Oldest Rugby Game: Do You Know What It Is?
Jaron Abshire
2025-05-08 15:40:22
Count answers: 7
The Calcutta Cup, which is the oldest trophy in world rugby, is competed for annually by Scotland and England. The trophy was donated to the RFU and first played for in 1879 at Raeburn Place. The cup has been played for annually with only three breaks: for the duration of both World Wars, March 1914 to March 1920 and March 1939 to March 1946, and during the Great Dispute of the 1880s which ultimately led to the establishment of the IRB (now World Rugby).
Monty Dibbert
2025-05-08 15:15:25
Count answers: 4
The first international game of rugby was played here in Scotland 150 years ago. On 27 March 1871 Scotland faced England at Edinburgh’s Raeburn Place, laying the foundation for the Calcutta Cup: one of the most eagerly anticipated matches in the annual rugby calendar. A crowd of 4,000 spectators watched the match which was played on the grounds at Raeburn Place in the Edinburgh suburb of Stockbridge. The game was won by Scotland who scored two tries and one goal (what we would call a conversion) to England’s one try.
Darian Waters
2025-05-08 15:08:34
Count answers: 6
The two sides first met in the inaugural international rugby test match, some 153 years ago. The match that started it all was the inaugural encounter between Scotland and England. Taking place north of the border in Raeburn’s Place, Edinburgh, little over 4,000 spectators attended this match.
Norene Zboncak
2025-05-08 14:37:23
Count answers: 4
The Blackheath v Richmond fixture is the oldest continuing meeting of two rugby clubs in the world and was first played on 2 January 1864. Blackheath and Richmond have been great rivals and great friends over the years and we are happy to celebrate another chapter of this historic fixture. Such was the rivalry in the early days that the matches in 1866 and 1877 had to be abandoned as the game had become “very competitive”!!
Alford Funk
2025-05-08 13:45:20
Count answers: 2
It is the letter that threw down the gauntlet to what would become the oldest fixture in international rugby – Scotland v England. The sporting challenge was firmly laid down a few months earlier on December 8, 1870, when officials from five of Scotland’s most prominent rugby clubs issued a letter to The Scotsman inviting any team "selected from the whole of England" to participate in a game played under rugby rules. A few months later on March 27, 1871, Scotland would, to the joy of their thousands of fans, narrowly pip England at their first home, Raeburn Place. It launched the series of games between Scotland and England that currently stands at 138 played, with England leading the series 76-43 and 19 matches drawn.
Althea Casper
2025-05-08 11:28:20
Count answers: 6
The world's oldest continuous rugby fixture turned the clock back to celebrate its 150th anniversary yesterday with a game that almost ended as it had begun all those years ago, in a draw. Two of Scotland's most prestigious private schools had drawn their first goal-less match at football played under rugby rules, following a two-and-a-half hour game without a half-time break on December 11, 1858. According to the original match report, the 1858 fixture kicked-off at 11.30am on a rainy day which soon left the players on the muddy pitch the "colour of mother earth".
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