The 29-year-old Wales and British & Irish Lions centre will return to the venue where he played three times for Wales during the 2015 Rugby World Cup and try to inspire Cambridge to end a record run of five successive defeats against the Dark Blues.
Gethin played for Cambridge in the 1965 and 1966 Varsity Matches without success. The first game was a draw and Oxford triumphed in 1966. Davies, steered Oxford to victory in the 1977 fixture.
“I’m immensely proud and honoured to be awarded a Blue and everything has come together for me. The Cambridge season culminates in the Varsity Match and we have been building nicely towards it,” said Roberts.
“We have got some good momentum going into the game off the back of three successive victories and we have really started to gel. There has been a consistency in selection and come the big day it is going to be all about keeping cool under pressure.
“It is all about not day dreaming or losing focus. There is a lot of fine tuning to be done between now and he next Thursday, but I am hugely excite about the whole event.
“It is going to be a unique experience for me and something that will be different to any other game I’ve played at Twickenham – it’s a different group of players, a different standard and different prize. But it is still a very, very important rugby match.
“It won’t be like playing for Wales against England in the World Cup, the Barbarians against New Zealand or in an EDF Energy Cup Final for Cardiff Blues as I’ve done in the past. But I can’t wait!
“To win a Blue for Cambridge in a rugby context is a great honour and something I will cherish on my cv.”
Roberts is studying for an MPhil in medical science (surgery) at Queens’ College will become the first active international player since Australian second row Dan Vickerman to play in the Varsity Match. Vickerman played “To win a Blue for Cambridge in a rugby context is a great honour and something I will cherish on my cv.”in 2008 and 2009 and was the last Light Blues captain to taste success in the fixture.
There will be two other Welshmen in the Cambridge line-up in full back Simon Davies, who has played for the Welsh Exiles Under 18 team and replacement flanker Stephen Leonard. Leonard, from Haverfordwest, was capped by Wales Under 16 and was captain of the Llandovery College XV last season.
Roberts will become only the second player from Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf to win a Blue and a group of more than 100 from the Cardiff-based school are expected to head to Twickenham to watch the game next week. Their only other Blue was Andrew Grabham for Cambridge in 1999.
Opposing Roberts in the centre will be Georgian sevens international Matt Janney and also in the Dark Blues line-up will be one of his best friends, fellow Cardiff University medical school graduate Nic Roberts-Huntley, who has won a place in the Oxford back row.
Roberts-Huntley is a veteran of five Welsh Varsity Matches and played for Cardiff Blues Under 20s before his studies took hold. He beat off competition from former Wales Under 16 and Ospreys Academy member Will Thomas, who finds himself among the replacements a year after missing out on the game after suffering an injury in training a few days before.
Wales Students prop Ian Williams, formerly of Swansea University, is seeking a third straight win in the fixture.
Cambridge University: Simon Davies (Latymer Upper School / Jesus); Ilia Cherezov* (Bedford School / St John’s), Oliver Clough (Bedford School / St Edmund’s), Jamie Roberts (Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf / Queens’), Andy Rees* (St Paul’ School / St Catharine’s); Fraser Gillies* (Edinburgh Academy / Hughes Hall), Don Stevens* (Grey College, Bloemfontein / St Edmund’s, captain); Will Briggs* (Bedford School / Magdalene), Max Montgomery* (Bangor GS / Emmanuel), Dave Spelman (Tonbridge School / Jesus), Rob Hall* (Ermysted’s Grammar School / Downing), Ian Nagle (Glenstall Abbey School, Limerick / Hughes Hall), James Kilroe (Diocesan College, Cape Town / Robinson), Daniel Dass* (Belfast Royal Academy / St Catharine’s), Sam Farmer* (Bedford School / Wolfson)
Replacements: Paddy Calvert* (Down High School / St John’s), Jacob Poulton* (Portsmouth Grammar School / Clare), Demitri Moros (Hampton School / St John’s), Lola Erogbogbo (Sir Joseph Williamson’s Mathematical School / Clare), Stephen Leonard (Llandovery College / Emmanuel), Seb Tullie* (Bradford Grammar School / Emmanuel), Mike Phillips (Bedford Modern School / Emmanuel), George Williams (St Paul’s School / Clare)
Oxford University: Matt Geiger (Manchester Grammar School / St Catherine’s); Henry Hughes * (Peter Symond’s College / Magdalen), Matt Janney * (King’s College School, Wimbledon / Oriel), Henry Lamont * (Cranleigh School / New), Tom Stileman (Cranleigh School / St Peter’s); George Cullen * (Bishop’s Stortford College / Kellogg), Henry de Berker * (Cotham Comprehensive School / Green Templeton); Lewis Anderson * (Bexley Grammar School / Trinity), Richie Halpin (Blackrock College, Dublin / Lady Margaret Hall), Ian Williams * (Sherborne School / Kellogg), Andrew Grant (The Oratory School / Kellogg), Fergus Taylor * (Sherborne School / St Catherine’s), Nic Roberts-Huntley (Blundell’s School / Green Templeton), Will Wilson (Wellington College / Keble), Fraser Heathcote * (The Leys School / St Edmund Hall)
Relacements: Will Thornton (Sedbergh School / Lady Margaret Hall), Hugo Lu (Reading School / University), James Scaife * (Altrincham Grammar School / Linacre) or Kieran Ball (Trinity), Graeme MacGilchrist * (George Watson’s College / University), Will Thomas (Brynteg Comprehensive School / Wadham), James Faktor (Latymer Upper School / Kellogg), Andrew Abraham * (Lancaster Royal Grammar School / Regent’s Park), Ed David (Harrow School / St Hilda’s)
* Former Blue
