Rugby union trophies and awards have been given out to teams and participants from the very earliest days of the sport's history. In common with many other sports rugby union has an array of competitions, both domestic international, covering the spectrum of competition structures from season long leagues, to one-off matches. The list below is divided into sections such that trophies and awards competed for by national sides are grouped together, as are those competed for by club and provincial sides. In both cases, the type of award can differ. The award might be a perpetual trophy, which is one competed for in perpetuity by two sides such that on each occasion they meet, which may or may not be on a regular basis, that honour is contested. The award may be one that is given to the winner of a tournament, or as a subset of this, as an award for a particular honour attained in that tournament. Additionally, the sport of rugby union bestows certain honours on individual players, and these too have their own dedicated section below.
Contents |
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Image | Participants and Record | Current holders | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bledisloe Cup | 1931 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand-39 Australia-12 |
New Zealand | Named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. |
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| Calcutta Cup | 1879 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | England-63 Scotland-39 drawn-15 |
England | Named after the Calcutta Football Club which, after disbanding withdrew the club's Silver Rupees from the bank, and 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. | ||
| Cook Cup | 1997 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au | England-6 Australia-8 |
England | The cup is named after Captain James Cook |
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| Mandela Challenge Plate | 2000 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | South Africa-3 Australia-6 |
Australia | It is named after South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela. |
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| Six Nations Championship Trophy | 1993 | 2011 | Tournament | England Scotland Ireland Wales France Italy |
England | |||
| Triple Crown | 1883 | 2011 | Tournament Honour | England Scotland Ireland Wales |
None | The Triple Crown as a term was first recorded in 1884. The cup was known as the invisible cup because no trophy existed until one was commissioned in 2006. The last winners were Ireland in 2009. | ||
| Millennium Trophy (Irish: Corn an Mhílaoise) |
1988 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | England-14 Ireland-10 drawn-0 |
Ireland | Contested as part of the Six Nations Championship. It was initiated in 1988 as part of Dublin's millennial celebrations. The trophy in the shape of a horned Viking helmet. | ||
| Hopetoun Cup | 1998 | 2009 | Perpetual Trophy | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au | Australia-5 Scotland-1 |
Scotland | Named after the Seventh Earl of Hopetoun, a Scotsman, who, as the then Governor-General of Australia, presided over the Federation of Australia in 1901. |
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| James Bevan Trophy | 2007 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia-4 Wales-1 |
Australia | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au |
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| Lansdowne Cup | 1999 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au | Australia-6 Ireland-2 |
Australia | Donated by the Lansdowne Club of Sydney, which was named after Lansdowne Road, the home of Ireland rugby for over a century until its demolition in 2007 to make way for Aviva Stadium. | |
| Puma Trophy | 2000 | 2002 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia-2 Argentina-0 |
Australia | For a picture please see The Puma Trophy, contested by Australia and Argentina, June 24 2000 at scrum.com |
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| Tom Richards Trophy | 2001 | 2001 | Perpetual Trophy | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au | Australia-1 /Lions-0 |
Australia | ||
| British & Irish Lions South Africa Series Trophy | 2009 | 2009 | Perpetual Trophy | South Africa-1 /Lions-0 |
South Africa | |||
| Tri Nations Trophy | 1996 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | New Zealand-10 Australia-3 South Africa-3 |
Australia | |||
| Webb Ellis Cup | 1987 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | For a picture please see Trophies Landing at rugby.com.au |
World Cup Results: Australia-2 New Zealand-2 South Africa-2 England-1 |
New Zealand |
The most prestigious trophy. The Main prize for the Rugby World Cup | |
| Antim Cup | 2002 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | Georgia-5 Romania-4 |
Georgia | Named after Anthim the Iberian, a native of Georgia who became one of the most important Orthodox ecclesiastical figures in Wallachia, one of the predecessor states of modern Romania. | ||
| Centenary Quaich | 1989 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | Scotland-12 Ireland-10 drawn-1 |
Scotland | Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. Although the two countries have played each other on 121, the cup[1] has only been presented to the winners of the fixture since 1989.[2] | ||
| Dave Gallaher Trophy | 2000 | 2009 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand-8 France-1 |
New Zealand | Named after Dave Gallaher, the famous 1905–06 All Blacks captain who was killed in Belgium during World War I. Introduced in 2000, it is awarded to the winner of a selected challenge match in any given year. | ||
| Freedom Cup | 2004 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand-5 South Africa-2 drawn-0 |
New Zealand | The trophy is contested between South Africa and New Zealand, during the Tri-nations tournament. It was first contested in 2004, the 10 year anniversary of South African democracy. | ||
| Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy | 2006 | 2011 | Perpetual Trophy | Italy-1 France-4 drawn-0 |
Italy | Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. The trophy, designed by former French international and professional sculptor Jean-Pierre Rives, was awarded for the first time on 3 February 2007 to France as part of the celebrations of the bicentenary of the birth of Italian national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi in Nice. | ||
| Hillary Shield | 2008 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | England-0 New Zealand-3 drawn-0 |
New Zealand | The trophy is named in memory of the New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary. | ||
| Melrose Cup | 1993 | 2009 | Tournament Trophy | World Record England-1 Fiji-2 New Zealand-1 Wales-1 |
Wales | The main prize of the Rugby World Cup Sevens. | ||
