Staff Writer Jennifer Hensey explores the history, spectacle and meaning of varsity, questioning what the long-standing tradition represents for students today.
Another year at KCL means another year of Varsity – the great, largely unquestioned university legacy that arrives each March. From red and white posters lining campus to chants growing louder and the sea of sports merch worn with pride, varsity is inescapable, no matter how little interest you have in sport itself. Yet the event is more than a series of matches. It is a tradition steeped in history, visibility and prestige, one that raises a bigger question: what does varsity represent today, and why does it continue to command our devotion each spring?
Originally, “varsity” functioned as shorthand for “university”, dating back to the 19th century, before shifting to refer specifically to a university’s representative athletic team. The earliest known varsity match was a cricket game organised in 1827 between Oxford and Cambridge, followed by the first Boat Race in 1829 – an annual rivalry that marked the beginning of one of the oldest varsity sporting traditions in the UK. Initially rooted in Oxbridge, this competition soon expanded beyond rowing and cricket, spreading across sports and other universities nationwide.
This legacy of inter-university rivalry continues in London through the long-standing tension between King’s College London and University College London. As neighbouring institutions and both members of the Russell Group, the rivalry feels visible, immediate and almost inevitable within a shared city space, with the Strand campus just a street away from UCL. The electric atmosphere it generates moves beyond sport into something almost theatrical, attracting significant campus attention, large crowds and events unfolding across multiple days rather than a single match.
From the promotion of merchandise and social media coverage to dedicated student journalism, engagement extends across spectators, players and staff alike. Varsity therefore operates not only as athletic competition but as a culturally significant event. In this way, the singular races of early Oxbridge rivalry give way to contemporary performances of branding, visibility and image, revealing how the event has evolved to become inseparable from public perception.
Today, however, varsity is about far more than the games themselves, having grown into a cultural phenomenon with significant social meaning. By representing their entire university, varsity teams operate as ambassadors of university culture, identity and community, participating in a ritualised rivalry that fosters belonging and pride among students and alumni alike. These fixtures also function as social occasions, bringing together students, staff and supporters in informal spaces that transform competition into spectacle and rivalry into a performance of institutional superiority.
Beneath the cheers and celebrations varsity promises lies a reality of pressure, exclusion and profit. Sport begins to transcend competition and enter the realm of image control, as universities strategically market the event to project community, excellence and spirit. In doing so, varsity helps sell the “student experience” as fun, light and stress-free – a vision far removed from the reality of approaching Easter exams.
The spectacle of the fixtures can also obscure those excluded from participation due to barriers such as time constraints, limited social networks and financial instability. At the same time, students may use varsity as a form of self-promotion, shaping their identities, social media presence and CVs to present themselves as active, well-rounded individuals in an increasingly visible digital culture. These layers of institutional and personal performance reveal that the tradition now signifies far more than sport alone.
That said, varsity is not merely a façade. It can genuinely foster community, belonging and institutional pride by bringing together students from different courses and backgrounds who might otherwise never meet. As a historically grounded tradition, the occasion invites celebration of shared heritage, connecting generations of alumni while encouraging present-day competitors on the court or pitch. Tradition remains a powerful vehicle for connection and honour, which is something palpable in King’s buildings each March, where excitement and anticipation create a sense of collective experience that feels rare within modern student life.
What began as rivalry and physical competition has therefore taken on wider institutional and personal meanings. Student identity and collaboration become heightened and publicly displayed, helping market both the individual as a valuable contributor to society and the university as a desirable place to belong. In this sense, varsity can operate within broader capitalistic pressures of visibility, profit and status. Yet its adaptability to new purposes does not erase its social benefits of health, entertainment and motivation. While its meaning has shifted toward performance and visibility in an increasingly public student culture, varsity still offers ritual, belonging and shared celebration of achievement.
So, the next time you attend a varsity game or wear a KCL fleece with pride, it is worth remembering the tradition’s roots: not in performance, but in fun, in connection and in legacy.
About the author
