Calcutta Cup

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 England, who claimed the trophy by defeating the holders Scotland 26–12 at Twickenham in the 2009 Six Nations Championship on 21 March 2009.

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 References 9 External links

The Calcutta Club

On Christmas Day 1872, a game of rugby, between 20 players representing England on the one side and 20 representing Scotland, Ireland and Wales on the other, was played in Calcutta (now known as "Kolkata").

The match was such a success that it was repeated a week later — the game of rugby had reached India. 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. 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.

This historical legacy has not been universally well-received, in fact, Sean Smith, whose book The Union Game: A Rugby History accompanied the BBC TV series of the same name, has said of it that:

"It speaks volumes for the traditions of class prejudice in England and Scotland that the two countries play each year for a trophy made in the Raj."^[1]

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.

The 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 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 2009, 116 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.

Results

Overall Calcutta Cup wins:

• England - 63 (55%)
• Scotland - 39 (34%)
• draw - 14 (12%)

By year

2009	England	26 – 12	Scotland	Twickenham, England

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	Rectory Field, 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	Rectory Field, England

1900	Scotland	0 – 0	England	Inverleith, Scotland

1899	England	0 – 5	Scotland	Rectory Field, 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 – 1	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1887	England	(1T) 0 - 0 (1T)	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1886	Scotland	0 – 0	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1884	England	1 – 0	Scotland	Rectory Field, England

1883	Scotland	(1T) 0 - 0 (2T)	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1882	England	(0T) 0 – 0 (2T)	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1881	Scotland	1 – 1	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

1880	England	2 – 1	Scotland	Whalley Range, England

1879	Scotland	1 – 1	England	Raeburn Place, Scotland

Scotland and England have also met on occasions after 1879 when the Calcutta Cup was not played for. In the Centenary Match of 27 March 1971, Scotland won 26-6, and in the Rugby World Cup semi-final of 1991, England won 9-6. Both those games were played at Murrayfield.

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.

See also

• Le Crunch
• Millennium Trophy
• Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy
• Triple Crown Trophy
• England national team
• Scotland national team
• Six Nations
• Rugby union in India

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.^[2]

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. . ^[3]

References

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).

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