SOPHIE Trott said she could not be prouder of her Oxford University teammates despite an 8-5 defeat to Cambridge in the Women’s Varsity Match.

The Light Blues defended their crown in a tight encounter at Twickenham.

Oxford set up a frantic finish when Katie Collis forced her way over with five minutes to go, but they ran out of time to complete their comeback.

Centre Trott, who was playing in her final Varsity Match, was frustrated with the result, but took heart from the performance.

She said: “It was obviously disappointing to lose, because it was such a close match and the comeback was on - we just needed ten more minutes.

“But I could not be prouder of the team.”

Emily Pratt’s try and an Alice Elgar penalty put Cambridge 8-0 ahead.

Collis’ score set up a thrilling finish and she became the first female player from Oxford to touch down at Twickenham since the fixture was moved to the stadium in 2015.

“That’s a huge thing for us,” said Trott. “It’s been a long time coming.”