Calcutta Cup

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed Template:Infobox sports award The Calcutta Cup is the trophy awarded to the winner of the rugby match between teams of England and Scotland played annually in the Six Nations Championship. Like the match itself (England–Scotland), the Calcutta Cup is the oldest trophy contested between any two international rugby union teams, pre-dating the Bledisloe Cup (Australia–New Zealand) by more than half a century. It is also the oldest of several trophies awarded under the umbrella of the Six Nations Championship, which include the Millennium Trophy (England–Ireland), Centenary Quaich (Ireland–Scotland), Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy (France–Italy), Auld Alliance Trophy (France–Scotland), the Doddie Weir Cup (Scotland–Wales) and the Cuttitta Cup (Italy–Scotland).

History

Calcutta Club

On Christmas Day in 1872 a game of rugby union football was played in Calcutta, British India by a group of forty people (twenty-a-side), with one team representing England and the other Scotland.<ref name=Cal>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Template:Efn Following this match, and the growth of British Sport in India, the Calcutta Rugby Football Club was formally established in January the following year by expats, former students of Rugby School,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and soldiers of the Royal East Kent Regiment.<ref name=Sco>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=His>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1874, the club joined the Rugby Football Union (RFU).<ref name=Cal/><ref name=His/><ref name=Eng>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> By 1878, the club's diminishing members withdrew club funds, a total of ₹270,Template:Efn and had them melted down to make a trophy.<ref name=Cal/><ref name=His/><ref name=Eng/> The trophy was presented by the club to the RFU and was used as “the best means of doing some lasting good for the cause of Rugby Football.”<ref name=His/>

The cup

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.<ref name=Sco/>

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.

While 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 Scottish Rugby Union (SRU), whilst Richards was given a one-match sentence from England.<ref name="espn-kickabout">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

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 2025, 132 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 Championship. 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 was dropped.

