Looking ahead to the 2025/26 season, there are still opportunities for postgraduate study at Oxford University, with many courses continuing to take applications until May. A full list of postgraduate courses that are still open can be found here.
Why come to Oxford for rugby?
OURFC offers a special experience where you get to play a high level of rugby whilst balancing academics at the best university in the world, nine years running. OURFC is perfectly placed for post-graduates who are exiting the professional game or finishing their undergraduate course and looking to progress both their rugby and academic studies. We are uniquely placed within the University for having our own grounds, stands for spectators (and home matches regularly exceeding 2,500 spectators), full-time rugby-specific staff, unlimited physio provision, and a clubhouse with a bar whose profits go back into making the player experience at OURFC the best it can be.
Both our Men*s and Women*s sections have three teams, with each 2nd XV also having weekly matches during term time. This means that there will always be an opportunity to play a match, even if you are not selected or available for the Blues game. All six teams play a Varsity Match against Cambridge in March; the Blues play at Saracens StoneX Stadium in London, and the 2s and 3s play alternatively at Iffley Road, Oxford, and Grange Road, Cambridge.
Our extended Blues squads, for both sections, also have access to Tier 1 of the University's Blues Performance Scheme. This means two coached strength and conditioning sessions per week, tailored to the needs of the Blues for each week of term, in the Blues Performance Gym - and we are lucky enough to have our own gym with 24/7 access for players if these sessions happen to clash with classes, labs, or meetings with supervisors.
The most important fixture in the Oxford calendar is The Varsity Matches, in which Oxford take on arch-rivals Cambridge in a fixture with over 150 years of history. We play our Varsity Matches at Saracens StoneX Stadium in London, which is an incredible opportunity to experience a professional facility at a match attended by Premiership talent scouts.
Players also have the opportunity to tour internationally every year. In the 24/25 season, our Women*s Blues toured the East Coast of the USA, playing Harvard, the Army, and the Navy; our Men*s Blues toured Georgia, playing first-division teams and training with the Georgian National Team; and both sections travel abroad to secret locations post-Varsity to see some sun and get some much needed R&R.
Our two pathways
Pre-pro
- Age 18-22
- Student/professional player who is not yet ready to play professionally full-time
- Excellent academics - High 2:1+
- Can use Oxford to continue to develop as a rugby player whilst gaining a fantastic educational qualification from one of the world’s leading academic institutions, opening doors to brilliant career options as alternatives to professional rugby.
Recent players:
Fergus Dick - Loughborough Undergrad – Oxford Postgrad (MSc Sustainable Urban Development)
Played for Bristol Bears in Prem Cup in his first year at Oxford
Tom Osbourne – Sydney Uni Undergrad – Oxford Postgrad (MPhil Economics)
Signed to Harlequins in his second year at Oxford.
Sophie Shams - Durham Undergrad – Oxford Postgrad (DPhil Earth Sciences).
Played for Ealing and Saracens
Tom Mitchell – Bristol Undergrad – Oxford Postgrad (MSt Historical Studies)
Two-time Olympian, for GB 7s
Post-pro
- Age 25+
- Full-time professional who is coming to the end of their career and is looking to transition to a non-rugby pathway (or looking to take a sabbatical)
- Doesn’t have to have a degree behind them, depending on level of rugby and chosen subject
- Can use Oxford as an exit route from rugby, and help with transitioning to their next steps.
Recent players:
Eric Fry – USA international into Oxford Postgrad (MBA)
Nic Civetta - USA international into Oxford Postgrad (MSc Energy Systems)
Bianca Coltellini - Italian International (15s and 7s) and Hartpury player into Oxford Postgrad (MSc Archaeology)
Andrew Durutalo - USA international into Oxford Postgrad (EMBA)
George Robson – Harlequins into Oxford Postgrad (MBA)
Anton Oliver – All Black into Oxford Postgrad (MSc in Biodiversity, Conservation and Management)
Dom Waldouck – Premiership career into Oxford Postgrad (MSc Sustainable Urban Development)
Andy Saull - Premiership career into Oxford Postgrad (MSc Sustainable Urban Development)
Useful Links
Help with fees, funding and scholarships can be found here
A full list of postgraduate courses that are still open can be found here.
A guide to starting your application can be found here.
How can OURFC help?
If you are interested in applying to Oxford University, please fill in this short form. We will then be in touch with next steps, which can include answering any questions you might have, helping you write or edit your personal statement, and give advice about courses.
OURFC has a recruitment group, including both the Men’s & Women’s Captains, senior academics and other experienced committee members, organised to support potential players. We can offer guidance and advice on applications for courses, the chance to talk with current players, and also information on scholarship opportunities.
If, having looked at information on courses, you would like advice on admission prospects please click the link above, giving our recruitment group information on your rugby and academic backgrounds. A member of the recruitment group will respond as soon as possible. All information will be confidential to that group.
Case Study: Sophie Shams
Combining professional rugby with a world-class education.
Rugby History:
Premiership Rugby Player with Saracens, Ealing Trailfinders and DMP Sharks
International Touch Experience
Partook in numerous England Sevens Camps
Sevens Player with Samurai
Oxford History:
Matriculation Year: 2022
Previous University: Durham (MSc Geophysics)
Course: PhD in Earth Sciences
Blues: 2023, 2024, 2025
Captain 2023-24
"Finding community as a postgrad is tough but OURFC was not only there for me as a club but also as a family. There is such a diverse group of players in the Women*s side and everyone is so welcoming."
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