KCL & UCL prepare to battle at Varsity 2012

Rivalries are fierce between the constituent colleges of the University of London, but none are as intense as that between King’s and UCL. Over the past 180 years the rivalry has taken many forms; from the stealing of each other’s cherished mascots to pitched battles using Covent Garden’s rotten fruit as ammunition. In the modern era the focus of the animosity is set on the annual match between the institutions’ Men’s and Women’s rugby teams. This yearly clash is now less than three weeks away and preparations are well underway in both camps, and the Students’ Unions are working together to make this the best London Varsity to date.

This year the London Varsity is taking up a new residence at The Twickenham Stoop Stadium, home of the Harlequins. The number of supporters has been steadily growing over the years and the event has outgrown its previous grounds at Richmond. The new venue gives the opportunity for the two sides to play on premiership turf in front of a crowd of thousands. For the fans The Stoop promises to offer an atmosphere that is even better than what has been enjoyed at Richmond in the past. One of the exciting new features for the crowd are the private boxes that offer an unrivalled view of the whole pitch and like the standard tickets are available to purchase from the respective Students’ Unions now.

With the stage set the four teams involved are working hard to deliver their best performances of the season. Both Women’s teams have been enjoying every success in their BUCS leagues and remain unbeaten this season. A rather different tale is told for the Men’s sides that enjoyed each other’s company in the same BUCS division last year. UCL successfully fought off relegation whilst King’s secured promotion. However the tables have been turned this season and King’s, plagued by injuries, has struggled to perform in the higher division. Though since the Christmas break, a new found belief has come into the side and the 30 man Varsity training squad are now confident in their abilities and have been putting in admirable performances every Wednesday. Meanwhile UCL has been enjoying the success King’s had last year and are top of their division.

Last year’s Men’s match was truly unforgettable to those who played and those who watched. UCL outplayed King’s during the first half and started the second half 12-0 up. King’s began their comeback and in the final play, after thirty phases, man of the match Philip Jones scored a try under the posts to make it 15 all. Jake Janes kicked the winning points to settle the match 17-15 to King’s. This electrifying finish prompted a pitch invasion by the King’s fans that ran on to congratulate their new heroes.  It was a fitting end to an era of playing at Richmond and many of the crowd said that the finish was as dramatic as that witnessed in the legendary 2003 World Cup final.

All the teams are hoping to have a more comprehensive win over their opposition this year but Varsity never fails to disappoint the crowd’s desire for a tense, passionate and exciting match. So regardless of who you’re supporting on the night we look forward to seeing you in the stands, singing your hearts out and cheering your teams to victory.

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The London 2012 Varsity will take place on Friday 2 March 2012 at Twickenham Stoop, Langhorn Drive, Twickenham, Middlesex, TW2 7SX

For more information and latest updates visit: www.thelondonvarsity.com

Women’s kick off 5:30pm
Men’s kick off 7:30pm

Tickets for the match and after-party are available from kclsutickets.com