Rugby union trophies and awards
Rugby union trophies and awards have been given out to teams and participants from the very earliest days of the sport's history. In common with many other sports rugby union has an array of competitions, both domestic international, covering the spectrum of competition structures from season long leagues, to one-off matches. The list below is divided into sections such that trophies and awards competed for by national sides are grouped together, as are those competed for by club and provincial sides. In both cases, the type of award can differ. The award might be a perpetual trophy, which is one competed for in perpetuity by two sides such that on each occasion they meet, which may or may not be on a regular basis, that honour is contested. The award may be one that is given to the winner of a tournament, or as a subset of this, as an award for a particular honour attained in that tournament. Additionally, the sport of rugby union bestows certain honours on individual players, and these too have their own dedicated section below.
International Trophies
Current international
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Record | Current holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Webb Ellis Cup | 1987 | 2019 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: New Zealand – 3 South Africa – 3.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Australia – 2 England – 1 |
South Africa |
Trophy received for winning the Rugby World Cup. Named after William Webb Ellis, who supposedly invented the sport |
| Melrose Cup | 1993 | 2018 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Fiji – 2 New Zealand – 2 England – 1 Wales – 1 |
New Zealand |
The main prize of the Rugby World Cup Sevens |
| Six Nations Championship Trophy | 2000 | 2023 | Tournament Trophy | England – 7 Wales – 6 France – 6 Ireland – 5 Italy – 0 Scotland – 0 |
Ireland |
The trophy received for winning the Six Nations Championship |
| Triple Crown | 1883 | 2023 | Tournament Honour | England – 26 Wales – 22 Ireland – 13 Scotland – 10 |
Ireland |
The Triple Crown as a term was first recorded in 1884. The cup was known as the invisible cup because no trophy existed until one was commissioned in 2006. |
| Calcutta Cup | 1879 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | England – 71 Scotland – 43 drawn – 16 |
Scotland |
Named after the Calcutta Football Club which withdrew the club's Silver Rupees from the bank, and had them melted down and made into a cup which they presented to the RFU in 1878 to be competed for annually. |
| Millennium Trophy | 1988 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | England– 20 Ireland – 16 drawn – 0 |
Ireland |
Contested as part of the Six Nations Championship. It was initiated in 1988 as part of Dublin's millennial celebrations. The trophy in the shape of a horned Viking helmet. |
| Centenary Quaich | 1989 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Ireland – 20 Scotland – 14 drawn – 1 |
Ireland |
Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. Although the two countries have played each other on 121, the cup[1] has only been presented to the winners of the fixture since 1989.[2] |
| Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy | 2006 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | France – 15 Italy – 2 |
France |
Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. The trophy, designed by former French international and professional sculptor Jean-Pierre Rives, was awarded for the first time on 3 February 2007 to France as part of the celebrations of the bicentenary of the birth of Italian national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi in Nice. |
| Auld Alliance Trophy | 2018 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Scotland – 3 France – 3 |
France |
Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. The trophy commemorates the French and Scottish rugby players who were killed during the conflict, in particular the captains of the two nations in the last matches played before the First World War – Eric Milroy (Scotland) and Marcel Burgun (France). |
| Doddie Weir Cup | 2018 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Wales – 4 Scotland – 2 |
Scotland |
The cup was created to bring awareness to Motor Neurone Disease. Former Scotland international lock Doddie Weir was diagnosed with illness and the cup was named in his honour. |
| Cuttitta Cup | 2022 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Scotland – 2 Italy – 0 |
Scotland |
The Trophy is to commemorate Massimo Cuttitta, a former Italian captain and Scotland scrum coach, who died of COVID-19 in 2021 aged 54. |
| Rugby Championship trophy | 2012 | 2023 | Tournament Trophy | New Zealand – 9 Australia – 1 South Africa – 1 Argentina – 0 |
New Zealand |
The trophy received for winning The Rugby Championship |
