OxPo Rugby Fixtures 2025

A chance encounter between two students on a Eurorail train in August 1978 led to a party of Sciences Po students touring Oxford the following spring, playing matches against St John’s RFC and ‘Bear Essentials RFC’ (a now-defunct team associated with the Oxford pub of the same name). After a narrow victory 12–9 over the Parisian tourists in 1979, St John’s captain, Howard Kerr, led a return trip to Paris in 1980. Although the return leg of the tour finished in a draw, it cemented an annual tradition between the two institutions.

With but a handful of exceptions (Covid-19), an ‘OxPo’ fixture has taken place every year since, its date and location determined by ‘Le Crunch’, the annual England versus France Six Nations game. Over the decades, OxPo matches have taken place in various guises, from games of social touch rugby games featuring many of the 1979/80 tourists (often joined by friends and family) to fiercely contested, full-contact 15-a-side fixtures between current students. In 2024, SASJRFC won the OxPo Cup in dramatic fashion thanks to a last-minute interception try from Luke Moore.

This past weekend (8–9 February 2025), Sciences Po’s men’s first XV travelled to Oxford to try and reclaim the OxPo Cup. They were joined by their women’s XV (‘Les Birds’) for an inaugural fixture against OURFCs women*s team at Iffley Road, as well as a dedicated group of ‘Old Boys’.

The weekend’s action kicked off at the St John’s Sports Ground with the ‘Old Boys’ touch rugby match. Undeterred by the miserable weather, the veterans showed impressive skills and slick handling, reinforcing the point made by Sir Clive Woodward (England’s 2003 Rugby World Cup-winning coach) at the 40th-anniversary OxPo celebration: while the pace of play may have slowed since the 1979/80 tours, the passion for the game — and the friendships it inspires — remains as strong as ever.

The men’s first XV fixture kicked off at 12.30, with the Saints taking an early lead through last season’s captain, Jacques Bowkley. A combination of a spirited French defence, inclement conditions, and some confused decision making from the Saints fly-half limited further attacking opportunities for much of the first half. However, both teams made wholesale changes at the break, triggering a rapid exchange of tries from the wings shortly into the second half. Buoyed by vociferous support from the sidelines and the stirring thought of returning the OxPo Cup to the piano in the St John’s College Bar, the Saints re-established a foothold in the game through strong forwards play, a pick-and-go try from Paddy Breeze taking them to a 19-12 lead. Despite some late flashes of French flair, the Saints were able to hold on to their lead, keeping the cup safe in Oxford for another year. Alex Middleton-Hill was awarded MotM for a dominant defensive performance from the wing. Le troisieme demi also fell in Saints’ favour, with England beating France 26–25 in ‘Le Crunch’.

However, the weekend was not a washout for the French, as Sciences Po’s women’s team triumphed at Iffley Road. The well-drilled attack of ‘Les Birds’ proved too much for OURFC’s women*s Blues, securing the Parisian’s a 39–14 victory.

Many thanks to our French friends for a fantastic weekend of rugby. We look forward to Paris 2026! Vive OxPo.