A Hampshire-based rugby player was the star turn last Saturday as the Oxford University Women's team lifted the 2012 Women's Nomura Varsity match trophy, defeating their rivals Cambridge 28 points to 8 at Iffley Road.  And that was down, certainly in part, to Katie Sage, who played for Havant and Hampshire before moving onto Oxford to continue her education, who scored two of the tries for the Dark Blues.

 

The 2012 Women's Nomura Varsity Match was won by Oxford on Saturday 3 March at Iffley Road by 28 points to 8.  The first half was very much a battle of attrition with both sides' defenses on top and there was just six points scored, a penalty apiece from Cambridge number 4 Julie Valade after 24 minutes and Oxford fly-half Beth O'Brien with the last play of the period.

The second half was not more than two minutes in when O'Brien kicked a second penalty.  However, a minute later she had her clearing kick charged down by the Cambridge captain and number 8 Keno Omu who won the chase to score out wide to put the visitors back in front 8 to 6.  From this point on the Oxford side came alive and scored four unanswered tries as they proceeded to dominate both possession and territory to win convincingly in the end.

Katie Sage, playing at full-back, scored two tries and made the break in the first half that led to the Oxford penalty which levelled the scored.  Replacement wing Lucy Stuchfield and scrum-half Jessie-Joy Flowers scored the other Oxford tries, with O'Brien adding one conversion.

Katie played from the age of 6 to 18 for Havant and represented Hampshire from 13 to 18 also playing for the successful South Regional Team.  In her third year at Oxford studying Jurisprudence, Katie has played in all of the varsity matches since she went up to Oxford.  Both previous matches have seen Cambridge victories, though Katie was player of the match at Grange Road last season.

KATIE WITH THE TROPHY