| Bledisloe Cup | 1931 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand – 51 Australia – 12 |
New Zealand |
Named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. |
| Mandela Challenge Plate | 2000 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 13 South Africa – 8 |
South Africa |
Named after South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela. |
| Freedom Cup | 2004 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand – 16 South Africa – 2 |
New Zealand |
The trophy is contested between South Africa and New Zealand, during the Tri-nations tournament. It was first contested in 2004, the 10 year anniversary of South African democracy. |
| Puma Trophy | 2000 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 11 Argentina – 2 |
Argentina |
|
| Trophée des Bicentenaires | 1989 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 14 France – 7 |
France |
To celebrate the bi-centenaries of Australia and the French Revolution, in 1988 and 1989 respectively, the French Rugby Union donated the Trophée des Bicentenaires to be played in perpetuity between the two countries. It is a bronze sculpture featuring two players in a tackle. Although the trophy dates from 1988, it was first contested in 1989. |
| Cook Cup | 1997 | 2021 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 10 England – 13 |
England |
Cup named after Captain James Cook |
| Ella-Mobbs Trophy | 2022 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 0 England – 1 |
England |
Cup named after Mark Ella and Edgar Mobbs. Replaced the Cook Cup. |
| Hopetoun Cup | 1998 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 8 Scotland – 5 |
Australia |
Named after the Seventh Earl of Hopetoun, a Scotsman, who, as the then Governor-General of Australia, presided over the Federation of Australia in 1901. |
| Lansdowne Cup | 1999 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 8 Ireland – 6 |
Ireland |
Donated by the Lansdowne Club of Sydney, which was named after Lansdowne Road, the home of Ireland rugby for over a century until its demolition in 2007 to make way for Aviva Stadium. |
| James Bevan Trophy | 2007 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 11 Wales – 3 |
Australia |
|
| Dave Gallaher Trophy | 2000 | 2021 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand – 13 France – 2 |
France |
Named after Dave Gallaher, the famous 1905–06 All Blacks captain who was killed in Belgium during World War I. Introduced in 2000, it is awarded to the winner of a selected challenge match in any given year. |
| Hillary Shield | 2008 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | New Zealand – 8 England – 1 |
New Zealand |
The trophy is named in memory of the New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary. |
| Prince William Cup | 2007 | 2022 | Perpetual Trophy | South Africa – 9 Wales – 3 |
South Africa |
Celebrates 100 years of rugby union history between Wales and South Africa. It is named after the Vice Royal Patron of the WRU, Prince William. |
| Admiral Brown Cup | 2012 | 2021 | Perpetual Trophy | Ireland – 5 Argentina – 0 |
Ireland |
Admiral Guillermo Brown was born in 1777 in Foxford, County Mayo. He emigrated at an early age, first to Philadelphia and then to Buenos Aires. He led the Argentinean navy in the wars for independence against the Spanish and Brazilian empires. The Republic of Argentina honors this Irishman as a national hero and many cities, partidos, streets and parks, including clubs and sports stadiums throughout Argentina are named in his honour. |
| Tom Richards Trophy | 2001 | 2013 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 1 Lions – 1 |
Lions | |
| British & Irish Lions–South Africa Series Trophy | 2009 | 2009 | Perpetual Trophy | South Africa – 1 Lions – 0 |
South Africa |
|
| Killik Cup | 2009 | 2016 | Perpetual Trophy | Barbarians – 5 Int. sides – 5 Drawn – 1 |
Barbarians South Africa (Shared result) |
|
| Douglas Horn Trophy | 2008 | 2018 | Perpetual Trophy | Scotland – 3.svg.png.webp){kind=small} Canada – 0 |
Scotland |
Douglas Horn is the Father of Alan Horn, a board member of Rugby Canada, while the trophy is essentially to recognize the long-standing relationship between Canada and Scotland in both the rugby world and international relations. |
| Antim Cup | 2002 | 2023 | Perpetual Trophy |  Georgia – 16 Romania – 6 |
Georgia |
Named after Anthim the Iberian, a native of Georgia who became one of the most important Orthodox ecclesiastical figures in Wallachia, one of the predecessor states of modern Romania. |
| European Nations Cup | 2000 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Georgia – 9 Romania – 4 Portugal – 1 |
Georgia |
European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations, with winners of each division promoted up to the next and loser demoted down. The overall winner is dictated by who wins the 1A division, despite there being divisions below 1A. |
