I’m becoming increasingly dissatisfied with coverage of the Oxford-Cambridge sporting rivalry, and not just because I’m a Tab. Varsity has come to have two meanings: the men’s rugby union match and the men’s Boat Race, and I find it lamentable that tradition has dictated that these competitions alone are worthy of public broadcast. Surely, with the plethora of channels at Sky Sport's disposal, it is conceivable that more of our competitions could be televised, rather than endless re-runs of Phil 'The Power' Taylor's greatest entrances in international darts? Shouldn't Sky be supporting our up-and-coming sportsmen and women, instead of languishing in the beer-soaked past of the oche?

In one important respect, Varsity sport is becoming more inclusive. In the year which the Times hailed as the "year that feminism made its voice heard", it is fitting that the movement of the women's Boat Race to the Tideway has been announced. But what about women’s rugby? Save the lack of sponsorship, is there any reason why women shouldn’t play at Twickenham on the same day as the men, in front of the same crowd, broadcast for the same national audience?

Moreover, I am annoyed that today's Varsity matches have been twisted into something that they were simply not meant to be. At the beginning of Sky Sport's coverage of the 132nd Varsity Match at Twickenham, we were welcomed to "the last great amateur game of rugby union". How could audiences fail to be enchanted by this image of plucky sportsmen? True, the majority of the squads are made up of undergraduates, players who have natural skill, physical prowess, insatiable appetites for competition and a love of the game. However, such a competition ceases to be an amateur affair when one side includes players who have formerly appeared at a professional level, such as Oxford’s John Carter, a Khal Drogo lookalike.

Finally, I think we should be concerned with the very premise of the Varsity match. There is a tendency – accidental, possibly; unfortunate, definitely – to privilege the Oxbridge sporting rivalry as more significant than others. Again, this is misleading. Look at Durham’s men's rugby union team: BUCS Premiership Champions; BUCS National Cup Champions; BUCS National Sevens Champions; BUCS Northern Conference Champions. We should not assume our sporting superiority.

Certain sections of the media aren't helping, not least because of what I call the ‘Daily Mail Paradox’ phenomenon. On the one hand, that paper attacks the slightest whisper of 'elitism' at Oxbridge; on the other, it lauds and magnifies our sporting accomplishments. Confusing doesn't even cover it.

Yes, Varsity rugby still shows the Oxbridge rivalry at its sporting peak, and ought still to be cherished and celebrated. But we need national representation for a greater number of sports, an equal platform on which our female athletes can perform, and a long, hard look at what the Varsity tradition should mean to us.