This Friday night sees St Edward’s and Magdalen College meet in the Oxford derby at Oxford University’s Iffley Road ground, kicking off at 7.30pm.
The game will be live streamed here on NextGenXV and will be available on the NextGenXV YouTube Channel and through the embedded video below.
It is the first regular season meeting on neutral territory since they met on the same Iffley Road ground back in 2015, where Magdalen College got the better of the two sides, beating Teddies 17-9. Teddies followed that up with back to back wins though, 24-3 at home in 2016 and 7-0 away in 2017, but since then it has been Magdalen College that have held the upper hand.
2022 was the most extraordinary game between the two in recent times though, a 29-29 draw at Magdalen College, and that, coupled with Teddies winning at home 12-10 at Colts level last year, leads to a palpable sense of excitement heading into this encounter.
Adding to that excitement is the fact that Teddies arrive in scorching form, have beaten Next Phase Academy and Pangbourne College in their opening two games, scoring a stunning 92 points in the process and conceding just 11.
They are in red hot form, but Magdalen College arrive with a different sort of excitement, their opening game against Reading Blue Coat was cancelled so this is their first game of the season, and it is hard to imagine a better or more motivational scenario with which to open the season than a head to head with your local rivals at one of the most storied grounds in the country.
The two did meet in pre-season, in a triangular at Abingdon School, however that was pre-season, a shadow of the real thing. Friday night at Iffley Road is going to be a cauldron of excitement.
Expectation is for a packed out crowd and views on the live stream are expected to be high, what better way to follow Argentina v Samoa in the Rugby World Cup (4.45pm Kick Off) than to tune into some top level schools rugby for a 7.30pm Kick Off.
It should be a fantastic game of rugby, both sides are going to be fully committed, playing in a wonderful venue in a spectacular atmosphere. It’s not to be missed.
St Edward’s, Oxford vs Magdalen College – Friday 22nd September, 7.30pm KO – Live on NextGenXV from Iffley Road
