Cambridge Blue
A spring green shade worn by University of Cambridge sports teams
Cambridge Blue is a medium green with a hint of blue, closely linked to the University of Cambridge’s sports teams. Its exact tone has shifted over time, with the rowing club adopting a greener version by adding more yellow. The colour’s roots go back to a light blue ribbon used in the 1836 Boat Race.
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- Linked to the University of Cambridge since the 1836 Boat Race
- Officially defined as Pantone 557 C
- Rowing and rugby clubs use slightly different shades
- Frequently worn on sports uniforms and silk ties
What colour is Cambridge Blue?
Cambridge Blue is a light, fresh green with a touch of blue, officially set as Pantone 557 C. It sits within the spring green range on the colour wheel, giving it a soft, cool appearance. This shade is most recognised as the colour of sportswear and ties for University of Cambridge teams and clubs, standing out from other greens by its gentle, almost pastel quality.
Where does Cambridge Blue come from?
The colour’s story begins with the 1836 Boat Race, when rowers from Gonville & Caius College used a light blue ribbon from their club. After a decisive win, the university adopted this colour for its own teams. Over time, the exact shade has changed, especially for the rowing club, which made it greener by mixing in more yellow during the mid-20th century.
How Cambridge Blue is defined
Cambridge Blue is now defined by the university as Pantone 557 C, with RGB values of 133, 176, 154. The rowing club’s version is made greener by adding more yellow, while the rugby club’s version is slightly less green. The colour is produced through standard textile dyeing and printing processes for uniforms and ties.
Where Cambridge Blue is used
This colour is seen on University of Cambridge sports uniforms, especially in rowing and rugby. It appears on silk ties for athletes, and is sometimes woven with white or navy bands. Other schools and clubs have tried to use similar shades, but the university’s version is distinct. The colour is also worn by city bailiffs in ceremonial dress.
Green around the world
What the green family means from country to country.
A green kerchief is the sign of the campaign for legal abortion. Huge crowds wore it in 2018, and the movement was called the green wave.
Politics and protestHopeSource: Green scarfGreen and gold have been the official national colours since 1984 and are worn by national sports teams. They echo the leaves and flowers of the golden wattle.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: National colours of AustraliaA Test cricketer is given a dark green cap, the baggy green, on first playing for Australia. Many players wear the same faded cap for a whole career.
Festival and celebrationPrideSource: Baggy greenThe green field of the flag stands for the land and its rice fields. Many people also read it as the youth and vigour of the country.
Nature and renewalPolitics and protestHopeSource: Flag of BangladeshThe flag is white, green and red. The green band, which took the place of the blue in the Russian flag, is read as the country's forests and farmland.
Politics and protestNature and renewalSource: Flag of BulgariaThe green field of the flag is commonly said to stand for the forests. It was first the colour of the House of Braganza, the family of the first emperor.
Politics and protestNature and renewalPrideSource: Flag of BrazilShades and relatives of Cambridge Blue
Cambridge Blue is sometimes confused with sky blue, especially in sports teams in Australia and New Zealand. The rugby and rowing clubs at Cambridge use slightly different versions, with the rowing club’s being more yellow-green. Related university colours include Oxford Blue and Palatinate.
Colours that go with Cambridge Blue
Harmonies are worked out from the value #A3C1AD. Contrast ratios follow the WCAG 2 formula.
Questions people ask about Cambridge Blue
What colour is Cambridge Blue?
Cambridge Blue is a soft green with a hint of blue, officially set as Pantone 557 C and RGB 133, 176, 154.
Where does the name Cambridge Blue come from?
The name comes from the University of Cambridge, which adopted the colour after the 1836 Boat Race, using a ribbon from Gonville & Caius College.
How is Cambridge Blue used?
It is mainly used for University of Cambridge sports uniforms, silk ties, and ceremonial dress.
Is Cambridge Blue the same for all Cambridge teams?
No, the rowing club’s shade is greener than the rugby club’s, due to more yellow being added in the mid-20th century.
Good reading and sources
The facts on this page come from the Wikipedia article "Cambridge Blue (colour)", written by its contributors and used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence, and from its Wikidata record (CC0). Rang rewrote the text in its own words, with AI assistance, and compares every page with the article to make sure no passage is copied. It may be reused under the same CC BY-SA 4.0 licence with a link back.
It may contain mistakes. The swatch is an approximation: named colours are not fixed standards, and every screen shows them a little differently. If something is wrong, tell us. Last refreshed 2026-10-03.
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