BizNews Rugby: Rugby's oldest trophy and a handful of Rupees

This article is taken from the newly launched BizNews Rugby newsletter, sent out weekly by Rory Steyn, host of the BizNews Rugby podcast. Sign up for the weekly newsletter here to get the latest BizNews Rugby updates.

Key topics:

131 years of rivalry – The world’s first rugby international in 1871 ignited a historic battle between Scotland and England.
The Calcutta Cup’s legacy – A trophy forged from Indian rupees symbolizes one of rugby’s fiercest contests.
Passion, pride and anthem – Scotland’s Flower of Scotland and unforgettable moments make this fixture unique.

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By Rory Steyn

The minute the Guinness Six Nations fixtures are released each year, every Scottish rugby fan looks only for one date, “When do we play England?”

The venue is always known in advance: Home and Away fixtures in the 6N alternate each year, so it’s only a matter of when, not where.

So what’s the big deal?

Well, the first-ever international rugby fixture, marking the birth of international rugby, was played on 27 March 1871 at Raeburn Place, Edinburgh, Scotland. So there’s that: 131 years of history. This historic match saw Scotland take on England in front of approximately 4,000 spectators. Scotland emerged victorious, scoring one goal and two tries to England’s single try. At the time, scoring rules differed: only successful conversions (goals) counted toward the final score. The term “try” originated from this system, as grounding the ball gave teams a “try” at goal. This result was 1-0 in favour of Scotland, i.e., a single successful conversion!

The following year, a rugby match was played in Kolkata on Christmas Day 1872 between British soldiers stationed in India, with one team representing England and the other Scotland. The success of this match led to the formation of the Calcutta Rugby Football Club in January 1873, primarily composed of soldiers and expatriates. The club became affiliated with the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 1874 but eventually disbanded in 1878 as British regiments left Bengal. Before dissolving, the club melted its remaining funds down – 270 silver rupees – to create the Calcutta Cup, a trophy featuring Indian motifs like cobra handles and an elephant on the lid. It’s a beautiful trophy, not just a historic one, and all trophies in international rugby today, like The Bledisloe Cup, The Nelson Mandela Challenge Plate and others, took their lead from The Calcutta Cup. This trophy is now awarded annually in rugby matches between England and Scotland, symbolising the club’s legacy. To Scots, it’s a very big deal.

Calcutta Cup matches have produced some of rugby’s most memorable moments. Scotland’s emphatic 25-13 victory in 2018 at Murrayfield ended a decade-long drought, while the extraordinary 38-38 draw at Twickenham in 2019 showcased Scotland’s resilience, coming back from a 31-0 deficit and very nearly snatching it, as they led 38-31 before England equalised! These games highlight the unpredictable and passionate nature of this historic rivalry.

Adding to the spectacle is Scotland’s stirring anthem, “O Flower of Scotland,” which resonates deeply with fans and players alike. The song, written by Roy Williamson of The Corries in the 1960s, commemorates Scotland’s victory over England (“Prince Edward’s army”) at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314 under Robert the Bruce. Its lyrics, “…and sent him homeward tae think again,” capture a defiant spirit that mirrors Scotland’s approach to these matches. First adopted by the rugby team in 1990, it has become a rallying cry for Scottish pride. And to hear it sung at Murrayfield makes your hair stand on end, with that lone piper on the roof of the grandstand and the entire second verse sung as a Capella.

The Calcutta Cup is more than a trophy; it celebrates history, culture, and sporting excellence, embodying over a century of rivalry and camaraderie between two proud rugby nations. Scotland have had England’s number of late, going for an unprecedented fifth consecutive Calcutta Cup win tomorrow, despite the record between the two nations standing at England 71, Scotland 44, with 16 draws over those 131 fixtures.

Were I a betting man, I wouldn’t bet against the Scots; it just means more to them than any other game…

It goes like this:

O Flower of Scotland, when will we see your like again?
That fought and died for, yer wee bit hill and glen,
And stood against them, Proud Edward’s army,
And sent him homeward, tae think again.

Those days are past now, and in the past they must remain,
For we can still rise now, and be the nation again,
That stood against them, Proud Edward’s army,
And sent him homeward, tae think again.

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