1872 Cup to be decided over three-game series
18 Dec 2017The winner of world’s oldest inter-city rugby rivalry will be decided by the ‘best of three’ format used in the international arena it was confirmed today.
Edinburgh Rugby host Glasgow Warriors in the opening leg of the 1872 Cup this Saturday (23 December, kick-off 5.10pm) at BT Murrayfield in round 11 of the Guinness PRO14.
The sides will meet again at Glasgow’s Scotstoun home a week later (Saturday 30 December, kick-off 3.15pm), with a third, potentially decisive derby held at the home of Scottish rugby on the last weekend of the regular season (27/28/29 April).
Previously the 1872 Cup was awarded to the aggregate winner of the two league matches between the clubs, however with the expansion of the Guinness PRO14 – to include South African sides Southern Kings and Toyota Cheetahs – means that the Scottish sides now meet three times in a season instead of two.
The derbies attract the biggest rugby audiences in Scotland outsideof national team test matches and will see many of the stars who lit up the recent Autumn Test campaign go head-to-head with their club sides – battling it out for PRO14 points, bragging rights and the chance to get a hand on the coveted 1872 Cup.
Edinburgh Rugby Managing Director, Jonny Petrie, said: “We’re on target for a record crowd at BT Murrayfield this Saturday so it’s fantastic to be able to confirm the future format of the 1872 Cup.“The change is in keeping with the traditional test match rugby series made famous by touring test teams such as the British & Irish Lions.”
Nathan Bombrys, Glasgow Warriors Managing Director, added: “To win the trophy, you’ve got to win the most games across the series. With valuable Guinness PRO14 points up for grabs, both teams will be playing to win every game.
“With the addition of a huge match to end the regular season at BT Murrayfield, winning the 1872 Cup will become an even greater challenge.”
Should the series be tied, the 1872 Cup winner will be determined by aggregate score across the three games, followed by most tries and, lastly, most points scored. The holder will retain the trophy in the unlikely event that too is equal.
Supporters are encouraged to buy their tickets early for Saturday’s 1872 Cup opener at BT Murrayfield, to beat the queues and save on match-day prices. Tickets can be purchased at www.edinburghrugby.org.