Results

Results summary

Cup wins/holdsTemplate:Efn

Team	Template:Tooltip
Template:Ru	83
Template:Ru	48

Match wins

Team	Wins
Template:Ru	72
Template:Ru	44
Draws	16

Year	Date	Winner	Score	Stadium and location	Holder (aggregate times held)
1879	10 March	draw	(0) 1G–1G (1T)	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh	Template:N/A
1880	28 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	(5T) 2G–1G (1T)	Whalley Range, Manchester	Template:Ru Template:Small
1881	19 March	draw	(2T) 1G–1G (1T)	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1882	4 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	(0) 0G–0G (2T)	Whalley Range, Manchester	Template:Ru Template:Small
1883	3 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	(1T) 0G–0G (2T)	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1884	1 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	(1T) 1G–0G (1T)	Rectory Field, Blackheath
1885	align=center colspan=4 Template:N/A
1886	13 March	draw	(0) 0G–0G (0)	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1887	5 March	draw	(1T) 0G–0G (1T)	Whalley Range, Manchester
1888	align=center rowspan=2 colspan=4 Template:N/A
1889
1890	1 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–6	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1891	7 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–9	Athletic Ground, Richmond	Template:Ru Template:Small
1892	5 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–5	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1893	4 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–8	Headingley Stadium, Leeds	Template:Ru Template:Small
1894	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–0	Raeburn Place, Edinburgh
1895	9 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–6	Athletic Ground, Richmond
1896	14 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	11–0	Cathkin Park, Glasgow
1897	13 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	12–3	Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester	Template:Ru Template:Small
1898	12 March	draw	3–3	Powderhall Stadium, Edinburgh
1899	11 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–5	Rectory Field, Blackheath	Template:Ru Template:Small
1900	10 March	draw	0–0	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1901	9 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–18	Rectory Field, Blackheath
1902	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–6	Inverleith, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1903	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–10	Athletic Ground, Richmond	Template:Ru Template:Small
1904	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–3	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1905	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–8	Athletic Ground, Richmond
1906	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–9	Inverleith, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1907	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–8	Rectory Field, Blackheath	Template:Ru Template:Small
1908	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–10	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1909	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	8–18	Athletic Ground, Richmond
1910	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	5–14	Inverleith, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1911	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	13–8	Twickenham Stadium, London
1912	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	8–3	Inverleith, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1913	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–0	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1914	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	15–16	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1915	align=center rowspan=5 colspan=4 Template:N/A
1916
1917
1918
1919
1920	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	13–4	Twickenham Stadium, London
1921	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–18	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1922	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	11–5	Twickenham Stadium, London
1923	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–8	Inverleith, Edinburgh
1924	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	19–0	Twickenham Stadium, London
1925	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	14–11	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1926	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	9–17	Twickenham Stadium, London
1927	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	21–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1928	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–0	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1929	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	12–6	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1930	16 March	draw	0–0	Twickenham Stadium, London
1931	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	28–19	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1932	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–3	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1933	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–0	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1934	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–3	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1935	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	10–7	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1936	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	9–8	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1937	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–6	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1938	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–21	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1939	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–9	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1940	align=center rowspan=7 colspan=4 Template:N/A
1941
1942
1943
1944
1945
1946
1947	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	24–5	Twickenham Stadium, London
1948	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–3	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1949	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–3	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1950	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	13–11	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1951	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	5–3	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1952	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–19	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1953	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	26–8	Twickenham Stadium, London
1954	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1955	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	9–6	Twickenham Stadium, London
1956	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–11	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1957	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–3	Twickenham Stadium, London
1958	15 March	draw	3–3	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1959	21 March	draw	3–3	Twickenham Stadium, London
1960	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	12–21	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1961	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–0	Twickenham Stadium, London
1962	17 March	draw	3–3	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1963	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	10–8	Twickenham Stadium, London
1964	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	15–6	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1965	20 March	draw	3–3	Twickenham Stadium, London
1966	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–3	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1967	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	27–14	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1968	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–8	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1969	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	8–3	Twickenham Stadium, London
1970	21 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	14–5	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1971	20 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	15–16	Twickenham Stadium, London
1972	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	23–9	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1973	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	15–16	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1974	2 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–14	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1975	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	7–6	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1976	21 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	22–12	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1977	15 January	Template:Ru Template:Small	26–6	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1978	4 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–15	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1979	3 February	draw	7–7	Twickenham Stadium, London
1980	15 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	18–30	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1981	21 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	23–17	Twickenham Stadium, London
1982	16 January	draw	9–9	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1983	5 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	12–22	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1984	4 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	18–6	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1985	16 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	10–7	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1986	15 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	33–6	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1987	4 April	Template:Ru Template:Small	21–12	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1988	5 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–9	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1989	4 February	draw	12–12	Twickenham Stadium, London
1990	17 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	13–7	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
1991	16 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	21–12	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
1992	18 January	Template:Ru Template:Small	7–25	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1993	6 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	26–12	Twickenham Stadium, London
1994	5 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	14–15	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1995	18 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	24–12	Twickenham Stadium, London
1996	2 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	9–18	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1997	1 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	41–13	Twickenham Stadium, London
1998	22 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	20–34	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
1999	20 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	24–21	Twickenham Stadium, London
2000	2 April	Template:Ru Template:Small	19–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
2001	3 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	43–3	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
2002	2 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	3–29	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2003	22 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	40–9	Twickenham Stadium, London
2004	21 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	13–35	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2005	19 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	43–22	Twickenham Stadium, London
2006	25 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	18–12	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
2007	3 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	42–20	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
2008	8 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	15–9	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
2009	21 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	26–12	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
2010	13 March	draw	15–15	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2011	13 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	22–16	Twickenham Stadium, London
2012	4 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2013	2 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	38–18	Twickenham Stadium, London
2014	8 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	0–20	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2015	14 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	25–13	Twickenham Stadium, London
2016	6 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	9–15	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2017	11 March	Template:Ru Template:Small	61–21	Twickenham Stadium, London
2018	24 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	25–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
2019	16 March	draw	38–38	Twickenham Stadium, London
2020	8 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–13	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh	Template:Ru Template:Small
2021	6 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	6–11	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small
2022	5 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	20–17	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2023	4 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	23–29	Twickenham Stadium, London
2024	24 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	30–21	Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh
2025	22 February	Template:Ru Template:Small	16–15	Twickenham Stadium, London	Template:Ru Template:Small

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 (1 try, 2 conversions, 5 penalties, 1 drop goal). The previous record of 24 points was held by Rob Andrew.

Other Calcutta Cups

File:Other Calcutta Cup Trophy.jpg

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.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The 2007 edition of the Cup was held by Jungle Crows, in which Future Hope Harlequins defeated CC&FC in final.<ref name="SCRUM">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The second division trophy was won by Calcutta Cricket and Football Club Panthers.<ref name="SCRUM"/>

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 two 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

• Rugby union trophies and awards
• Le Crunch, a long-standing rivalry between England and France
• Millennium Trophy, for winners of England v. Ireland in the Six Nations
• Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy, for winners of France v. Italy in the Six Nations
• Triple Crown Trophy, whoever (if any) wins all games between England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations
• Rugby union in India
• England–Scotland football rivalry in association football

Further reading

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External links

• Five famous victories to lift Scottish Hearts, The Scotsman, February 25, 2006
• The History of the Calcutta Cup, The Calcutta Cup at Historic UK
• The Calcutta Cup (PDF) explained on the website of the Scottish Rugby Union.