Rugby is a popular global sport, so it’s obvious there are well known sporting trophies in the game renowned across the globe.
Webb Ellis Cup
Awarded to the Rugby World Cup winner, this gold trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, the student who supposedly invented the game by picking up the ball in a game of association football in the late 19th century.
The gilded silver trophy has ornate handles and mythological detailing, adorned with the heads of a satyr and a nymph. It’s a beautiful trophy, but my only gripe is Ireland have never won it as international rugby is the best chance of major silverware for my home country.
Calcutta Cup
The history of the Calcutta Cup is genuinely fascinating. It goes back to a game on Christmas Day in 1872 between men representing England and Scotland in India. The Calcutta Rugby Football Club was formed the following year by expats, until it was dissolved when the remaining club funds of 270 silver rupees withdrawn and melted down to make a trophy which was donated to the RFU.
The distinctive trophy has a domed lid with an elephant on top. Modern replicas are used today, thanks to Scottish John Jeffery and Englishman Dean Richard using it as a football, the former receiving a six-month ban for his actions.
There is no doubt that the prestige of beating the Auld Enemy put extra effort in to be victorious at Twickenham or Murryfield.
Now it’s one of the Six Nations Championship trophies alongside:
- Millennium Trophy (England–Ireland)
- Centenary Quaich (Ireland–Scotland)
- Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France–Italy)
- Auld Alliance Trophy (France–Scotland)
- The Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland–Wales)
- The Cuttitta Cup (Italy–Scotland)
- The Triple Crown for Home Nations that defeat the other three, which while initially was honour only, a trophy was created in 2006.
N.B There is no dedicated Grand Slam trophy, it’s just the Six Nations trophy as tournament winners.
Other Notable Rugby Trophies
There is the Bledisloe Cup for the winner between Australia and New Zealand. And the Southern Hemisphere’s elite annual competition The Rugby Championship (formerly Tri-Nations) is fiercely contested by New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Argentina.
There are various club-level & regional Rugby Union trophies, including the Heineken Champions Cup for the best club team in European rugby union from England, France, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Italy, South Africa.
The Currie Cup in South Africa is the oldest rugby competition in the Southern Hemisphere, the Pacific Nations Cup is played by Pacific Island nations who always excel at Rugby. And the Ranfurly Shield is challenge trophy in New Zealand, known for its unique “holder must defend” format.
Over in Rugby League there’s also a league World Cup, and a trophy for winning the Super League Grand Final, plus the Provan-Summons Trophy for the winner of the National Rugby League Grand Final in Australia/New Zealand.
At Aussie club level the State of Origin Shield between the Queensland Maroons and New South Wales Blues is considered more intense than some international matches.
