Blue (university sport)

A Blue is an award earned by athletes at a university and some schools for competition at the highest level. The awarding of Blues began at Oxford and Cambridge universities in England. It is awarded at British, Australian and New Zealand universities.

History

The first sporting contest between the universities of Oxford and Cambridge was held on 4 June 1827, when a two-day cricket match at Lord's, organized by Charles Wordsworth, nephew of the poet William, resulted in a draw. There is no record of any university "colours" being worn during the game.

At the first Boat Race in 1829, the Oxford crew was dominated by students of Christ Church, whose college colours were dark blue. They wore white shirts with dark blue stripes, while Cambridge wore white with a pink or scarlet sash. At the second race, in 1836, a light blue ribbon was attached to the front of the Cambridge boat, probably as it was the colour of Eton. These colours — light blue for Cambridge, and dark blue for Oxford — became the official colours of the two boat clubs, and through the rivalry of the Boat Race, the colours became inextricably linked with the universities and contests between the two.

Oxford Blue (colour)

Oxford Blue is the official colour of the University of Oxford. The official Oxford branding guidelines set the definition of Oxford Blue as Pantone 282, equivalent to the hex code #002147.

With a hue code of 212, this colour is actually a very dark tone of azure. Azure colours are those colours with a hue code of between 195 and 225.

Usage

Oxford Blue is strongly associated with the University of Oxford, especially with the official sport teams, also called the Oxford Blue. It is also used by the Pennsylvania State University,Georgetown University, and the athletic teams of the University of Michigan.

Oxford Blue is associated with the lighter Cambridge Blue. Cambridge Blue is the official colour of Brisbane Grammar School, Carlton Football Club (AFL) and Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League.

See also

References

Oxford

Oxford (/ˈɒksfərd/) is a city in the South East region of England and the county town of Oxfordshire. With a population of 159,994 it is the 52nd largest city in the United Kingdom, and one of the fastest growing and most ethnically diverse. Oxford has a broad economic base. Its industries include motor manufacturing, education, publishing and a large number of information technology and science-based businesses, some being academic offshoots. The city is known worldwide as the home of the University of Oxford, the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Buildings in Oxford demonstrate notable examples of every English architectural period since the late Saxon period. Oxford is known as the "city of dreaming spires", a term coined by poet Matthew Arnold.

History

Medieval

Oxford was first settled in Saxon times and was initially known as "Oxenaforda", meaning "Ford of the Oxen" (according to the English Place-Name Society, who base their result on a passing reference in Florence of Worcester's work "Chronicon ex chronicis"); fords were more common than bridges at that time. It began with the establishment of a river crossing for oxen around AD 900. In the 10th century, Oxford became an important military frontier town between the kingdoms of Mercia and Wessex and was on several occasions raided by Danes.

Oxford, Mississippi

Oxford is a city in, and the county seat of, Lafayette County, Mississippi, United States. Founded in 1837, it was named after the British university city of Oxford in hopes of having the state university located there, which it did successfully attract.

As of the 2010 US Census, the population is 18,916; the Census Bureau estimates the city's 2013 population at 20,865. Oxford is the home of the University of Mississippi, founded in 1848, also commonly known as "Ole Miss".

Oxford has been named by USA Today as one of the top six college towns in the nation. It is included in The Best 100 Small Towns in America. Lafayette County consistently leads the state rankings in the lowest unemployment rate per quarter. Oxford City Schools are ranked as "Star" schools, the highest ranking available, and Lafayette County school systems are consistently ranked as "5-star" systems.

History

Oxford and Lafayette County were formed from lands ceded by the Chickasaw in the treaty of Pontotoc Creek in 1832. The county was organized in 1836, and in 1837 three pioneers—John Martin, John Chisom, and John Craig—purchased land from Hoka, a female Chickasaw landowner, as a site for the town. They named it Oxford, intending to promote it as a center of learning in the Old Southwest. In 1841, the Mississippi legislature selected Oxford as the site of the state university, which opened in 1848.

Oxford, Connecticut

Oxford is a residential town located in western New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 12,683 at the 2010 Census. Oxford is the 26th wealthiest town in Connecticut by median household income. Distinct settled areas in the town include Oxford Center, Quaker Farms, and Riverside. Oxford belongs to the Naugatuck Valley Economic Development Region and the Central Naugatuck Valley Planning Area, and the Bridgeport–Stamford–Norwalk Metropolitan Statistical Area. Some of Oxford's unofficial nicknames, used often by the town's residents, are: O-Town, Oxhood, and The Miami of the Naugatuck Valley. A little-known fact about Oxford is that international rap superstar Aubrey "Drake" Graham actually hails from the town-- when he references "The Six" in some of his songs, he is actually referring to Oxford. "The Six" refers to the first two digits of the town's ZIP code, 06478.

History

In the 18th century, farmers herded livestock through Oxford from as far away as Litchfield on the way to the port of New Haven. In the 19th century, the town lost population as farmers moved to work in better-paying factories.