| Trophée des Bicentenaires | 1989 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia-11 France-3 |
Australia | To celebrate the bi-centenaries of Australia and France, in 1988 and 1989 respectively, the French Rugby Union donated the Trophée des Bicentenaires to be played in perpetuity between the two countries. It is a bronze sculpture featuring two players in a tackle. Although the trophy dates from 1988, it was first contested in 1989. | ||
| Prince William Cup | 2007 | 2010 | Perpetual Trophy | South Africa-6 Wales-0 |
South Africa | Celebrates 100 years of rugby union history between Wales and South Africa. It is named after the Vice Royal Patron of the WRU, Prince William. | ||
| European Nations Cup | 2000 | 2010 | Tournament Trophy | Georgia-4 Germany Portugal-1 Romania-3 Russia Spain |
Georgia | European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations. | ||
| Asian Five Nations | 2008 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | Arabian Gulf Hong Kong Japan-4 Kazakhstan South Korea |
Japan | Annual international rugby union competition held between the top five Asian sides. | ||
| South American Rugby Championship | 1951 | 2008 | Tournament Trophy | Argentina-27 Uruguay-1 Chile |
Argentina | Two-tiered, annual rugby union competition that features teams from South America. | ||
| Pacific Nations Cup | 2006 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | Fiji Samoa-1 Japan-1 Tonga New Zealand Māori-1 Junior All Blacks-2 |
Japan | |||
| Churchill Cup | 2003 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | Canada England Saxons-6 Ireland Wolfhounds Georgia Scotland A United States Argentina XV New Zealand Māori-2 |
England Saxons | The tournament, whose final edition was held in 2011, was contested by teams from Canada, England, and the United States, and other invited teams. It was named after former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome was an American, born in Brooklyn. | ||
| Africa Cup | Tournament Trophy | South Africa Amateurs-3 Morocco-2 Namibia-2 Uganda-1 Madagascar Tunisia |
Uganda | Organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR), the tournament prior to being renamed the Africa Cup in 2006, was known as the CAR Top 9 and CAR Top 10. | ||||
| PARA Pan American Championship | Tournament Trophy | |||||||
| CAR Castel Beer Trophy | Tournament Trophy | |||||||
| Trakker Cup | Perpetual Trophy | |||||||
| Stralis Cup | Perpetual Trophy | |||||||
| Cornwall Cup | 2008 | 2008 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia Barbarians |
Australia |
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Participants (no. of wins in brackets) | Current holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Crunch | 1906 | 2011 | Perpetual Contest | England-51 France-36 drawn-7 |
England | This is merely a traditional name for the tie. There is no physical trophy. |
| Grand Slam | 2011 | Tournament Honour | England Scotland Ireland Wales France Italy |
Grand Slam last won by France in 2010 | ||
| Wooden Spoon | 2011 | Tournament Honour | England Scotland Ireland Wales France Italy |
Italy | This is "Awarded" to the team that finishes the Six Nations Championship at the bottom of the table |
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Image | Participants (no. of wins in brackets) | Current holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Hospitals Cup | 1874 | 2010 | Tournament | GKT RFC-50 Imperial Medicals RFC-49 St George's RFC-3 RUMS RFC-1 Royal Hospitals RFC-20 |
Imperial Medicals RFC | ||
| Waratah Shield | |||||||
| Ranfurly Shield | 1902 | 2011 | Domestic challenge | New Zealand provinces. For a list of holders, see Ranfurly Shield#Past shield-holders. |
Taranaki | Named after Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of New Zealand who donated the trophy to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1901. The NZRFU decided to award it to the winner of its 1902 season, and then make it subject to a challenge system. | |
| Super Rugby Trophy | 2011 | 2011 | Tournamnet | provincial teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa | Queensland Reds | ||
| Super 12 Trophy | |||||||
| Currie Cup | 1892 | 2011 | Domestic | South AfricaSouth African provinces See Currie Cup#Overall winners |
Golden Lions | South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Named after Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, who instructed the touring British Isles team of 1891 to hand this trophy over to the team in South Africa that gave them the best game. | |
| MacTier Cup | 1998 | 2008 | Domestic | Rugby Canada Super League | Newfoundland Rock | Trophy retired after the 2008 season when Rugby Canada scrapped the Super League in favour of the newly created Americas Rugby Championship. | |
| Meads Cup | 2006 | 2011 | Domestic | New Zealand second-level provinces. See Heartland Championship#Winners. |
Wanganui | The top-tier trophy awarded in New Zealand's second-level domestic competition, the Heartland Championship. Named after iconic All Black Colin Meads. | |
| Lochore Cup | 2006 | 2011 | Domestic | New Zealand second-level provinces. See Heartland Championship#Winners. |
Poverty Bay | The second-tier trophy awarded in the Heartland Championship. Named after another All Black great, Brian Lochore. | |
| Hanan Shield | |||||||
| Bouclier de Brennus | 1892 | 2011 | Domestic | French League For winners see Top 14#Total wins |
Toulouse | Trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league. Named after Charles Brennus, cofounder of France's original rugby governing body, USFSA, who created the shield based on a design by the other cofounder, Pierre de Coubertin. The original trophy is no longer presented. Due to its increasingly battered condition, it was decided in 2003 to restore the trophy and place it on permanent static display. In each season since 2003, with the exception of 2004 when the original was used one final time, a replica of the original shield has been presented. | |
| European Challenge Cup | 1996 | 2011 | Tournament | Clubs from England, France, and Italy always compete, as well as a specially created team from Romania. Clubs from Ireland and Wales usually compete as well. Clubs from Scotland do not start in the competition, but may parachute in from the Heineken Cup. Also, one club from either Spain or Portugal also qualifies. For winners, see European Challenge Cup finals. |
Harlequins |
Also known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup. |
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| Heineken Cup | 1996 | 2011 | Tournament | Clubs from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. For winners see Heineken Cup records and statistics. |
Leinster | Named after the competition's sponsor, Heineken. | |
| Pacific Rugby Cup | 2006 | 2009 | Tournament | Fiji Warriors Fiji Barbarians Upolu Samoa Savaii Samoa Tau'uta Reds Tautahi Gold |
Fiji Warriors |