Cambridge University RUFC announce men’s and women’s squads for Varsity Matches against Oxford at Twickenham

A host of returning Blues have been named in the Cambridge University RUFC men’s and women’s squads for next weekend’s Varsity Matches at Twickenham.

As expected, the men will be without former England international Toby Flood, who had been due to skipper the side prior to suffering a serious injury during last November’s Steele-Bodgers clash at Grange Road.

Hooker Ben Gompels – formerly of Bristol Rugby – will instead be the player to lead the team out at the home of English rugby on Saturday, March 25.

Tim Andrew, Max Loveridge, Laurence Marwood and Stephen Clark-Leonard are four Blues that have been included in the starting XV, while Danny Collins, Charles Favell and Alex King are among the replacements in a 23-man selection.

Tommaso Castello, who has earned 18 caps at senior international level for Italy, is also an option to head coach James Shanahan from the bench.

The women’s team, who will be looking to protect an unbeaten record in the fixture that stretches back to 2016, are to be captained by Millie Bushrod.

She is one of eight Blues in the starting line-up alongside Nancy Twigg, Emily Bell, Laura Vass, Vianney Gomezgil Yaspik, Hetta Friend, Hilde Schneemann and Rosemary Scowen.

The women’s match will start at 12pm, with the men’s encounter getting under way at 3pm. Tickets for both games can be purchased by clicking this link.

Cambridge men starting XV

15. Ty Willis (Magdalene), 14. Tim Andrew (Jesus), 13. Tom Molloy (Fitzwilliam), 12. Max Loveridge (Jesus), 11. Samuel Odu (Gonville and Caius), 10. Jamie Benson (Downing), 9. David Holdroyd (Jesus)

1. Angus Peters (Wolfson), 2. Ben Gompels (Lucy Cavendish), 3. Laurence Marwood (St Edmund's), 4. Matthew Symons (Queen's), 5. Byron Hodge (Wolfson), 6. Stephen Clark-Leonard (Emmanuel), 7. Shawn Ingle (Magdalene), 8. Christian Stehilk (Wolfson)

Replacements: 16. Ben Mills (Wolfson), 17. Danny Collins (Fitzwilliam), 18. Connor Fairman (Homerton), 19. Charles Kantolinna (Jesus), 20. Fergus Hughes (St Edmund's), 21. Charles Favell (Homerton), 22. Tommaso Castello (Hughes Hall), 23. Alex King (St Catharine's)

Cambridge women starting XV

15. Nancy Twigg (Homerton), 14. Emily Bell (Fitzwilliam), 13. Laura Vass (Fitzwilliam), 12. Polly Hipkiss (Queen's), 11. Ellie O'Keefe (Emmanuel), 10. Phoebe Jackson (Wolfson), 9 Millie Bushrod (Pembroke)

1. Vianny Gomezgil Yaspik (St Edmund's), 2. Great Grabauskaite (Fitzwilliam), 3. Grace Izinyon (Darwin), 4. Hetta Friend (Robinson), 5. Hilde Schneemann (Darwin), 6. Buzz Gilks (St John's), 7. Phoebe Smith (Clare), 8. Rosemary Scowen (Magdalene)

Replacements: 16 Amy Rees (Churchill), 17. Juliette Beunat (Selwyn), 18. Cassie Hayward (Trinity Hall), 19. Bethan Jones (Pembroke), 20. Samantha Mason (Clare), 21. Karla Boxall (Newnham), 22. Poppy Gilks (Trinity), 23. Nalini Ram-Prasad (Corpus Christi)