| Asian Rugby Championship | 1969 / 2015 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy |  Hong Kong Japan South Korea |
Japan – 17 South Korea – 5 |
Annual international rugby union competition held in Asia. This tournament had previously existed, between 1969 and 2007, but was changed to the now defunct Asian Five Nations. The competition was brought back in 2015, with a changed format. The overall champion is dictated by who wins the Tri Nations tournament, despite there being divisions below the Tri Nations. |
| Pacific Nations Cup | 2006 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Fiji – 4 Japan – 2 Junior All Blacks – 2 Samoa – 2 Māori – 1 |
Fiji |
|
| South American Rugby Championship | 1951 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Argentina – 35 Uruguay – 3 Chile – 1 |
Uruguay |
Annual international rugby union competition held in South America. The overall champion is dictated by who wins the Division A tournament. |
| CONSUR Cup | 2014 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Argentina – 3 |
Argentina |
Annual rugby union tournament held in South America, where the top 2 teams from the South American Rugby Championship, play CONSUR leading team, Argentina. |
| Americas Rugby Championship | 2009 | 2018 | Tournament Trophy | Argentina XV – 6 Brazil Canada Chile United States - 2 Uruguay |
United States |
|
| World Rugby Pacific Challenge | 2006 | 2016 | Tournament Trophy | Titles won since 2011: Fiji Warriors - 4 Pampas XV - 2 Samoa A – 0 Tonga A – 0 Junior Japan – 0 Canada A – 0 |
Fiji Warriors |
Organised by World Rugby, the tournament prior to being renamed the Pacific Challenge in 2015, was known as the Pacific Rugby Cup. National 'A' teams from the Asia-Pacific region have competed for the trophy since 2011. From 2006 to 2010, two selected representative sides from each of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga played for the cup. |
| Africa Cup | 2000 | 2022 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Namibia – 9 SA Amateurs – 3 Kenya – 2 Morocco – 2 Uganda – 1 Zimbabwe – 1 |
Namibia |
Organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR), the tournament prior to being renamed the Africa Cup in 2006, was known as the CAR Top 9 and CAR Top 10. The over winner is dictated by who wins the top division, despite there being divisions below Division 1. |
| Pershing Cup | 2014 | 2018 | Perpetual Trophy | United States - 2 Romania - 1 |
United States |
Named after General John J. Pershing, for organizing the Inter-Allied Games, where a Romanian team, selected from members of the military, played the first ever international test for Romania, the first match being played against the Americans.[3] |
| Kiselyov Cup | 2021 | 2021 | Perpetual Trophy |  Russia - 1 Romania - 0 |
Russia |
Named after count Pavel Kiselyov, the leader of Danubian Principalities and commander of Russian troops in Wallachia and Moldavia |
| Siam Cup | 1920 | 2020 | Perpetual Trophy |  Jersey - 62 Guernsey - 16drawn - 1 |
Jersey |
Made from coinage of Siam ticals at the behest of King Rama VI within the Royal Crown Silversmith[4] |
Past International Trophies
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Year ceased | Type | Record | Last holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home Nations Championship Trophy | 1883 / 1932 | 1910 / 1939 | Tournament Trophy | Scotland – 11 Wales – 11 England – 9 Ireland – 8 |
England Ireland Wales |
The final edition of this tournament in its Home Nations format was in 1939, although it did change in 1932 with the addition of France. Although France withdrew from the competition in 1931 reducing it back to just the Home Nations. France re-entered in 1947, with the tournament returning to the Five Nations Championship format. |
| Five Nations Championship Trophy | 1910 / 1947 | 1931 / 1999 | Tournament Trophy | England – 23 Wales – 23 France – 20 Ireland – 11 Scotland – 11 |
Scotland |
The final edition of this tournament in its Five Nations format was in 1999. Although, it did cease in 1931 when France withdrew from the tournament, but re-entered in 1947. |
| Tri Nations Trophy | 1996 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | New Zealand – 10 Australia – 3 South Africa – 3 |
Australia |
The final edition of this tournament in its original format was in 2011. With Argentina's entry in 2012, the tournament was renamed The Rugby Championship. |
| ARFU Asian Rugby Series | 2003 | 2007 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Japan – 3 South Korea – 1 |
Japan |
The final edition of this tournament was in 2007, when the ARFU combined the then Asian Rugby Championship with this tournament to create the now defunct Asian Five Nations. |
| Churchill Cup | 2003 | 2011 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: England Saxons – 6 Māori – 2 Ireland Wolfhounds – 1 |
England Saxons |
