Calcutta Cup

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. 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 immigrants, former students of Rugby School, and soldiers of the Royal East Kent Regiment. In 1874, the club joined the Rugby Football Union (RFU). By 1878, the club's diminishing members withdrew club funds, a total of ₹270, and had them melted down to make a trophy. 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.”

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.

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.

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 (in even years) and Twickenham Stadium in London (in 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/holdsTeam83 49

+ Match winsTeamWins72 45Draws16

YearDateWinnerScoreStadium and locationHolder (aggregate times held) 1879 10 March draw (0) 1G–1G (1T)Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1880 28 February (5T) 2G–1G (1T)Whalley Range, Manchester 1881 19 March draw (2T) 1G–1G (1T)Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1882 4 March (0) 0G–0G (2T)Whalley Range, Manchester 1883 3 March (1T) 0G–0G (2T)Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1884 1 March (1T) 1G–0G (1T)Rectory Field, Blackheath 1885align=center colspan=4 1886 13 March draw (0) 0G–0G (0)Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1887 5 March draw (1T) 0G–0G (1T)Whalley Range, Manchester 1888align=center rowspan=2 colspan=4 1889 1890 1 March 0–6Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1891 7 March 3–9Athletic Ground, Richmond 1892 5 March 0–5Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1893 4 March 0–8Headingley Stadium, Leeds 1894 17 March 6–0Raeburn Place, Edinburgh 1895 9 March 3–6Athletic Ground, Richmond 1896 14 March 11–0Cathkin Park, Glasgow 1897 13 March 12–3Fallowfield Stadium, Manchester 1898 12 March draw 3–3Powderhall Stadium, Edinburgh 1899 11 March 0–5Rectory Field, Blackheath 1900 10 March draw 0–0Inverleith, Edinburgh 1901 9 March 3–18Rectory Field, Blackheath 1902 15 March 3–6Inverleith, Edinburgh 1903 21 March 6–10Athletic Ground, Richmond 1904 19 March 6–3Inverleith, Edinburgh 1905 18 March 0–8Athletic Ground, Richmond 1906 17 March 3–9Inverleith, Edinburgh 1907 16 March 3–8Rectory Field, Blackheath 1908 21 March 16–10 Inverleith, Edinburgh 1909 20 March 8–18 Athletic Ground, Richmond 1910 19 March 5–14Inverleith, Edinburgh 1911 18 March 13–8 Twickenham Stadium, London 1912 16 March 8–3Inverleith, Edinburgh 1913 15 March 3–0 Twickenham Stadium, London 1914 21 March 15–16Inverleith, Edinburgh 1915align=center rowspan=5 colspan=4 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 20 March 13–4Twickenham Stadium, London 1921 19 March 0–18Inverleith, Edinburgh 1922 18 March 11–5Twickenham Stadium, London 1923 17 March 6–8Inverleith, Edinburgh 1924 15 March 19–0 Twickenham Stadium, London 1925 21 March 14–11Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1926 20 March 9–17Twickenham Stadium, London 1927 19 March 21–13Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1928 17 March 6–0Twickenham Stadium, London 1929 16 March 12–6Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1930 16 March draw 0–0Twickenham Stadium, London 1931 21 March 28–19Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1932 19 March 16–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1933 18 March 3–0Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1934 17 March 6–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1935 16 March 10–7Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1936 21 March 9–8 Twickenham Stadium, London 1937 20 March 3–6Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1938 19 March 16–21Twickenham Stadium, London 1939 18 March 6–9Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1940align=center rowspan=7 colspan=4 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 15 March 24–5Twickenham Stadium, London 1948 20 March 6–3Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1949 19 March 6–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1950 18 March 13–11Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1951 17 March 5–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1952 15 March 3–19Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1953 21 March 26–8Twickenham Stadium, London 1954 20 March 3–13Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1955 19 March 9–6Twickenham Stadium, London 1956 17 March 6–11Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1957 16 March 16–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1958 15 March draw 3–3Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1959 21 March draw 3–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1960 19 March 12–21Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1961 18 March 6–0Twickenham Stadium, London 1962 17 March draw 3–3Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1963 16 March 10–8Twickenham Stadium, London 1964 21 March 15–6Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1965 20 March draw 3–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1966 19 March 6–3Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1967 18 March 27–14Twickenham Stadium, London 1968 16 March 6–8Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1969 15 March 8–3Twickenham Stadium, London 1970 21 February 14–5Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1971 20 March 15–16Twickenham Stadium, London 1972 18 March 23–9Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1973 17 March 15–16Twickenham Stadium, London 1974 2 February 16–14Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1975 15 March 7–6Twickenham Stadium, London 1976 21 February 22–12Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1977 15 January 26–6Twickenham Stadium, London 1978 4 March 0–15Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1979 3 February draw 7–7Twickenham Stadium, London 1980 15 March 18–30Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1981 21 February 23–17Twickenham Stadium, London 1982 16 January draw 9–9Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1983 5 March 12–22Twickenham Stadium, London 1984 4 February 18–6Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1985 16 March 10–7Twickenham Stadium, London 1986 15 February 33–6Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1987 4 April 21–12Twickenham Stadium, London 1988 5 March 6–9Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1989 4 February draw 12–12Twickenham Stadium, London 1990 17 March 13–7Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1991 16 February 21–12Twickenham Stadium, London 1992 18 January 7–25Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1993 6 March 26–12Twickenham Stadium, London 1994 5 February 14–15Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1995 18 March 24–12Twickenham Stadium, London 1996 2 March 9–18Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1997 1 February 41–13Twickenham Stadium, London 1998 22 March 20–34Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 1999 20 February 24–21Twickenham Stadium, London 2000 2 April 19–13Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2001 3 March 43–3Twickenham Stadium, London 2002 2 February 3–29Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2003 22 March 40–9Twickenham Stadium, London 2004 21 February 13–35Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2005 19 March 43–22Twickenham Stadium, London 2006 25 February 18–12Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2007 3 February 42–20Twickenham Stadium, London 2008 8 March 15–9Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2009 21 March 26–12Twickenham Stadium, London 2010 13 March draw 15–15Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2011 13 March 22–16Twickenham Stadium, London 2012 4 February 6–13 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2013 2 February 38–18 Twickenham Stadium, London 2014 8 February 0–20Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2015 14 March 25–13Twickenham Stadium, London 2016 6 February 9–15Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2017 11 March 61–21Twickenham Stadium, London 2018 24 February 25–13Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2019 16 Marchdraw 38–38 Twickenham Stadium, London 2020 8 February 6–13Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2021 6 February 6–11Twickenham Stadium, London 2022 5 February 20–17Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2023 4 February 23–29Twickenham Stadium, London 2024 24 February 30–21 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh 2025 22 February 16–15 Twickenham Stadium, London 2026 14 February 31–20 Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh

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

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.

The 2007 edition of the Cup was held by Jungle Crows, in which Future Hope Harlequins defeated CC&FC in final. The second division trophy was won by Calcutta Cricket and Football Club Panthers.