Made in Calcutta, played in UK: The curious case of the Calcutta Cup

The rugby tie between Scotland and England, as part of the Six Nations Championship, is called the Calcutta Cup. But why is the former name of an Indian city being used for a match between the English and Scots?

Scotland clinched rugby's oldest international trophy -- the Calcutta Cup -- for the fourth time in a row after beating England 30-21 at Murrayfield Stadium in the Scottish capital, Edinburgh, on February 25.

The fixture was played in front of nearly 70,000 rugby fans

According to report in Al Jazeera, this is the 44th time the Scots have picked up the bragging rights against their fiercest rivals, with England having won 71 times, and the fixture being played to a draw 16 times.

But what exactly is the Calcutta Cup? Why is the name of the former British-Indian capital used to name a trophy played between two countries from the British Isles?

The Calcutta Cup's origin

The fixture is called so because the trophy was made by the silversmiths of then capital of India in 1878.

Representatives of the two countries first played each other in 1872 in modern-day Kolkata, though it wasn't called the Calcutta Cup back then.

In January 1873, soldiers from the Royal East Kent Regiment 1st Battalion formed the Calcutta Rugby Football Club in the then-capital of British India.

However, due to the growing popularity of polo and the departure of many founding members, the club dissolved after four years.

The club's secretary and treasurer, GA James Rothney, suggested to the Rugby Football Union (RFU) that they use the remaining funds of 270 Indian rupee coins to do "some lasting good for the cause of Rugby Football”.

At the time, one Indian rupee was equivalent to about 1 shilling and 10 pence, roughly 22 pence in today's UK currency.

And so, the coins were melted down and molded into a trophy, featuring three king cobra-shaped handles and an Indian elephant on the lid as a nod to the British Governor-General and the longstanding tradition of elephant processions, spanning over 2,500 years, which carried India's rulers.

The RFU then decided that the future winners of any rugby fixture between England and Scotland will be awarded the trophy. Thus, the Calcutta Cup was born. As the British colonisers left the Indian sub-continent, the fixture also shifted back to their home countries along with the trophy.

Why is the rivalry so fierce?

The English-Scottish rivalry traces back to the Scottish Wars of Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries. The English crown sought to subjugate Scotland amid its internal strife. After numerous battles, King Robert the Bruce's victory over King Edward II restored their kingdom's sovereignty.

Scotland have been in England's shadow for centuries since then. As such, any victory against the English, in any form, is a huge cause for celebration. For many, the country’s ambitions begin and end with a desire to simply defeat England.

In fact, even though Scotland and England merged to form Great Britain, relinquishing individual sovereignty, Scotland’s national anthem – sung by players and fans alike at sporting events – eulogises Robert the Bruce’s defeat of England’s King Edward II at the Battle of Bannockburn in 1314.

Scotland's recent dominance in the match not only gives the perceived 'David' the satisfaction of defeating 'Goliath,' but also excites supporters who are eager to loosen political ties with their more densely populated neighbor.

The Cup's significance to Scotland

Tom English, author of 'The Grudge', which narrates the political and sporting tale of Scotland’s 1990 Grand Slam victory, said that England saw the Calcutta Cup "as a bit of a formality".

However, to Scotland, the Calcutta Cup is source of national pride and a way to satisfy their feelings of inferiority against England.

Scotland's success in the tie has many-a-times coincided with the backdrop of simmering Scottish-English tensions.

For instance, in 1990 Scotland's triumph over England, claiming both the Calcutta Cup and the Five Nations Grand Slam came against the backdrop of UK Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher opting to implement her government's contentious tax system, the Poll Tax, in Scotland in 1989.

For the Scots, the significance of the game has never waned, even during the English dominance post 1990.

As the sportswriter told Al Jazeera, "The more Calcutta Cups they lost, the greater the longing became, the more important a victory over England became."

With Scottish dominance having continued for some time now, the tables have finally turned.

To English fans, who have had great fun over many years mocking the poor Scots, it's a significant blow to their pride and a direct challenge to their core rugby identity. Their rugby spirit is being crushed by a nation they were accustomed to defeating. It's a tough pill for them to swallow.