About The Scottish Varsity Match
INAUGURAL SCOTTISH VARSITY MATCH
2011 /
With no league fixtures scheduled between the two university sides for the forthcoming season, a friendly match was organised at the Richmond Athletic Ground in London. The inaugural Scottish Varsity Match turned out to be a huge success with over 1500 spectators in attendance and the game covered by Sky Sports, the BBC and IRB’s Total Rugby. Edinburgh University ran out worthy winners 32-0.
2012 /
Edinburgh University won the Scottish Varsity Match for the second year in a row when the sides met again in 2012, beating St Andrews 28-8 after a hard-fought contest at the Richmond Athletic Ground. The 2012 match was the second time the fixture had been played in London. It was preceded by a dinner attended by her Royal Highness Princess Anne, Edinburgh University Chancellor and patron to London Scottish, at the Caledonian Club in London.
2013 /
When the two sides met again in 2013 for the third match at the Richmond Athletic Ground, St Andrews took revenge, the final score ending 24-15. Following this success St Andrews went on to be undefeated in their Scottish Championship campaign, but narrowly lost out in the playoffs, which would have seen both universities competing in the BUCS Premier North B league in 2014-15.
2014 /
St Andrews went on to retain the Scottish Varsity Match trophy in 2014 after another tightly contested battle, eventually winning 17-12.
In addition to the men’s game, the 2014 event also saw the inaugural Women’s Varsity Match take place in the form of a sevens game, played during half-time. Edinburgh proved to be the much stronger outfit and ran away with the victory 24-0.
SCOTTISH VARSITY MATCH COMES HOME
In 2015 the Scottish Varsity Match came home to Scotland after four successful fixtures in London. Sponsored by the Royal Bank of Scotland, the match was played at BT Murrayfield in front of 10,000 spectators, with the Women’s 1st XV fixture preceding the Men’s 1st XV match on the international pitch.
RESULTS
Men
| 2023 | Edinburgh 32-29 St Andrews | University Park, St Andrews |
| 2022 | St Andrews 24-14 Edinburgh | Peffermill, Edinburgh |
| 2021 | St Andrews 18-5 Edinburgh | University Park, St Andrews |
| 2020 | CANCELLED | COVID-19 Pandemic |
| 2019 | Edinburgh 62-0 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2018 | Edinburgh 26-15 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2017 | Edinburgh 31-7 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2016 | St Andrews 24-12 Edinburgh | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2015 | St Andrews 27-26 Edinburgh | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2014 | St Andrews 17-12 Edinburgh | Richmond Athletic, London |
| 2013 | St Andrews 24-15 Edinburgh | Richmond Athletic, London |
| 2012 | Edinburgh 28-8 St Andrews | Richmond Athletic, London |
| 2011 | Edinburgh 32-0 St Andrews | Richmond Athletic, London |
Women
| 2020 | CANCELLED | COVID-19 Pandemic |
| 2019 | Edinburgh 52-0 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2018 | Edinburgh 28-8 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2017 | Edinburgh 53-5 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2016 | Edinburgh 97-0 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2015 | Edinburgh 36-7 St Andrews | BT Murrayfield, Edinburgh |
| 2014 (7s) | Edinburgh 24-0 St Andrews | Richmond Athletic, London |
MIXED TOUCH
| 2023 | Edinburgh 6-5 St Andrews | University Park, St Andrews |
KERI HOLDSWORTH PLAYER OF THE MATCH
THE ‘PLAYER OF THE MATCH’ FOR THE WOMEN’S SCOTTISH VARSITY MATCH IS AWARDED IN MEMORY OF KERI HOLDSWORTH.
Keri joined the University of Edinburgh’s Fasic Sports Medicine Centre in 2011 and worked closely with the University’s high performance sport programme. She died at the age of 36 following a car accident in June 2014.
Highly thought of as an excellent clinician, Keri had a kind and sympathetic attitude and displayed all the qualities of a truly professional physiotherapist. Her outstanding work with the University’s performance athletes showcased her strengths and she was key to the phenomenal success of this programme. She gave her time and expertise selflessly, and was hugely respected, popular and valued in return.
She was a strong team member, both professionally and socially, and played back row with Watsonians Club, while gaining 15 international caps for Scotland from 2008 to 2010. Keri also worked for the Scottish Rugby Union age grade teams and was club physiotherapist for Watsonians.
The Keri Holdsworth Player of the Match is a most fitting way of commemorating Keri’s life and her love of rugby and student sport.
The University of Edinburgh also bestows the Keri Holdsworth Performance Rugby Bursary; which is awarded each year to talented player(s) within Edinburgh University Ladies Rugby Club. The first recipients of this award were Scotland Senior International, Sarah Law, and Scotland U-20 International, Rhona Lloyd.
| 2019 | Meryl Smith (Edinburgh) |
| 2018 | Lucy Winter (Edinburgh) |
| 2017 | Amy Walter (Edinburgh) |
| 2016 | Megan Gaffney (Edinburgh) |
| 2015 | Lisa Thomson (Edinburgh) |
STEVEN SIMS MAN OF THE MATCH
THE ‘MAN OF THE MATCH’ FOR THE MEN’S SCOTTISH VARSITY MATCH IS AWARDED IN MEMORY OF STEVEN SIMS
Steven was the heartbeat of University of St Andrews RFC during his time at the club in which he filled committee roles of secretary, treasurer, club captain and in his final year 1st XV captain.
Steven passed away unexpectedly after taking ill and going for a check-up at hospital. He died of a rare blood condition called ITP, a condition that is not thought to be life threatening. The loss of such an inspirational figure at the club and the University was felt hard, as it was amongst the communities of Stewart’s Melville College where he attended school and Fife Police Pipe Band where he competed at world level (after teaching himself how to play both the drums and the bagpipes).
‘Simsy’ encapsulated what the great game of rugby is all about. He wanted to play hard yet play fair and to give his all at every opportunity. He was the captain of the club when the ‘new era’ of a Director of Rugby and the ‘professional approach’ at the University began, in what had been a club steeped in the amateur traditions with the fear of moving forward, to one that worked hard.
To achieve and fulfil its potential. Steve helped create a performance culture at the club and was a role model in terms of going to the gym, working on his skills and his desire and drive to win but at the same time he enjoyed all the off field social aspects of the club and helped new first year students settle in and feel a belonging to something special.
It is fitting for the Man of the Match award to be named after a person who gave their all every time he stepped onto the pitch, who had an extreme desire to win but knew that nothing less than 100% effort and commitment was all you could ask for, regardless of the result.
More information can be found on the Steve Sims Cavaliers website, who are a group of Steven’s friends from across the world that raise money for charity: http://www.cavaliersrfc.co.uk/
| 2023 | Hugo Flinn (Edinburgh) |
| 2022 | John Paterson (St Andrews) |
| 2021 | Campbell Murray (St Andrews) |
| 2020 | No match - COVID |
| 2019 | James Small-Edwards (Edinburgh) |
| 2018 | Harry Ryan (Edinburgh) |
| 2017 | Ben Rose (Edinburgh) |
| 2016 | Scott Docherty (St Andrews) |
| 2015 | Finn Murphy (St Andrews) |