RSM win Varsity

I sat on the Piccadilly Line through West London down to Harlington last Saturday, for forty-five minutes, confused as to what “bottle match” meant. I thought it was some sort of idiom. 

The “bottle,” in sport, signifies failure. To bottle a game is to throw it when you are clearly ahead; to bottle a league is to throw it when you are a significant number of points above your closest rivals to a title. Little did I know that the “bottle match” was the colloquial name of the second oldest rugby varsity in the world, where the trophy is an actual three-foot-tall tin beer bottle adorned with two crests. It is the prize of the match between Imperial’s Royal School of Mines (RSM) and Exeter’s Camborne School of Mines (CSM). 

Upon arrival at Fortress Harlington, I met Amelia, the President of RSM. She spoke of her sleepless nights preparing for the varsity weekend and explained the series of matches that had taken place over the last forty-eight hours, culminating in the rugby match unfolding before me. The adorned bottle was then fetched and presented to me, etched with the marks of post-match celebrations over the years, along with the RSM logo (I didn’t bother flipping it to check for the CSM one). As last year’s varsity champions, RSM retained possession of it, and hurled it around amidst a vast sea of supporters clad in black and yellow. Thankfully, though it was clearly in need of some restorative work, the top had been secured with plastic bands – necessary, given the result. 

After informing me it was tradition to drink out of it, Amelia introduced me to some of the other winning captains of the varsity. I had tried to talk to the (injured) rugby captain at half time, but this was clearly foolish as not only was he laden with nerves but he was giving his team a vivacious talking to. 

I soon learned from Bell, captain of the mixed lacrosse team, that the sport is not historically RSM’s strength. Lacrosse was only added to the varsity fixture list in 2017, and RSM lost every single game since 2018, including a crushing 26–0 defeat last year. IC was typically well-equipped for the sport, whereas RSM, with its smaller student body, faced greater challenges. Additionally, Amelia’s 50–50 minimum quota for RSM players in varsity matches meat that some team members were new to the game and had only a month to train. Despite this, the sport is growing in popularity. 

Bell recounted an incident at the start of the match when RSM asked specifically the referee whether goals scored by a goalkeeper were allowed. The referee confirmed that they were. However, when the RSM goalkeeper later scored, CSM profusely protested, and the referee overturned the decision. In the end, it did not matter as RSM secured a historic 14–1 victory.  

I also learned from Harlan, the men’s hockey captain, that he too had endured sleepless nights leading up to their big match. Last year RSM won with a convincing 7–3 win, and the team was determined to defend their title. Their tactic was straightforward: dominate the midfield from the outset and control the pace of the game.   

Harlan could not resist a dig at Exeter, joking that their team was made up of students from “random degrees” 

Things did not go entirely to plan. Exeter struck first with an open-play goal, and by halftime, RSM found themselves trailing 2–1, and were even down to nine men at one point. Then the message at half time was to stamp their authority, and so they did. RSM equalised before quickly taking the lead, and from there they managed the game expertly, holding on to secure a hard-fought 3–2 victory to win the Sharpley trophy. He made sure to emphasise the heroic effort from Oscar Cunningham. 

Harlan could not resist a dig at Exeter, joking that their team was made up of students from “random degrees” compared to RSM’s more specialised disciplines. Supposedly environmental scientists and photographers are included in the CSM – hardly mines. 

The second half of the rugby match was a more relaxed affair. RSM scored try after try, effortlessly converting each one. I could not help but notice the many awkwardly shaved heads in the RSM squad, “a tradition frowned upon” by the Union but willingly embraced by the players. After a flurry of swearing and unwavering support from the Imperial crowd, the final score stood at 56–7. The sound was a stark contrast to the Exeter crowd, with their carefully styled haircuts, glinting singular earrings, and attempted RP ringing out.

While RSM embodied a rough-and-ready brotherhood, Exeter carried the air of a university old boys’ club. One could say CSM “bottled” the occasion.