READ | What’s inside the trophy cabinet?

27 Dec 2018

Scotland’s 2017/18 season resulted in some welcome additions to the trophy cabinet at BT Murrayfield, as seen by 10,000 visitors who took the BT Murrayfield Stadium Tour this year. We take a look at the stories behind the silverware and the matches where they were won.

HOPETOUN CUP

The Trophy: In 1998 the Hopetoun Cup was established as a trophy to be contested between Australia and Scotland in perpetuity. It is named after the Seventh Earl of Hopetoun, a Scotsman who was Governor-General of Australia in the early twentieth century. The crystal trophy was made by Royal Doulton.

The Match: Scotland 53-24 Australia

(25 November 2017, BT Murrayfield)

Scotland recorded comfortably their biggest win against any of the Southern Hemisphere powerhouses to end the 2017 Autumn Tests at BT Murrayfield on a high of Everest proportions. It was their second successive win against Australia, the team ranked third in the world at the time, and it came by eight tries to four.

Scotland Tries: Byron McGuigan (2), Ali Price, Sean Maitland, Jonny Gray, Huw Jones, John Barclay, Stuart McInally Cons: Finn Russell (5) Pens: Finn Russell

AULD ALLIANCE TROPHY

The Trophy: This special piece of silverware was launched at the 2018 NatWest 6 Nations having been created to honour Scottish and French internationals who gave their lives in the First World War. In all, 22 French and 31 Scottish internationalists gave their lives, along with countless other club players from both nations.

The proposal for the trophy came from from the amateur game in the north of France and attracted support from rugby clubs, local authorities, veterans’ associations and the governing bodies. It was manufactured by silversmiths Thomas Lyte and the 1914 Scotland and France international captains, Eric Milroy and Marcel Burgun, are named on the trophy.

The Match: Scotland 32-26 France

(11 February 2018, BT Murrayfield)

Scotland fought back from a ten-point deficit on two occasions and scored 12 unanswered points in the final quarter to post their first win of the 2018 NatWest Six Nations Championship in front of an ecstatic BT Murrayfield crowd. Greig Laidlaw secured twenty-two of those points with a 100% kicking record and Scotland secured their second successive home win against France for the first time since 1992.

Scotland Tries: Sean Maitland, Huw Jones Cons: Greig Laidlaw (2) Pens: Greig Laidlaw (6)

CALCUTTA CUP

The Trophy: 2018 marked the 125thcontest for the Calcutta Cup. It came into being when the Calcutta (Rugby) Football Club was forced to close in 1878. The club withdrew their funds from the bank and produced a silver trophy from the 270 melted-down silver rupee coins. The trophy was donated to the RFU to be used “as the best means of doing some lasting good for the cause of Rugby Football.” The Calcutta Cup was first contested on 10 March 1879 in Edinburgh, resulting in a draw.

The Match: Scotland 25-13 England

(24 February 2018, BT Murrayfield)

Scotland posted their first victory over England in ten years amid tumultuous scenes at BT Murrayfield. The hosts scored three beautifully crafted tries to one in a performance of huge heart, hunger and invention.

This was passion with a calm persona and unyielding physicality too, epitomised by a second half penalty count where Scotland only conceded two penalties to the eight of England. There were heroes aplenty in Scotland colours as England’s Grand Slam ambitions were derailed. The Calcutta Cup was lifted by Scotland and it was one of those days that will be forever etched in the memory.

Scotland Tries: Huw Jones (2), Sean Maitland Cons: Greig Laidlaw (2) Pens: Greig Laidlaw, Finn Russell

Don’t forget, you can see the trophies up close on a BT Murrayfield stadium tour!