A couple of days have passed, and the dust has almost settled on another epic Leeds Varsity Finale, held at Headingley Stadium on Wednesday evening (I say almost over, as the rugby league teams are up against each other as a curtain raiser to a Leeds Rhinos game tonight). Time to take a breath and look back on a truly epic event. As with the 2025 version, the sun shone brightly all afternoon and into the evening although there was a strong breeze which must have made kicking difficult.
The women’s match kicked off at 5.15. As is customary for me with this fixture, I stayed at one end for the entire game. In the first half the Uni team were coming towards me and it was clear from the start they had at least two very fast backs with a knack of breaking through defences. It was they who took an early lead, which they held on to throughout. Beckett were able to hit back and came within to within a score but as they tried to recover further the Uni defence held firm. And all the while during the second half, those Uni backs were ready and able to pounce on any error and run through to score. This happened at least twice, giving Uni a comfortable and ultimately unassailable lead. Hope you enjoy the pictures!
Just enough time for a toilet break for me (big thanks to a young Headingley member of staff who directed me to a nearby facility) and then we were off. By the time 7.15 came round and the game kicked off there were a sell-out 12000 spectators, mostly students, surrounding the pitch and making a lot of noise.
I’d moved to the other end of the pitch by this time so was shooting into the setting sun. Not easy but can lead to more dramatic outcomes perhaps. The first half belonged to Beckett. There were several tries scored, including one from Ben Irvine on the right after a forceful run, and another from Conor Oresanya, who took great delight in goading the nearby Leeds Uni contingent nearby.
The second half was more cagey. The Beckett onslaught was becalmed and Leeds Uni finally got over the line. The atmosphere almost seemed tense. Would Beckett settle for what they had and concentrate on defence? Seemed like it, until captain Louie Kirkham broke through, ran in and dived over the line. An epic try which clearly broke the resolve of the Uni players, who had held things together so far in the second forty. The picture above says it all really.
In the final minutes Beckett ran in two, possibly three tries, to make the final score 42-5. It was an emphatic victory and a great evening. The atmosphere was fantastic. Though the rivalry was clear, it was great to see (and hear) the whole crowd come together for a half-time singalong - Sweet Caroline and Mr Brightside! Hope you enjoy the pictures.