Calcutta Cup

The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between England and Scotland. It is the oldest of several trophies awarded under the umbrella of the Six Nations Championship, which include the Millennium Trophy, Centenary Quaich, Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy, Auld Alliance Trophy, the Doddie Weir Cup (the last two were first contested in 2018).

Calcutta Cup
Given forWinning the annual England versus Scotland match.
Country England
 Scotland
Presented bySix Nations Rugby
History
First award1879
Most recent England
Websitewww.sixnationsrugby.com



The Calcutta Cup was first competed for in 1879 and the current holder is England, who have won the cup the most times overall with 71 wins to Scotland's 40.

The cup is of Indian workmanship, decorated with cobras and an elephant.

Calcutta Club

On Christmas Day 1872, a game of rugby football, between 20 players representing England on one side and 20 representing Scotland on the other, was played in Calcutta.

The match was such a success that it was repeated a week later. These lovers of rugby wanted to form a club in the area and the aforementioned matches were the agents which led to the formation of the Calcutta Football Club in January 1873.

The Calcutta Club joined the Rugby Football Union in 1874. Despite the Indian climate not being entirely suitable for playing rugby, the club prospered during that first year. However, when the free bar had to be discontinued, the membership took an appreciable drop. Other sports, such as tennis and polo, which were considered to be more suited to the local climate, were making inroads into the numbers of gentlemen available. On the suggestion of G.A.J. Rothney, the secretary, the members decided to disband but keen to perpetuate the name of the club, they withdrew the club's funds from the bank, which were in Silver Rupees, had the 270 Rupees melted down and made into a cup which they presented to the Rugby Football Union in England in 1878, with the provision that it should be competed for annually.

The cup

The cup is of Indian workmanship, approximately 18 inches (45 cm) high, the body is finely engraved with three king cobras forming the handles. The domed lid is surmounted by an elephant which is, it is said, copied from the Viceroy's own stock. The inscription on the Cup's wooden base reads: THE CALCUTTA CUP.

The base has attached to it additional plates which record the date of each match played with the name of the winning country and the names of the two captains. There is an anomaly in the recording of the winning country on the base of the Cup. It was first played for in 1879, but the plinth shows records extending back to the first international in 1871.

The original trophy is in a very fragile state following many years of poor treatment and is not in a strong enough condition to attend functions or go on tours. When won by England the original Calcutta Cup is put on public display in the Museum of Rugby in Twickenham, where it slowly turns around in a purpose built showcase. Both nations have full size replicas of the Cup. Whilst the original was handmade by Indian craftsmen, the replicas were made using modern technology.

In 1988 the cup was damaged by the antics of some drunken players, including England number eight Dean Richards and Scotland flanker John Jeffrey who played football with the Calcutta Cup along Princes Street in Edinburgh. Jeffrey received a six-month ban from the SRU, whilst Richards was given a one-match sentence from England.[1]

Competition

Despite the initial request of the Calcutta Club that the trophy be used as rugby's answer to football's FA Cup, the RFU refused to turn the Calcutta Cup into a knock-out competition for English club sides. They believed that "competitiveness" ran against the amateur ethos and instead decided that a game should be played each year between England and Scotland and whoever wins should keep it for that year. The first Calcutta Cup match was played at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, on 10 March 1879 and ended in a draw; Scotland scored a drop goal and England a goal. The following year on 28 February 1880 England became the first winners of the Calcutta Cup when they defeated Scotland by two goals & three tries to one goal in Manchester. Matches have continued on an annual basis except for two interruptions due to the World Wars between 1915–1919 and 1940–1946.

As of 2019, 126 Calcutta Cup matches have taken place. Currently, this game is the annual match between the two nations in the Six Nations Championship. The ground alternates between Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh (on even years) and Twickenham Stadium in London (on odd years).

In 2004, the two countries' rugby governing bodies, the Rugby Football Union (England) and the Scottish Rugby Union, were considering a plan to add a second Calcutta Cup fixture each year, outside the Six Nations. The second fixture would be hosted by the away nation in the Six Nations fixture of the same year. Under that plan, one nation would have to win both matches to take the Cup off its current holder. Due to a largely unfavourable reaction, the proposal soon disappeared from view.

Results

Since 1879, the Calcutta Cup has been played 126 times.

