Cambridge University footballers aiming for Varsity Match double at expense of Oxford University at Cambridge United’s Abbey Stadium

Cambridge University Association Football Club will be looking to follow the example set by their rugby union counterparts on Friday (15 March).

Earlier this month, Cambridge University Rugby Union Football Club enjoyed a memorable men’s and women’s Varsity Match double victory over their opposition from Oxford at the StoneX Stadium in north London.

And now it is the turn of the footballers, who will be aiming to follow suit at Cambridge United’s Cledara Abbey Stadium.

For the men, a Varsity victory could potentially wrap up a treble. Having already won the cup, the team have a league decider today (Wednesday, 13 March) at Loughborough University before locking horns with Oxford 48 hours later.

“We feel pretty confident. We’ve had a pretty successful season and we know our own game, which we’ll be looking to play,” said captain Cai La Trobe-Roberts. “Staying calm (is key). We have some special players and if they stay calm, they’ll perform – as simple as that.

“They don’t need to be hyped up, they don’t need any extra motivation. They want to win and as along as they stay clam, I think we’ll do that.”

The women, meanwhile, have also racked up some impressive results this term – most notably in the National Cup.

They reached the semi-finals before bowing out to Exeter University – and co-captain Abbie Hastie believes that experience will hold her side in good stead.

She said: “If you look at the cup this year, we reached the semi-finals and we pushed Exeter. That experience though will help the girls deal with the pressure of Varsity.

“And from a football perspective it will help as well. In the second and third round of the cup, we defended well and dealt with the pressure put on us by very good sides.

“The way we kept calm, the way we kept our shape – that will help us in terms of keeping our concentration. That should give us confidence against Oxford and help with the mentality of having to grind out results.”

Hastie is also hoping to see a big crowd turn out for the occasion, which she feels would give the two Cambridge sides a welcome boost.

She added: “It will be really influential. The bulk of the crowd will be Cambridge and we’ve sold quite a few tickets – and hopefully we’ll sell a few more leading up to the game.

“The bulk of the crowd being Cambridge, hopefully that will be intimidating for Oxford. We played at Oxford City last year and there wasn’t many people watching, which I think helped us – we didn’t have a baying Oxford crowd looking on.

“If we can get supporters singing I’m sure that will help us massively.”

The women’s fixture is scheduled to kick off at 5pm, with the men getting under way at 8pm.