughTie3-367StreathamCambridge6-368PeterboroughOxford5-169Oxford Ice RinkCambridge8-570Oxford Ice RinkOxford9-171Oxford Ice RinkOxford11-372Oxford Ice RinkOxford15-473Oxford Ice RinkOxford18-174Oxford Ice RinkOxford9-275Oxford Ice RinkCambridge3-176Oxford Ice RinkOxford19-077Oxford Ice RinkOxford13-378Oxford Ice RinkOxford8-479Oxford Ice RinkOxford8-580StevenageOxford5-281Oxford Ice RinkCambridge8-182PeterboroughCambridge2-183Oxford Ice RinkOxford4-284PeterboroughCambridge12-585Oxford Ice RinkCambridge8-186PeterboroughOxford4-3(OT)87Oxford Ice RinkCambridge5-188Milton KeynesOxford6-189Oxford Ice RinkOxford6-190PeterboroughOxford11-191Oxford Ice RinkOxford8-292Planet Ice Arena Milton KeynesOxford4-293Oxford Ice RinkOxford6-5(OT)94PeterboroughCambridge5-195Oxford Ice RinkOxford17-196PeterboroughCambridge8-297Oxford Ice RinkOxford13-798PeterboroughCambridge10-099Oxford Ice RinkCambridge4-3100PeterboroughCambridge8-3100*St. MoritzOxford4-3(OT)101Oxford Ice RinkCambridge8-1102Cambridge Ice RinkCambridge8-0103Oxford Ice RinkCambridge4-3(SO)104Cambridge Ice RinkCambridge4-2105Oxford Ice RinkCambridge4-0106Cambridge Ice RinkCambridge6-2107Oxford Ice RinkOxford3-2(OT)108Cambridge Ice RinkCambridge5-1
See also
List of British and Irish varsity matches
References