Students at University College are playing a leading role in the revival of one of Oxford’s most unusual sporting traditions: competitive tiddlywinks. Tiddlywinks is a surprisingly strategic and technical sport. Players use a larger disc known as a “squidger” to flick smaller counters (“winks”) across a felt mat toward a central pot, into which they try to flick them. Beyond simply potting winks, players can trap opponents’ pieces beneath their own in a move known as a “squop,” introducing a layer of positional strategy and tactical planning. The result is a game that is easy to learn but difficult to master – and one that has produced international competitions and world rankings.

The newest version of Oxford Tiddlywinks Society (OUTS) was re-founded in 2023 by a group of students including Matthew Simpson (2022, Physics), Marcus O’Connor (2022, Classics), Heloise Picolet (2022, PPE), and Dominic Seymour (2022, Maths). Since then, the society has grown steadily, with University College emerging as the main hub of Oxford tiddlywinks.

Univ is currently the largest contributing college to the Oxford team, supplying over half of the players in recent Varsity matches. A large intake of new players from Univ has also joined this year, and regular practice sessions are now held in College.

Varsity success
The highlight of the tiddlywinks calendar is the annual Varsity Match against Cambridge University Tiddlywinks Club, one of the longest-running university rivalries in the sport. Cambridge students formalised the modern competitive game in 1955, and the rivalry between the two universities has continued ever since. (See cutwc.org for more history and results!)

This year’s Varsity Match took place on 8^th March at Newnham College, Cambridge. Oxford secured a memorable victory, winning 59½–52½ in a closely contested match. Because Oxford were also victorious in 2025, this year was the first time in over 60 years that Oxford have successfully defended their title.

Among the highlights was a decisive pot-out by Dominic Seymour and Natasha Garratt against Cambridge’s highest-rated player, while another Oxford partnership delivered an outstanding 19-point performance to help secure the win.

Univ players making their mark
Several Univ students have played key roles in Oxford’s recent resurgence.

Dominic Seymour (Maths, 2022), Master of the Winks of OUTS, is currently the highest-rated Oxford student and ranked 18th in the world. In 2026 he won both the Oxford Open, held partly at University College, and the Claygate Invitational. The Oxford Open also saw Univ student Natasha Garratt (Classics and Ancient History, 2023) finish as the highest-placed novice.

Other Univ players contributing to Oxford’s competitive squad include:
– Jack Buckley (2023, Computer Science) – Captain of the First Winking Team in Oxford, and a winner of the national ETwA Teams of Four tournament
– Wiktor Krzeminski (2023, Maths and Computer Science) – a three-time Varsity player and winner of the first ever OUTS Novice Tournament
– Krishna Kabra (2023, Computer Science), who has represented Oxford in two Varsity matches
– Marcus O’Connor (2022, Classics), who has represented Oxford in two Varsity matches, and also in the ETwA National Pairs Tournament

Together with players from across the University, they have helped rebuild Oxford’s competitive presence in national tournaments organised by the English Tiddlywinks Association.

A welcoming society
One of the attractions of tiddlywinks is its accessibility. Players of all levels can take part in casual sessions, learn from experienced competitors, and progress to national tournaments or Varsity matches.

Jack Buckley oversees the training sessions for new players, and says, “The majority of people come thinking ‘What on earth is tiddlywinks?’ And then you see the moment they think ‘Actually, this is quite fun!’ But what’s even better is when you see students start to figure out the tactics and realise there’s a lot more to the game.”

Looking for Univ’s past winkers
While the modern revival of Oxford tiddlywinks has been driven largely by current students, the society believes that Univ has a longer connection with the game. If any alumni remember playing tiddlywinks while at University College, the society would be delighted to hear from them and learn more about the College’s role in the history of the sport (Please ). With growing participation and renewed competitive success, Univ students are ensuring that this original and uniquely Oxbridge tradition continues to thrive.

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