The Scottish Varsity
Rugby union fixture
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The Scottish Varsity is an annual rugby union fixture between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. In the Men's match, as of 2025, both St Andrews and Edinburgh are tied at seven victories each since the revival of the match in 2011. First played in the 1860s, it is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football.[1][a]
| Teams | |
|---|---|
| First meeting | 1860s |
History
Edinburgh University RFC was founded in 1857 and the University of St Andrews Rugby Football Club the following year.[5] Fixtures began in the 1860s, making this the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football.[1][b]
In 1873, the University of St Andrews RFC and the Edinburgh University RFC, along with six other clubs, were foundering members of the Scottish Football Union (now, Scottish Rugby Union). Edinburgh University had joined the Rugby Football Union in 1871 and renounced their membership to join the SFU.[9]
The Scottish Varsity was resurrected in 2011 after a hiatus of over 50 years and was staged in London at the home of London Scottish RFC in order to build alumni relations.[10] In 2015, the match returned to Scotland in Murrayfield Stadium and drew a crowd of over 10,000 spectators.[11] In 2021, the match was played at University Park, the home of University of St Andrews RFC, due to Covid-19 pandemic crowd restrictions. The match is normally held in late September and has received coverage from Sky Sports, the BBC and IRB’s Total Rugby.[12]
The match has been named after its sponsor, The Royal Bank of Scotland, since 2015,[13] and has enjoyed popular support since the rivalry was renewed in 2011.[14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]
Men's Results
Varsity matches were initially held on St. Andrew's Day but have been moved earlier to late September, they have attracted notable attendees including her Royal Highness Princess Anne in 2012.[24]
| No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 30 November 2011 | Richmond Athletic Ground, London | 32 – 0 | Edinburgh |
| 2 | 30 November 2012 | Richmond Athletic Ground, London | 28 – 8 | Edinburgh |
| 3 | 28 September 2013 | Richmond Athletic Ground, London | 24 – 15 | St Andrews |
| 4 | 27 September 2014 | Richmond Athletic Ground, London | 17 – 12 | St Andrews |
| 5 | 26 September 2015 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 27 – 26 | St Andrews |
| 6 | 24 September 2016 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 24 – 12 | St Andrews |
| 7 | 23 September 2017 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 31 – 7 | Edinburgh |
| 8 | 22 September 2018 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 26 – 15 | Edinburgh |
| 9 | 21 September 2019 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 62 – 0 | Edinburgh |
| 10 | 25 September 2021 | University Park, St Andrews | 18 – 5 | St Andrews |
| 11 | 24 September 2022 | Peffermill, Edinburgh | 24 – 14 | St Andrews |
| 12 | 23 September 2023 | University Park, St Andrews | 32 – 29 | Edinburgh |
| 13 | 21 September 2024 | Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh | 24 – 13 | St Andrews |
| 14 | 20 September 2025 | Edinburgh Rugby Stadium, Edinburgh | 26 – 23 | Edinburgh |
By total wins (Men's)
| Total matches | St Andrews victories | Edinburgh victories | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14 | 7 | 7 | 0 |
Women's Results
In 2014, the inaugural Women's Varsity Match took place in the form of a 7-a-side match; it continued to take place as a 15-a-side match until 2019.[25] Edinburgh won all six matches played between 2014 and 2019.
| No. | Date | Venue | Score | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 September 2014 | Richmond Athletic Ground, London | 24 – 0 | Edinburgh |
| 2 | 26 September 2015 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 36 – 7 | Edinburgh |
| 3 | 24 September 2016 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 97 – 0 | Edinburgh |
| 4 | 23 September 2017 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 53 – 5 | Edinburgh |
| 5 | 22 September 2018 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 49 – 0 | Edinburgh |
| 6 | 21 September 2019 | Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh | 52 – 0 | Edinburgh |
By total wins (Women's)
| Total matches | St Andrews victories | Edinburgh victories | Draws |
|---|---|---|---|
| 6 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
See also
Notes
- The University Match and The Boat Race were first held in 1827 and 1829 respectively and are also varsity matches.[2] The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games were first held in 1864.[3] However, the Oxford-Cambridge varsity matches in rugby union and association football were first held in 1872 and 1874 respectively although intercollegiate matches in association football date back earlier.[4] The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers football game was the first intercollegiate football game in the United States while the first intercollegiate rugby football game in the United States took place in 1874 when Harvard University played against McGill University.
- The University Match and The Boat Race were first held in 1827 and 1829 respectively and are also varsity matches.[6] The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games were first held in 1864.[7] However, the Oxford-Cambridge varsity matches in rugby union and association football were first held in 1872 and 1874 respectively although intercollegiate matches in association football date back earlier.[8] The 1869 Princeton vs. Rutgers football game was the first intercollegiate football game in the United States while the first intercollegiate rugby football game in the United States took place in 1874 when Harvard University played against McGill University.