Calcutta Cup

The Calcutta Cup is a trophy in the sport of rugby union, which is part of the Six Nations tournament awarded to the winner of the match between England and Scotland each year. Current owners of the Cup is England, which won with 20:0 in Edinburgh on February 8, 2014 Scotland.

The Calcutta Club

On Christmas Day 1872 (now Kolkata ) held a rugby match in the Indian city of Calcutta. On the one hand, there were 20 players from England, on the other 20 players from Scotland, Ireland and Wales. The game was such a success that a week later again held a meeting. These games eventually led to the founding of the Calcutta Football Club in January 1873.

The Calcutta Club joined the Rugby Football Union in 1874 (RFU ) at, the English Association. Although the Indian climate for rugby was not necessarily appropriate, increased the number of members of the association. However, when the bar had to be closed with the free drinks, the club had recorded a marked decline in membership. Many players turned to the tennis and polo, which were less demanding in the tropical heat. The remaining members decided to dissolve the Association, but were determined not to let fall into oblivion as the club name. They lifted the silver rupees club consisting of assets of the Bank from, melted down the coins and let it make a cup. This they presented in 1878 the RFU, under the condition that each year should be played to him.

The competition

Despite the original petition of the Calcutta Club to look at the Cup of Rugby in response to the FA Cup, the RFU decided against the orientation of a cup competition for English club teams. The Association was the belief that " rivalry " the amateur ethos of Rugby contrary. Instead, the RFU decided that every year an international match between England and Scotland should be held and the winner should keep the trophy for a year. The first game at the Calcutta Cup was held on March 10, 1879 in Raeburn Place in Edinburgh instead and ended in a draw. The following year England became the first winner. Until 2014 132 games were played at the Calcutta Cup.

The trophy

The cup produced in India is 18 inches (45.72 cm) high, is made of silver and is richly decorated. The three handles are in the form of king cobras. On the domed cover is an elephant, according to tradition, he is one of the animals represent in the possession of the then Viceroy. The inscription on the wooden pedestal reads: THE CALCUTTA CUP.

Attached to the base are extra plaques on which the date of each match and the winning team and the names of the two team captains are listed. While playing for the trophy only since 1879, the records go back to the base to the first international match in 1871.

The original trophy is due to poor treatment for many years in a very fragile state and is no longer stable enough for use in victory celebrations. If the trophy in English hands, he will be issued in the Rugby Museum in London's Twickenham Stadium, where it slowly rotates in a specially constructed for this purpose cabinet. Both England and Scotland have scale, produced with modern technology copies.

In 1988, the Calcutta Cup was damaged by some drunken players, as they so "football" played in Princes Street in Edinburgh. Then, the Scottish player John Jeffrey of the Scottish Rugby Union was suspended for six months, and the English player Dean Richards from the RFU for a game.