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