Calcutta Cup

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The Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently held by Scotland, who claimed the trophy by defeating the holders England 15–9 at Murrayfield in the 2008 Six Nations Championship on 8 March 2008.

Contents 1 The Calcutta Club 2 The Cup 3 The Competition 4 Results 4.1 By year 5 Records 6 See also 7 The other Calcutta Cup 8 External links

[edit] The Calcutta Club

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

The match was such a success that it was repeated a week later: the game of rugby had reached India. These lovers of rugby football 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. 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 them melted down and made into a cup which they presented to the RFU in 1878, with the provision that it should be competed for annually.

[edit] 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 and is complete with a howdah. 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.

[edit] The Competition

Despite the initial request of the Calcutta Club that the trophy be used as rugby's answer to soccer'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 2 goals & 3 tries to 1 goal in Manchester. Matches have continued on an annual basis ever since except for two interruptions due to the World Wars between 1915-1919 and 1940-1946.

As of 2008, 115 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 Scotland (on even years) and Twickenham Stadium (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 of 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.

[edit] Results

Overall Calcutta Cup wins:

• England - 62 (54%)
• Scotland - 39 (34%)
• draw - 14 (12%)

[edit] By year

2008
	Scotland	15 – 9	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

2007
	England	42 – 20	Scotland	Twickenham, England

2006
	Scotland	18 – 12	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

2005
	England	43 – 22	Scotland	Twickenham, England

2004
	Scotland	13 – 35	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

2003
	England	40 – 9	Scotland	Twickenham, England

2002
	Scotland	3 – 29	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

2001
	England	43 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

2000
	Scotland	19 – 13	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1999
	England	24 – 21	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1998
	Scotland	20 – 34	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1997
	England	41 – 13	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1996
	Scotland	9 – 18	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1995
	England	24 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1994
	Scotland	14 – 15	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1993
	England	26 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1992
	Scotland	7 – 25	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1991
	England	21 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1990
	Scotland	13 – 7	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1989
	England	12 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1988
	Scotland	6 – 9	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1987
	England	21 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1986
	Scotland	33 – 6	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1985
	England	10 – 7	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1984
	Scotland	18 – 6	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1983
	England	12 – 22	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1982
	Scotland	9 – 9	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1981
	England	23 – 17	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1980
	Scotland	18 – 30	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1979
	England	7 – 7	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1978
	Scotland	0 – 15	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1977
	England	26 – 6	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1976
	Scotland	22 – 12	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1975
	England	7 – 6	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1974
	Scotland	16 – 14	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1973
	England	20 – 13	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1972
	Scotland	23 – 9	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1971
	England	15 – 16	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1970
	Scotland	14 – 5	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1969
	England	8 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1968
	Scotland	6 – 8	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1967
	England	27 – 14	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1966
	Scotland	6 – 3	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1965
	England	3 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1964
	Scotland	15 – 6	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1963
	England	10 – 8	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1962
	Scotland	3 – 3	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1961
	England	6 – 0	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1960
	Scotland	12 – 21	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1959
	England	3 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1958
	Scotland	3 – 3	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1957
	England	16 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1956
	Scotland	6 – 11	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1955
	England	9 – 6	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1954
	Scotland	3 – 13	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1953
	England	26 – 8	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1952
	Scotland	3 – 19	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1951
	England	5 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1950
	Scotland	13 – 11	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1949
	England	19 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1948
	Scotland	6 – 3	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1947
	England	24 – 5	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1939
	Scotland	6 – 9	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1938
	England	16 – 21	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1937
	Scotland	3 – 6	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1936
	England	9 – 8	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1935
	Scotland	10 – 7	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1934
	England	6 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1933
	Scotland	3 – 0	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1932
	England	16 – 3	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1931
	Scotland	28 – 19	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1930
	England	0 – 0	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1929
	Scotland	12 – 6	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1928
	England	6 – 0	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1927
	Scotland	21 – 13	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1926
	England	9 – 17	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1925
	Scotland	14 – 11	England	Murrayfield, Scotland

1924
	England	19 – 0	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1923
	Scotland	6 – 8	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1922
	England	11 – 5	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1921
	Scotland	0 – 18	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1920
	England	13 – 4	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1914
	Scotland	15 – 16	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1913
	England	3 – 0	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1912
	Scotland	8 – 3	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1911
	England	13 – 8	Scotland	Twickenham, England

1910
	Scotland	5 – 14	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1909
	England	8 – 18	Scotland	Richmond, England

1908
	Scotland	16 – 10	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1907
	England	3 – 8	Scotland	Blackheath, England

1906
	Scotland	3 – 9	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1905
	England	0 – 8	Scotland	Richmond, England

1904
	Scotland	6 – 3	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1903
	England	6 – 10	Scotland	Richmond, England

1902
	Scotland	3 – 6	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1901
	England	3 – 18	Scotland	Blackheath, England

1900
	Scotland	0 – 0	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1899
	England	0 – 5	Scotland	Blackheath, England

1898
	Scotland	3 – 3	England	Powderhall, Scotland

1897
	England	8 – 3	Scotland	Fallowfield, England

1896
	Scotland	11 – 0	England	Hampden Park, Scotland

1895
	England	3 – 6	Scotland	Richmond, England

1894
	Scotland	6 – 0	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1893
	England	0 – 8	Scotland	Headingley, England

1892
	Scotland	0 – 5	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1891
	England	3 – 9	Scotland	Richmond, England

1890
	Scotland	0 – 6	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1887
	England	1 – 1	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1886
	Scotland	0 – 0	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1884
	England	3 – 1	Scotland	Blackheath, England

1883
	Scotland	1 – 2	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1882
	England	0 – 2	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1881
	Scotland	4 – 4	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1880
	England	9 – 3	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1879
	Scotland	3 – 3	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

The only other England-Scotland match occurred during the 1991 Rugby World Cup; in this instance the Calcutta Cup was not played for; England triumphed 9-6.

[edit] Records

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. The previous record of 24 points was held by Rob Andrew.

[edit] See also

• Millennium Trophy
• Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
• Triple Crown Trophy
• England national team
• Scotland national team
• Six Nations

[edit] The other Calcutta Cup

In 1884 Calcutta Cricket and Football Club once 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. [1]

The Cup is currently help by Future Hope Harlequins [2] who beat CC&FC to retain the trophy. [3]

[edit] External links

• Five famous victories to lift Scottish Hearts, The Scotsman, February 25, 2006

• The Calcutta Cup (PDF) explained on the website of the Scottish Rugby Union.

• British Army Rugby Union The Army and the Calcutta Cup (1878-9).