Undoubtedly, the Bottle Match is the highlight of our annual calendar. It has been played for 105 years, making it the second oldest varsity match in the world, only out-aged by the Oxbridge boat race. Ancient rivalry between the Royal School of Mines at Imperial College London, and the Camborne School of Mines at Exeter University, ensures that each year the competition gets more fierce.

All of the RSM sports teams participate, in the disciplines of rugby, football, golf, hockey and squash. Despite this, the winner of the Bottle hinges entirely on the rugby match. The Bottle is the official match trophy, a 3-ft beer bottle 'acquired' by RSM students in 1946 from a Bass-Charrington beer lorry.

The competition is held alternatively in London and in Falmouth, Cornwall (the new home of CSM). In 2006, the RSM travelled to Cornwall, and in 2007 it will be the turn of the RSM to host the event here in London. The competition takes place over one weekend, starting on Friday afternoon with both the golf and squash matches, continuing on Saturday with the hockey and football matches, and culminating late on Saturday afternoon with the rugby match. A large and relatively informal players dinner is held on the Saturday night to celebrate the occassion and on Sunday, the visiting team departs, usually feeling a little worse for wear.