Varsity match is still an attraction

Anybody who doubts that tradition is still hanging on as a crowd-puller in rugby needs only to look to Twickenham in the last four days.

A 58,596 crowd showed up on Saturday to watch the All Blacks take on the Barbarians despite the fact there was not one British player on the field.

Today, tens of thousands of people will pack the trains to Twickenham for the annual clash between Oxford and Cambridge Universities.

Both games have little to offer in terms of relevance to the modern professional era, apart from being money-making exercises and providing live action for TV.

The question is: how long can either survive as meaningful rugby encounters?

The thousands who paid £46 a ticket to watch Saturday's game may think twice before parting with their money again, especially with no England players on view.

And there are increasing signs that the Varsity Match, once the breeding ground of future England stars, is also starting to struggle. The fixture once attracted crowds of more than 60,000 but the signs are today that around 40,000 will turn up.