YearDateHolderResultStadiumPlaceEngland winsScotland winsDraws
187910 March1–1Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh001
188028 February England2–1Whalley RangeManchester101
188119 March England1–1Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh102
18824 March Scotland(0T)0–0(2T)Whalley RangeManchester112
18833 March England(1T)0–0(2T)Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh212
18841 March England3–1Rectory FieldBlackheath312
1885Not played
188613 March England0–0Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh313
18875 March England(1T)1–1(1T)Whalley RangeManchester314
1888Not played
1889Not played
18901 March England0–6Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh414
18917 March Scotland3–9Athletic GroundRichmond424
18925 March England0–5Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh524
18934 March Scotland0–8HeadingleyLeeds534
189417 March Scotland6–0Raeburn PlaceEdinburgh544
18959 March Scotland3–6Athletic GroundRichmond554
189614 March Scotland11–0Hampden ParkGlasgow564
189713 March England12–3FallowfieldManchester664
189812 March England3–3PowderhallEdinburgh665
189911 March Scotland0–5Rectory FieldBlackheath675
190010 March Scotland0–0InverleithEdinburgh676
19019 March Scotland3–18Rectory FieldBlackheath686
190215 March England3–6InverleithEdinburgh786
190321 March Scotland6–10Athletic GroundRichmond796
190419 March Scotland6–3InverleithEdinburgh7106
190518 March Scotland0–8Athletic GroundRichmond7116
190617 March England3–9InverleithEdinburgh8116
190716 March Scotland3–8Rectory FieldBlackheath8126
190821 March Scotland16–10InverleithEdinburgh8136
190920 March Scotland8–18Athletic GroundRichmond8146
191019 March England5–14InverleithEdinburgh9146
191118 March England13–8TwickenhamLondon10146
191216 March Scotland8–3InverleithEdinburgh10156
191315 March England3–0TwickenhamLondon11156
191421 March England15–16InverleithEdinburgh12156
1915Not held due to World War I
1916
1917
1918
1919
192020 March England13–4TwickenhamLondon13156
192119 March England0–18InverleithEdinburgh14156
192218 March England11–5TwickenhamLondon15156
192317 March England6–8InverleithEdinburgh16156
192415 March England19–0TwickenhamLondon17156
192521 March Scotland14–11MurrayfieldEdinburgh17166
192620 March Scotland9–17TwickenhamLondon17176
192719 March Scotland21–13MurrayfieldEdinburgh17186
192817 March England6–0TwickenhamLondon18186
192916 March Scotland12–6MurrayfieldEdinburgh18196
193015 March Scotland0–0TwickenhamLondon18197
193121 March Scotland28–19MurrayfieldEdinburgh18207
193219 March England16–3TwickenhamLondon19207
193318 March Scotland3–0MurrayfieldEdinburgh19217
193417 March England6–3TwickenhamLondon20217
193516 March Scotland10–7MurrayfieldEdinburgh20227
193621 March England9–8TwickenhamLondon21227
193720 March England3–6MurrayfieldEdinburgh22227
193819 March Scotland16–21TwickenhamLondon22237
193918 March England6–9MurrayfieldEdinburgh23237
1940Not held due to World War II
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
194715 March England24–5TwickenhamLondon24237
194820 March Scotland6–3MurrayfieldEdinburgh24247
194919 March England19–3TwickenhamLondon25247
195018 March Scotland13–11MurrayfieldEdinburgh25257
195117 March England5–3TwickenhamLondon26257
195215 March England3–19MurrayfieldEdinburgh27257
195321 March England26–8TwickenhamLondon28257
195420 March England3–13MurrayfieldEdinburgh29257
195519 March England9–6TwickenhamLondon30257
195617 March England6–11MurrayfieldEdinburgh31257
195716 March England16–3TwickenhamLondon32257
195815 March England3–3MurrayfieldEdinburgh32258
195921 March England3–3TwickenhamLondon32259
196019 March England12–21MurrayfieldEdinburgh33259
196118 March England6–0TwickenhamLondon34259
196217 March England3–3MurrayfieldEdinburgh342510
196316 March England10–8TwickenhamLondon352510
196421 March Scotland15–6MurrayfieldEdinburgh352610
196520 March Scotland3–3TwickenhamLondon352611
196619 March Scotland6–3MurrayfieldEdinburgh352711
196718 March England27–14TwickenhamLondon362711
196816 March England6–8MurrayfieldEdinburgh372711
196915 March England8–3TwickenhamLondon382711
197021 February Scotland14–5MurrayfieldEdinburgh382811
197120 March Scotland16–15TwickenhamLondon382911
197218 March Scotland23–9MurrayfieldEdinburgh383011
197317 March England20–13TwickenhamLondon393011
19742 February Scotland16–14MurrayfieldEdinburgh393111
197515 March England7–6TwickenhamLondon403111
197621 February Scotland22–12MurrayfieldEdinburgh403211
197715 January England26–6TwickenhamLondon413211
19784 March England0–15MurrayfieldEdinburgh423211
19793 February England7–7TwickenhamLondon423212
198015 March England18–30MurrayfieldEdinburgh433212
198121 February England23–17TwickenhamLondon443212
198216 January England9–9MurrayfieldEdinburgh443213
19835 March Scotland12–22TwickenhamLondon443313
19844 February Scotland18–6MurrayfieldEdinburgh443413
198516 March England10–7TwickenhamLondon453413
198615 February Scotland33–6MurrayfieldEdinburgh453513
19874 April England21–12TwickenhamLondon463513
19885 March England6–9MurrayfieldEdinburgh473513
19894 February England12–12TwickenhamLondon473514
199017 March Scotland13–7MurrayfieldEdinburgh473614
199116 February England21–12TwickenhamLondon483614
199218 January England7–25MurrayfieldEdinburgh493614
19936 March England26–12TwickenhamLondon503614
19945 February England14–15MurrayfieldEdinburgh513614
199518 March England24–12TwickenhamLondon523614
19962 March England9–18MurrayfieldEdinburgh533614
19971 February England41–13TwickenhamLondon543614
199822 March England20–34MurrayfieldEdinburgh553614
199920 February England24–21TwickenhamLondon563614
20002 April Scotland19–13MurrayfieldEdinburgh563714
20013 March England43–3TwickenhamLondon573714
20022 February England3–29MurrayfieldEdinburgh583714
200322 March England40–9TwickenhamLondon593714
200421 February England13–35MurrayfieldEdinburgh603714
200519 March England43–22TwickenhamLondon613714
200625 February Scotland18–12MurrayfieldEdinburgh613814
20073 February England42–20TwickenhamLondon623814
20088 March Scotland15–9MurrayfieldEdinburgh623914
200921 March England26–12TwickenhamLondon633914
201013 March England15–15MurrayfieldEdinburgh633915
201113 March England22–17TwickenhamLondon643915
20124 February England6–13MurrayfieldEdinburgh653915
20132 February England38–18TwickenhamLondon663915
20148 February England0–20MurrayfieldEdinburgh673915
201514 March England25–13TwickenhamLondon683915
20166 February England9–15[2]MurrayfieldEdinburgh693915
201711 March England61–21[3]TwickenhamLondon703915
201824 February Scotland25–13[4]MurrayfieldEdinburgh704015
201916 March Scotland38–38TwickenhamLondon704016
20208 February England6-13MurrayfieldEdinburgh714016

