Oxford University ABC will honour the memory of Robert Nairac at an annual show in the Oxford Union Debating Chamber on Saturday.

Nairac, the SAS officer murdered by the IRA in 1977, is recognised as saving the club, while a student at Oxford in 1969.

That year, the club appeared to be on its last legs. Suffering from a dwindling membership, it actually disbanded at one stage.

It appeared that, for the first since 1945, there would be no Varsity Match against Cambridge - the first

cancellation unrelated to war, since the turn of the century.

However, Nairac felt that this was not the time for OUABC to go under. By sheer force of his personality, he assembled a boxing team.

Some had experience in boxing, but others had never stepped into the ring.

Nairac led the team to Cambridge, and though Cambridge won that year, the Dark Blues' club had returned from virtual extinction and won 25 of the next 36 Varsity clashes.

In November of 2004, the club entered a new era, allowing women to compete for the first time in its history.

One of Oxford's representatives at the 2004 BUSA Championships was Kaleen Love, whose

fight was the first ever BUSA sanctioned female match.

Love is one of three women who regularly practice and compete with the club.

Saturday's match will continue to showcase their female fighters, with two scheduled bouts.

Oxford University ABC will donate its profits to a local charity in the name of Nairac.

Tickets are on sale at Elmer Cotton Sports on Turl Street in Oxford.

For further details, contact Caroline Cobb at caroline.cobb@pmb.ox.ac.uk or 07910 282887.