The College warmly congratulates DPhil Student Chloe-Marie Hawley who captained the winning Varsity Rugby team and was also named Player of the Match. The Men also won their game, with the team containing current Medical student Harry Pratt. We asked Chloe-Marie about captaining the Dark Blues.
What does it mean to you to be Captain of the Women’s Blues this year?
It has been one of the greatest privileges of my time at Oxford. For me, captaincy is about stewardship and leadership: demanding excellence, building a culture in which everyone can thrive, and ensuring that the group leaves the shirt in a stronger place than we found it. It is also about strengthening the legacy of the women who built this programme when it received little recognition. The opportunities we now have exist because of their commitment, and I have felt a strong responsibility to push that forward and create new forward-looking opportunities for the teams that follow.
Importantly, captaincy begins with holding yourself to the highest standard. I am immensely proud to be an OURFC Dark Blue, but even prouder to have captained this team in such a defining season for the club. This role has opened doors and provided experiences I am incredibly grateful for, and it has strengthened my commitment to continuing to contribute to the growth of the women’s game.
Captaincy begins with holding yourself to the highest standard.
How did it feel being on the pitch at Varsity having captained the winning team as Player of the Match?
Incredible! Performing strongly, both individually and collectively, in a match of this magnitude is what you aspire to each season, and to have done so alongside my 23 teammates, our coaching staff, and wider OURFC committee made it special. The Player of the Match award is an honour of course. I have watched past teammates and captains earn it with admiration, so to deserve it this year means a great deal. But it was a complete squad effort – leading this Blues group to victory is the privilege itself.
What does Captaincy at Varsity level involve that people might not see from the stands?
To most, Varsity is just the day itself, but in reality it is a year-long project. Preparation begins in the summer: setting goals, identifying development gaps, strengthening recruitment from Trinity onwards, defining and then refining culture and standards, ensuring younger players are confident enough to unlock their potential. While British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) remains our primary competitive focus for most of the season, Varsity is circled in every calendar. It requires strategic progression throughout the season so that the best possible Women’s Blues team runs out at StoneX.
In the month ahead of Varsity, the role shifts towards emotional regulation and clarity of identity. The occasion can easily become overwhelming and so my responsibility is to provide clarity, composure, and keep the team anchored in our identity and preparation.
Match day is the visible chapter, but it is not the whole story. It is simply the final execution of a season’s work. In fact, the preparation and build up form the core of the Varsity experience. The difficult training sessions, the weeks during which we spend every day together, the small moments of growth, the honest conversations, the teamwork on and off the pitch – those are what shape the team, forge the bonds, and ultimately cement the memories that players carry with them forever.
Your leadership of the women’s section of the club has been called outstanding. How would you describe your leadership style, and has it changed since becoming Captain?
Thank you. I would describe my leadership style as intentional. I care deeply about the culture and performance standards of this club, and I don’t believe in drift. If we say something matters, whether that’s work rate, discipline, or how we treat one another, then we live it consistently. I’m clear and honest when standards slip, because culture is shaped in small moments. At the same time, leadership is not one-dimensional. You require adaptability. Different individuals respond to different forms of support. It is not about imposing your personality on a group, rather it is about understanding people well enough to draw the very best out of them. Our Varsity performance reflected that. It was a genuine 24 player effort, with three tries from the bench highlighting the impact potential across the squad. That depth, accountability, and shared ownership are the hallmarks of the environment I strive to build.
Different individuals respond to different forms of support. It is not about imposing your personality on a group, rather it is about understanding people well enough to draw the very best out of them.
How do you keep the squad motivated and connected during a long and demanding season?
Competing in BUCS Prem South this year involved competing from 0th week through to 9th week against tough opposition, often teams linked to Premiership clubs. Trust me, the long travel days and physically attritional matches quickly test both depth and mentality. From the outset, I framed each game as an opportunity. Everything can be approached either as something to endure or something to grow from, so we chose growth. That shift creates energy, determination. It turns challenge into curiosity – how far can we push ourselves?
With clear objective sets alongside our coaching team, every match became a chance to refine contact skills, sharpen game management, and build resilience. The progress was tangible. For example, after a heavy loss away to Brunel 2s, we faced them again at home and lead the scoreboard for the majority of the game. Those sorts of games are a huge boost in belief, that our systems are working, players are developing, the squad is strengthening. Resilience and adaptability have become defining characteristics of this year’s Women’s Blues – qualities I am immensely proud of.
Also, connection is forged through shared adversity. When you go through testing moments and still choose to show up for one another, week after week, trust deepens naturally. A long away day at Swansea, which ended with an impromptu beach swim, became one of the core memories of our season. Those unexpected highlights are just as important along the shared journey. The sisterhood we have built this season is so unique to this squad, and it is something I will carry long beyond Oxford.
Connection is forged through shared adversity. When you go through testing moments and still choose to show up for one another, week after week, trust deepens naturally.
Does Captaincy change how you experience pressure, particularly in a Varsity match?
Yes. The pressure becomes less about personal performance and more about responsibility for the group. You become acutely aware of every single member of the Varsity team, checking in, ensuring everyone is confident and prepared. Focus on your own game is narrowed down to ‘how can I play to elevate this team and each individual to their best performance’.
I firmly believe that pressure is privilege, and that expands when you carry the privilege of a historic institution. Varsity carries weight because it matters historically and emotionally of course. My focus was simple though – keep your head in the game. We play our best rugby when we are clear, cohesive, and confident. My role was to ensure that feeling was present throughout the squad.
What do you enjoy most about your rugby life at Oxford?
The journey.
Each season tells a different story, yet in recent years there has been clear progression. Since joining in 2021, I have witnessed a remarkable elevation in standards, infrastructure, and ambition within the women’s section. This Varsity campaign in particular marked a step change in what the programme is capable of achieving. That fuels the desire and excitement to keep improving and continue pushing boundaries.
Rugby at Oxford also brings together extraordinary people; people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The club has housed friendships that are built not only on shared success but on shared challenge. We have created something with both legacy and momentum, and I am deeply grateful for the lifelong relationships it has given me.
Rugby at Oxford also brings together extraordinary people; people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. The club has housed friendships that are built not only on shared success but on shared challenge.
You’re no stranger to balancing a top-level sporting commitment with academic work but has being Captain changed how you organise your time or approach your academic work? And please can you tell us what your DPhil is about?
Captaincy has required even greater intentionality with time. Structure and forward-planning became essential, for example I remember planning my academic workload during Trinity last year, knowing that rugby responsibilities would intensify at certain time points. That foresight allowed me to protect academic focus while fully committing to the captaincy. I am incredibly grateful for the support of my supervisors, particularly Professor Lindsay Turnbull, whose encouragement has been instrumental in enabling me to pursue both responsibilities appropriately.
My DPhil focuses on the genetic adaptation of corals to thermal stress. I am investigating the speciation of Porites lutea across the Seychelles and examining the heritable genetic mechanisms that underpin thermal tolerance – an urgent question as climate change continues to intensify and impact ocean systems globally.
Photography, including header image, by Steve Kaspa.
