It is the oldest rivalry in international rugby and a match that has delivered countless memorable moments, but the Calcutta Cup — contested between England and Scotland — also has a remarkable origin story.
The two sides first played in 1871 and the Calcutta Cup has been on the line since 1879. In the 143 matches, England have won 77 times, with Scotland emerging victorious on 44 occasions. There have been 19 draws.
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Here is everything you need to know about one of rugby’s most storied contests.
Where did the Calcutta Cup come from?
The cup is the oldest in international rugby and was established five years before the Triple Crown and more than 50 years prior to the Bledisloe Cup, contested between Australia and New Zealand.
It originates from 1872 in India when a rugby game between two sides representing England and Scotland was played in the city now known as Kolkata.
The Calcutta Rugby Football club was established in 1873. However, due to interest in the sport declining, the club disbanded in 1878.
To mark the club’s existence, the members who remained melted the rupees they had left over to make a trophy, which we now know as the Calcutta Cup, which was gifted to the Rugby Football Union.
From there, it has been contested consistently since 1879 between England and Scotland.
What makes the trophy so special?
Not only steeped in history, but the cup marks one of the few occasions when England and Scotland face each other on a consistent annual basis in major sports.
The trophy itsels is also unique and treasured by both nations. The original was made by hand and is on display at the Museum of Rugby at Twickenham.
Classic Calcutta Cup moments:
There have been countless memorable encounters in the cup’s history.
In 1986, Scotland earned their biggest-ever win with a 33-6 rout at Murrayfield.
At the turn of the century, Scotland again came up trumps in 2000 with a 19-13 victory to halt England’s charge towards a Grand Slam after they had already beaten Ireland, Wales, France and Italy.
2019 saw arguably the most remarkable game in the history of the rivalry. Scotland were heading for a heavy defeat, down by 31 points after half-an-hour before coming from behind, thanks in part to a brilliant performance from Finn Russell.
They actually led at one point late in the second half and looked on track for a famous victory, before George Ford scored and converted in the 84th minute to tie the game at 38-38.
Recent head-to-head:
Scotland have had the better of the exchanges in recent times, with England, who travel to Edinburgh this week, having won just one of the last five encounters.
They have also won just once in the last decade at Murrayfield, the venue of Saturday’s match. Last year’s win also stopped Scotland winning five-in-a-row for the first time ever.
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2025: England 16-15 Scotland – Twickenham
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2024: Scotland 30-21 England – Murrayfield
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2023: England 23-29 Scotland – Twickenham
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2022: Scotland 20-17 England – Murrayfield
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2021: England 6-11 Scotland – Twickenham