Records

TeamWins
 England71
 Scotland40

The cup has been tied 16 times.

The current record number of points scored by a player in a Calcutta Cup game was set by Jonny Wilkinson in 2007 when he scored 27 points (1 try, 2 conversions, 5 penalties, 1 drop goal). The previous record of 24 points was held by Rob Andrew.

Other Calcutta Cups

The Other Calcutta Cup Trophy

In 1884 Calcutta Cricket and Football Club again set up a rugby section and in 1890 set up an inter club trophy, the Calcutta Rugby Union Challenge Cup, promptly christened the Calcutta Cup.[5]

The Cup is currently held by Jungle Crows who beat CC&FC. The second division trophy was won by Calcutta Cricket and Football Club Panthers.[6]

The original and oldest Calcutta Cup is a silver trophy played for annually by the members of Royal Blackheath Golf Club. It was a gift from the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in response to the presentation of a medal given by Blackheath. It is made from melted down silver rupees, reputedly from the same batch of melted down silver rupees as the Rugby Union Cup played for between England and Scotland. The cup arrived in London in 1875. It was first played for in December 1875 three years before the first Calcutta Cup match between England and Scotland. The Cup held by Royal Blackheath Golf Club has only 2 handles unlike the well known Calcutta Cup. It is only in recent years that the history of the original Calcutta Cup has been appreciated by sporting historians.

Royal Blackheath Golf Club members had close links with Blackheath Football Club (Rugby) which was one of the most prominent Clubs in the early years of the Rugby Football Union. Members of both clubs served in India in the 1870s. This link is the most likely explanation for the creation of a similar cup being created by the Calcutta rugby Club a few years later and becoming the world-famous Calcutta Cup.

See also

References

  1. "The Calcutta Cup goes kickabout". ESPN Scrum. Retrieved 22 March 2015.
  2. BBC. "Scotland lose 15-9 to Jones' England". Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  3. "Auld Enemy put to the sword as Jonathan Joseph spearheads Calcutta Cup rout". The Telegraph, UK. Retrieved 23 September 2017.
  4. "Rampant Scots bring auld rivals crashing down to earth to claim Calcutta Cup". The Telegraph, UK. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
  5. "Calcutta Cricket and Football Club history". Archived from the original on 2007-09-28. Retrieved 2007-08-06.
  6. Scrum.com report
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