Cambridge knocks out Oxford in Varsity boxing

The Cambridge University boxing squad defeated Oxford at this year’s Varsity match, held on Sunday. Five members of the Cambridge team, including the Captain, are Johnians.

Cambridge University beat their Oxford competition in the Varsity boxing match on Sunday at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, winning six fights to three and securing their first victory over Oxford in five years.

Five members of the squad are students at St John’s, as is team coach Shaun Ryles. Impressively, six of the University squad had never boxed competitively before this year.

The team were put through a gruelling training routine to get fighting fit, with up to ten exercise sessions a week, including morning runs and evening boxing practice in the gym. Team Captain Chris Hooton, a PhD Land Economy student at St John’s, said: “I started boxing just before coming to Cambridge but only began fighting competitively when I got to the University. I found the training schedule actually made me more focused in other areas of my life, such as my academic work, and I really got to love both the fitness and competitive aspects of the sport.”

On top of their regular training, the squad also took part in an intensive three-day “boot camp” with the RAF at their base in Honington. The camp was organised by St John’s MPhil student and Chairman of the RAF Boxing Association, Shaun Ryles, who helped to coach the squad. The training was provided by coaches from both Cambridge University and the RAF and involved up to four physically demanding sessions a day, sparring against the best boxers the RAF had to offer.

Chris Hooton said: “The RAF training camp was an incredible experience, and really got everyone focused and bonded as a team. The training was intense, and showed us how much we can push ourselves physically. We did as much in three days as we would in three weeks of normal training, and the whole squad were much fitter as a result, which gave us an edge going into the Varsity match.”

On the day of the match, the squad felt “quietly confident”, despite their Captain being unable to fight due to a torn ligament. Each bout was a close fight against Oxford’s solid opposition, but the Cambridge team emerged triumphant, having dealt final blows in six out of nine fights. Johnians Takis Würger, Ed Hezlet and Jes Birk all won their respective bouts. In the end, the Cambridge squad lifted the Truelove Bowl trophy with pride, having decisively broken Oxford’s five-year winning streak.

The full results of the Varsity Boxing Match are as follows:

Varsity match results

57kg - Theo Alli WIN

60kg - David Wen LOSS

63.5kg - Steve McGregor LOSS

67kg - Billy Fitton WIN

71kg - Jas Birk (St John’s) WIN

75kg - Ed Hezlet (St John’s) WIN

75kg - Dave Williams (St John’s) LOSS

81kg - Borna Guevel WIN

91kg - Takis Würger (St John’s) WIN

58kg - Silke Astrea Riesle Sbarbaro WIN

For more information about boxing at Cambridge, see http://www.cuabc.net/