Rugby Shorts
After England defeated Scotland 9-6 in 1988, the Calcutta Cup took a beating as drunken players from both teams played a second match with the cup as ball along Princess Street in Edinburgh on this day in rugby history.
The revelry started at the post match dinner with the winning England team drinking out of the cup as is tradition but was taken to another level when players took the Calcutta Cup into the streets.
When the Cup was discovered damaged there was talk of lifetime bans for the players responsible but in the end the two players primarily involved England's Dean Richards and Scotland’s John Jeffrey were given a 1 match and six month ban from their respected Unions.
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The trophy was severely dented and cost hundreds of pounds to repair. It is now permanently displayed at the museum at Twickenham.
The Calcutta Cup is one of the most impressive trophies in sports. It was presented to the Rugby Football Union in 1878 by the Calcutta Football Club. When the Indian rugby club saw membership declining and sport facing hard times they withdrew the club’s funds, in silver rupees, from the bank and melted them down to make the Calcutta Cup to keep the name of their club alive.
The Cup is made of pure silver with unmatched Indian craftsmanship. It is approximately 18 inches high, the body is finely engraved and has three king cobras forming the handles. The domed lid is surmounted by an elephant.
The Calcutta Cup is awarded annually to the winner of the Six Nations match between England and Scotland.
Rugby Birthdays
1982 - Daniel Carter, New Zealand Rugby player
