Varsity matches: Oxford 38-16 Cambridge in men's game after Cambridge Women win

Oxford University convincingly won the 137th men's Varsity match, after a narrow win for rivals Cambridge in the women's fixture at Twickenham.

Former Saracens and London Irish full-back Ben Ransom starred for Oxford, in a men's match refereed by Nigel Owens.

Cambridge had led 9-3 shortly before half-time, and did later get a second-half consolation through Nick Koster.

But Dan Barley's brace and tries from Charlie Pozniak, Tom Stileman and Tom Humberstone gave Oxford full control.

Barley's first came moments before half-time, after a lovely step by Ransom, whose class shone in a contest that had begun slowly in the first half an hour.

Fly-half Humberstone was flawless from the tee, after Mike Phillips had kicked three penalties for Cambridge early on amid a scrappy start.

The victory was Oxford's 60th in the men's contest, seeing them move to within three of Cambridge's 63 wins.

Former Bath and Bristol forward Koster's score in the corner came in his final competitive match, on an otherwise disappointing afternoon for the Light Blues.

Earlier on Thursday, Cambridge's women defended their crown as they held off a late Oxford fightback to win 8-5.

The Light Blues' victory was their 13th in the fixture, after last year's 24-0 win, bringing them closer to Oxford's 19.

Cambridge went ahead when Emily Pratt crossed in the first half, before Alice Elgar's penalty made it 8-0 after the break in a dominant Cambridge display.

Late on, Oxford rallied and Katie Collis went over for a consolation try, in what was the 32nd women's Varsity contest on the fixture's 30th anniversary.

Wales' Owens was the man in the middle, officiating the men's fixture on the same ground where he took charge of the 2015 World Cup final between New Zealand and Australia.

He followed in the footsteps of fellow Welshman Derek Bevan, who oversaw the Varsity game in 1993 - two years after refereeing the World Cup final.

"So many of the greatest referees have officiated at the Varsity match at Twickenham," Owens said before kick-off.

The 47-year-old will also take charge of the European Champions Cup tie between Racing 92 and Leicester in Paris on Sunday.

Oxford men: Ransom; Barley, Kearns, Waldouck (capt), Stileman; Humberstone, Tresidder; Parker, Henry, Morris, Dix, Robson, Pozniak, Miller, Kerneis.

Replacements: Naude, Hennessy, King, Warr, Jones, McGagh, Jackson, Martin.

Cambridge men: Gatus; Baines, King, Hennessey, Story; Phillips, Bell; MacCallum, Huppatz, Dean, Eriksen, Hunter, Leonard, McMahon, Koster (capt).

Replacements: Schusman, Somers, Dixon, Beckett, Smart, Saunders, Gnodde, Triniman.

Oxford women: Hurton; Wigginton, Trott, D'Cruz (capt), Potts; Kennedy, Ling; Ellender, Bidgood, Sopher, Opara, Collis, Bernier, Murison, Cooper.

Replacements: Cartwright, Rees, Durbin, Vodounon, Male, Wellens, Carter, Simpson.

Cambridge women: Gibson; Farrant, Nicholls, Coleman, Miller; Gimson, Marks (capt); Orriss, Pierce, Chan, Elgar, Bramley, F Shuttleworth, J Shuttleworth, Pratt.

Replacements: Abele, Taylor, Spruzen, Hoshizaki, Clark, Bradshaw, Meju, Brough.

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