A varsity match in Britain and Ireland is a fixture, especially of a sporting event or team, between university teams, usually the highest-level team, or varsity team, in that sport.
The longest-running series of varsity matches in the world is between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, a key feature of Oxford–Cambridge rivalry. The University Match in cricket, first played in 1827, is the oldest varsity match in the world. The Boat Race followed, begnning in 1829. The Cambridge and Oxford Athletic Games in track and field, first held in 1864, pioneered modern athletic competition. The Scottish Varsity match in rugby union between the University of St Andrews and the University of Edinburgh, dating to the 1860s, is the oldest varsity match in the world in a code of football. The Oxford v Cambridge women's University Match in (field) hockey was first played in 1895, making it the oldest women's varsity match in the world. Varsity matches held between Oxford and Cambridge influenced the development of college sports in the United States, and other countries around the world.