The tournament, whose final edition was held in 2011, was contested by teams from Canada, England, and the United States, and other invited teams. It was named after former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill. Churchill's mother, Jennie Jerome was an American, born in Brooklyn. |
| Asian Five Nations | 2008 | 2014 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: Japan – 7 |
Japan |
The final edition of this tournament was in 2014, when the ARFU changed the format and rebranded the competition. |
| Cornwall Cup | 2008 | 2008 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 1 Barbarians – 0 |
Australia |
|
| Ustinov Cup | 2014 | 2014 | Perpetual Trophy | Russia - 1 Hong Kong - 0 |
Russia |
Replaced by World Rugby Cup of Nations with Russia joining the cup |
| Autumn Nations Cup | 2020 | 2020 | Tournament Trophy | Only winning sides listed: England – 1 |
England |
A one-off tournament played to replace the 2020 end of year internationals due to the effects of the Covid-19 Pandemic |
| CAR Castel Beer Trophy | Tournament Trophy | |||||
| PARA Pan American Championship | Tournament Trophy | |||||
| Cook Cup | 1997 | 2021 | Perpetual Trophy | Australia – 10 England – 13 |
England |
Cup named after Captain James Cook. Retired and replaced by the Ella-Mobbs Cup for the 2022 England Tour of Australia |
International Honours not represented by Trophies
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Participants (no. of wins in brackets) | Current holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Le Crunch | 1906 | 2023 | Perpetual Contest | England – 60 France – 43 drawn – 7 | France |
This is merely a traditional name for the tie. There is no physical trophy. |
| Grand Slam | 2023 | Tournament Honour | England – 13 Wales – 12 France – 10 Ireland – 4 Scotland – 3 Italy – 0 |
Ireland | ||
| Wooden Spoon | 2023 | Tournament Honour | Ireland – 25 Scotland – 24 England – 19 Italy – 18 Wales – 17 France – 13 |
Italy | This is "awarded" to the team that finishes the Six Nations Championship at the bottom of the table. |
Domestic and Club Trophies
Current Domestic and Club Trophies
| Name of trophy | First Contested | Last Contested | Type | Image | Record | Current holders | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Hospitals Challenge Cup | 1874 | 2022 | Tournament |  – |
GKT RFC – 51 Imperial Medicals RFC – 51 Barts and The London RFC – 25 St George's RFC – 3 RUMS RFC – 2 Royal Vets RFC – 0 |
Barts and The London RFC | The United Hospitals Challenge Cup is contested by the six medical schools in London and is most notable for being the oldest rugby cup competition in the world.[5] |
| Waratah Shield | 1963 | 2016 | Tournament | For record of Waratah Shield champions, see Waratah Shield#Number of victories | St Augustine's College | The Waratah Shield is a knock-out competition for high school teams from New South Wales, Australia. | |
| Shute Shield | 1923 | 2022 | Domestic | For record of Shute Shield champions, see Shute_Shield#Premiership_results | Sydney Uni | The Shute Shield is awarded to the winning team from the Sydney premiership grand final held at the end of the club rugby season. | |
| Ranfurly Shield | 1902 | 2022 | Domestic Challenge |  | New Zealand provinces. For a list of holders, see Ranfurly Shield#Past shield-holders. | Wellington | Named after Uchter Knox, 5th Earl of Ranfurly, the Governor of New Zealand who donated the trophy to the New Zealand Rugby Football Union in 1901. The NZRFU decided to award it to the winner of its 1902 season, and then make it subject to a challenge system. |
| Super Rugby Pacific Trophy | 2022 | 2022 | Tournament | Provincial teams from New Zealand, Australia, Pacific Islands and Fiji | Crusaders | A brand new Super Rugby competition created by Sanzaar in late 2021. This will be the first full Super Rugby comp that will not involve teams from South Africa, Argentina and Japan. | |
| Super Rugby Trophy | 2011 | 2019 | Tournament | Provincial teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa | Crusaders | ||
| Super 12 Trophy | 1996 | 2005 | Tournament | Provincial teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa | Crusaders | ||
| Super 14 Trophy | 2006 | 2010 | Tournament | Provincial teams from New Zealand, Australia and South Africa | Bulls | ||
| Currie Cup | 1892 | 2021 | Domestic |  | South Africa provinces See Currie Cup#Overall winners | Blue Bulls | South Africa's premier domestic rugby union competition, featuring teams representing either entire provinces or substantial regions within provinces. Named after Sir Donald Currie, owner of Union-Castle Lines, who instructed the touring British Isles team of 1891 to hand this trophy over to the team in South Africa that gave them the best game. |
| MacTier Cup | 1998 | 2018 | Domestic | Rugby Canada Super League Canadian Rugby Championship | Ontario Blues | Prior to 2009, was awarded to the winner of the RCSL. From 2009 onwards, was awarded to the winner of the CRC. | |
