There are good ships,
there are wood ships,
there are ships that sail the sea,
but the best ships are friendships,and may they always be.
(Irish Proverb)

D.U.F.C. entertained Cambridge University in College Park on Saturday and celebrated the 140th anniversary of one of the oldest friendships in world rugby and one of the oldest relationships to have been maintained between the “Ancient Universities” of Trinity College, Dublin and Cambridge University.

Cambridge were the first University to play D.U.F.C., the match taking place in early 1878 – around the same time Alexander Graham Bell was giving a first demonstration of the telephone to Queen Victoria!

Cambridge travelled with a party of c.20 alumni and we were assisted in our hosting by a similar number of the Knights of the Campanile (www.knightsofthecampanile.com ) who performed their traditional role of entertaining Cambridge and Oxford teams. It was particularly gratifying to welcome Knights of all vintages and across a range of College sports.

The picture of the respective members of the Knights of the Campanile and the Cambridge Hawks’ Cub illustrates the benefits of these interactions for both the Rugby Clubs and the Universities.

The mantle of College Park was there in all its wondrous and historic glory and one of our visiting guests was heard to opine “Just look at that brilliant sunset over the cricket square – oh my word you have something special here!”

It was a good day for Trinity College, University Sport and D.U.F.C.