Where do you even begin with Cambridge’s Australian Rules Football Club? Say ‘Aussie Rules’ to most Cantabrigians, and you’d be greeted with blank stares or perhaps questioned about your belief in Antipodean superiority. Yet the seemingly niche sport has an illustrious past and a storied present in Cambridge – from the University’s unique place within Aussie Rules history to international triumphs over other countries and a tangible role in growing the game.

Over a cross-continental Zoom call, CUARFC president Henry, women’s co-captain Sam, and outreach officer Christian regaled me with their boundless passion for Cambridge’s fascinating Aussie Rules football scene. For those unfamiliar with ‘footy’, picture a frankly bonkers 18-a-side sporting spectacle, which mixes the physicality of rugby, the ball-skills of football, and basketball’s fast-paced athleticism - played on cricket ovals just for good measure.

As inherently Australian as the game may seem, Cambridge was, in Henry’s words: “to some extent, the birthplace before the birthplace of footy”. In the late 1850s, Magdalene College drop-out Tom Willis co-pioneered what was to become Aussie Rules upon his return to the Great Southern Land, inspired by football codes that he had observed in England. By the 20th century, the former colonial pastime had begun to make inroads back in Britain, with the universities of Oxford and Cambridge coming to the forefront of the nascent sport’s development. Henry informs me that “the Cambridge club was initially formed in 1908. People are often laughing that we must only be 10 or 20 years old, and we’re like - nah, it’s actually (almost) 120 years old!” Following the first Varsity match in 1911, the University has secured a string of further entrances into the Aussie Rules history books, with Henry gleefully reeling off the “massive stats” attributed to the fixture: “It’s the longest-running game played outside of Australia, and in 1954 it was the first telecasted game outside of Australia.”

Fast forward to the 21st century, and the Cambridge Aussie Rules scene continues to churn out remarkable stories. Earlier this year, CUARFC’s women’s team competed in the Nordic Cup alongside other European countries, even triumphing over the Polish national side in what must be among the most eye-catching wins ever registered by a Cambridge University sports club. Fortunately, co-captain Sam was on hand to give the lowdown. He said, “[Poland] gave us a good shift, it was a tough one. We just went out there and put our hearts on the pitch and had a great time, really.”

“which would be freaking awesome, to host national quality teams in Cambridge”

Extraordinary as the Poland victory was, the club is no stranger to international success, having also taken on sides from the Czech Republic, Poland and Vienna last April. Alongside enjoying touring fixtures that many University teams could scarcely dream of, CUARFC may also have some high-profile hosting opportunities on the horizon. “What we’re looking to do is have a Nordic Cup in Cambridge next year,” Henry revealed, “which would be freaking awesome, to host national quality teams in Cambridge.”

Besides potentially hosting international-calibre players, the club boasts high-profile talent of its own, from current professionals to national representatives. While the University’s association football club was last home to a would-be Premier League player in the late 1980s, CUARFC have had one of their own play in Aussie Rules’ apex competition as recently as 2022. Henry tells me how former ruck Erin Hoare “developed that passion for footy playing here, and then went on and played for Geelong Cats in the AFLW (Australian Women’s Football League).” Erin is by no means the club’s only recent success story; the current men’s captain has represented the Great British national team for over 3 years after swapping a rowing background to take up Australia’s biggest spectator sport.

For all its striking achievements, the club has been repeatedly shunned by the Cambridge Blue Committee. In what feels like a blatant denial of meritocracy, not to mention the University’s significant place within the annals of Aussie Rules history, the CUARFC men’s team has just half-Blue status, while the league-topping (not to mention Poland-slaying) women’s team is not even blue recognised. “It sucks, that’s the bottom line,” was Henry’s resounding view, adding, “We’d love to see both teams get at least a half-Blue, and then with the heritage, it’d be awesome to see if we could get it up to full Blue status.”

“We’re getting in touch with the Australian High Commission, the diplomats for Australia, but also the AFL (Australian Rules Football League) to get behind it”

More than just a sports team, Cambridge’s Aussie Rules football club also plays a significant cultural role for Australian students who find themselves 16,000 kilometres from home. Outreach officer Christian describes CUARFC as a “focal point” for Cambridge’s Down Under contingent, saying, “It’s just that taste of home, that thing that keeps the homesickness at bay.” The club’s importance beyond the pitch is further testified by Sam, who speaks of how its sense of community “made me feel so much more comfortable, (and) 10,000 times less homesick.” Recognising the cultural significance sport can have, Christian says, “The club is looking to leverage the (Varsity) game into a celebration of all things Aussie: music, culture, food and drink, mateship. We’re getting in touch with the Australian High Commission, the diplomats for Australia, but also the AFL (Aussie Rules Football League) to get behind it.”

It would be easy then to imagine the club as “just a bunch of Aussies congregating,” but this couldn’t be further from the truth – CUARFC is over 60% British, and around 80% of the current squad had never played the sport before joining. Spreading the love for ‘footy’ beyond its Australian heartland is a core part of the club’s ethos, with Christian likening the club to “a sort of stock power project in building the profile of an entire sport from scratch. It’s a playground of opportunities for how you can grow a sport.” Citing one player who picked up the sport just last year and is now pushing for national representation, Sam adds, “It’s awesome, seeing newcomers approaching the sport and then seeing them get latched on.”

With a home Varsity match looming in 2025, there has never been a better time to join Cambridge’s Australian Rules Football Club. Not only is the club confident of tasting success – especially with the women’s side sitting pretty atop the National University League - but there is also a significant chance that new recruits could play a crucial role in their bid to overcome Oxford. Henry affirms, “We’re going to have a couple of ‘refreshers’ and taster sessions during the first couple of weeks of next term, so if there’s anyone who’s keen to start the sport, you’ll likely play in a Varsity game - it’s a huge opportunity!” And who knows, you might end up playing internationally one day.