| Meads Cup | 2006 | 2019 | Domestic | New Zealand second-level provinces. See Heartland Championship#Winners. | North Otago | The top-tier trophy awarded in New Zealand's second-level domestic competition, the Heartland Championship. Named after iconic All Black Colin Meads. | |
| Lochore Cup | 2006 | 2019 | Domestic | New Zealand second-level provinces. See Heartland Championship#Winners. | South Canterbury | The second-tier trophy awarded in the Heartland Championship. Named after another All Black great, Brian Lochore. | |
| Hanan Shield | 1946 | 2016 | Domestic | New Zealand provinces | Competed for on a challenge system between North Otago, South Canterbury and Mid Canterbury | ||
| Rundle Cup | 1911 | 2018 | Domestic | New Zealand provinces |
Awarded to the winner of the match between West Coast and Buller | ||
| Bouclier de Brennus | 1892 | 2021 | Domestic |  | French League For winners see Top 14#Total wins | Toulouse | Trophy awarded to the winners of the French rugby union domestic league. Named after Charles Brennus, cofounder of France's original rugby governing body, USFSA, who created the shield based on a design by the other cofounder, Pierre de Coubertin. The original trophy is no longer presented. Due to its increasingly battered condition, it was decided in 2003 to restore the trophy and place it on permanent static display. In each season since 2003, with the exception of 2004 when the original was used one final time, a replica of the original shield has been presented. |
| European Rugby Champions Cup | 1996 | 2022 | Tournament | Clubs from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. For winners see Heineken Cup records and statistics. | Stade Rochelais | Known as the Heineken Champions Cup for sponsorship reasons | |
| European Rugby Challenge Cup | 1996 | 2022 | Tournament | Clubs from England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales which do not qualify for the Champions Cup, along with clubs knocked out in the group stage of the Champions Cup For winners, see European Challenge Cup finals. | Lyon OU |
Formerly known for sponsorship reasons as the Amlin Challenge Cup. | |
| National Rugby Championship Trophy | 2014 | 2019 | Domestic |  |
Australia's top level clubs |
Western Force | Australia's premier domestic rugby union competition. |
| Horan-Little Shield | 2015 | 2019 | Domestic Challenge | Australia's top level clubs |
NSW Country Eagles | Challenge trophy named after Tim Horan and Jason Little. It is contested by Australian clubs within the National Rugby Championship. | |
| 1872 Cup | 2007-08 | 2020–21 | Domestic Challenge | Glasgow Warriors Edinburgh Rugby |
Edinburgh | The 1872 Cup is so named to mark the history of the world's oldest representative match. (This was between Glasgow District and Edinburgh District, the amateur provincial sides that became Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby on professionalism. This first 'inter-city' - as it later dubbed - match was played at Burnbank Park, Glasgow on 23 November 1872; Edinburgh District won this first match.) The 1872 Cup between the professional sides started in 2007-08 season; with usually either 2 or 3 legs to win the cup. | |
| URC Regional Shields[6] | 2022 | 2022 | Domestic | United Rugby Championship clubs | Irish Shield: Leinster
|
Four regional shields for each of Wales, Ireland, South Africa and Scotland/Italy. | |
World Rugby Awards
- World Rugby Player of the Year
- World Rugby Team of the Year
- World Rugby Coach of the Year
- World Rugby Junior Player of the Year
- World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year
- IRB International Sevens Team of the Year
- IRB Award for Distinguished Service
- IRB Chairman's Award
- IRB Development Award
- IRB Distinguished Service Award
- World Rugby Hall of Fame
- IRB International U21 Player of the Year
- IRB International U19 Player of the Year
- IRB International Women’s Personality of the Year
- World Rugby Women's Player of the Year
- IRB International Young Player of the Year
- IRB Referee Award for Distinguished Service
- IRB Spirit of Rugby Award
- IRPA Special Merit Award
- IRPA Try of the Year
- Vernon Pugh Award for Distinguished Service
See also
- Laurie O'Reilly Cup, trophy competed for by the women's rugby union teams of Australia and New Zealand
Notes
- A "Quaich" is a celtic drinking vessel - see Did You Know? The Quaich.
- "sportinglife.com". Archived from the original on 2011-06-05. Retrieved 2009-04-23.
- "Se va decerna pentru prima oara Cupa Pershing". 8 November 2014.
- "History — Siam Cup". Guernsey RFC. Archived from the original on 20 October 2012. Retrieved 5 May 2011.
- "My blog – Just another WordPress site".
- "URC confirms Shield trophies for winners". www.unitedrugby.com. Retrieved 2022-05-13.
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