Calcutta Cup: The oldest trophy
The Calcutta Cup is the oldest rugby trophy and a private affair, going back to 1878, and it is up for grabs this Saturday.
The Calcutta Cup looks Indian and indeed comes from India.
There was a club formed in Calcutta in 1873, which would make it one of the oldest clubs in the world if it were still in existence.
It joined England's Rugby Football Union in 1874 but membership dwindled and the club folded in 1878.
It turned its assets into 270 silver rupees, had them melted down and, in India, turned into the Calcutta Cup which it gave to the RFU for competition between England and Scotland – a handsome trophy about 45 cm high with an elephant, complete with howdah on top and king cobras for handles. The base is made of wood with plates to name the winners.
The oldest international match is England versus Scotland, first played in 1871. The Calcutta Cup was presented for matches between England and Scotland only. The match each season is referred to as the Calcutta Cup match.
It is a venerable trophy in this day of many trophies.
It did not deserve the treatment it got in 1988 in Edinburgh.
England beat Scotland 9-6 in a drab match at Murrayfield and after the riotous dinner police constable Dean Richards of England and farmer John Jeffrey of Scotland played soccer with the Calcutta Cup in Princes Street, damaging it. Jeffrey, who is now an IRB committeeman, was banned for six months, Richards for just one match.
That match was the last Calcutta Cup match at Murrayfield when only God Save the Queen was sung – and booed. From then on Scotland had Flower of Scotland to boost their patriotic fervour.
Winners down the Years
1878: draw
1879: draw
1880: England
1881: draw
1882: Scotland
1883: England
1884: England
1885: No match
1886: draw
1887: draw
1888: No match
1889: No Match
1890: England
1891: Scotland
1892: England
1893: Scotland
1894: Scotland
1895: Scotland
1896: Scotland
1897: England
1898: draw
1899: Scotland
1900: draw
1901: Scotland
1902: England
1903: Scotland
1904: Scotland
1905: Scotland
1906: England
1907: Scotland
1908: Scotland
1909: Scotland
1910: England
1911: England
1912: Scotland
1913: England
1914: England
1915-19: No matches
1920: England
1921: England
1922: England
1923: England
1924: England
1925: Scotland
1926: Scotland
1927: Scotland
1928: England
1929: Scotland
1930: draw
1931: Scotland
1932: England
1933: Scotland
1934: England
1935: Scotland
1936: England
1937: England
1938: Scotland
1939: England
1940-46: No matches
1947: England
1948: Scotland
1949: England
1950: Scotland
1951: England
1952: England
1953: England
1954: England
1955: England
1957: England
1958: draw
1959: draw
1960: England
1961: England
1962: draw
1963: England
1964: Scotland
1965: draw
1966: Scotland
1967: England
1968: England
1969: England
1970: Scotland
1971: Scotland
1972: Scotland
1973: England
1974: Scotland
1975: England
1976: Scotland
1977: England
1978: England
1979: draw
1980: England
1981: England
1982: draw
1983: Scotland
1984: Scotland
1985: England
1986: Scotland
1987: England
1988: England
1989: draw
1990: Scotland
1991: England
1992: England
1993: England
1994: England
1995: England
1996: England
1997: England
1998: England
1999: England
2000: Scotland
2001: England
2002: England
2003: England
2004: England
2005: England
2006: Scotland
2007: England
2008: Scotland
2009: England
2010: draw
2011: England
2012: England
