Rugby union trophies and awards have been given out to teams and participants from the very earliest days of the sport's history. In common with many other sports rugby union has an array of competitions, both domestic international, covering the spectrum of competition structures from season long leagues, to one-off matches. The list below is divided into sections such that trophies and awards competed for by national sides are grouped together, as are those competed for by club and provincial sides. In both cases, the type of award can differ. The award might be a perpetual trophy, which is one competed for in perpetuity by two sides such that on each occasion they meet, which may or may not be on a regular basis, that honour is contested. The award may be one that is given to the winner of a tournament, or as a subset of this, as an award for a particular honour attained in that tournament. Additionally, the sport of rugby union bestows certain honours on individual players, and these too have their own dedicated section below.
International Trophies
Current international + Rugby union international trophiesName of trophyFirst ContestedLast ContestedTypeRecordCurrent holdersNotesWebb Ellis Cup19872023Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 4 – 3 – 2 – 1Trophy received for winning the Rugby World Cup. Named after William Webb Ellis, who supposedly invented the sportMelrose Cup19932022Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 3 – 3 – 1 – 1The main prize of the Rugby World Cup SevensSix Nations Championship Trophy 20002026Tournament Trophy – 7 – 8 – 6 – 6 – 0 – 0The trophy received for winning the Six Nations ChampionshipTriple Crown18832026Tournament Honour – 26 – 22 – 15 – 10The Triple Crown as a term was first recorded in 1884. The cup was known as the invisible cup because no trophy existed until one was commissioned in 2006.Calcutta Cup18792026Perpetual Trophy – 72 – 45drawn – 16Named after the Calcutta Football Club which withdrew the club's Silver Rupees from the bank, and had them melted down and made into a cup which they presented to the RFU in 1878 to be competed for annually.Millennium Trophy19882026Perpetual Trophy– 21 – 18drawn – 0Contested as part of the Six Nations Championship. It was initiated in 1988 as part of Dublin's millennial celebrations. The trophy in the shape of a horned Viking helmet.Centenary Quaich19892026Perpetual Trophy – 23 – 14drawn – 1Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. Although the two countries have played each other on 121, the cupA "Quaich" is a celtic drinking vessel – see Did You Know? The Quaich. has only been presented to the winners of the fixture since 1989.Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy20062026Perpetual Trophy – 17 – 2drawn – 1Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. The trophy, designed by former French international and professional sculptor Jean-Pierre Rives, was awarded for the first time on 3 February 2007 to France as part of the celebrations of the bicentenary of the birth of Italian national hero Giuseppe Garibaldi in Nice.Auld Alliance Trophy20182026Perpetual Trophy – 5 – 4Awarded as part of the Six Nations Championship. The trophy commemorates the French and Scottish rugby players who were killed during the conflict, in particular the captains of the two nations in the last matches played before the First World War – Eric Milroy (Scotland) and Marcel Burgun (France).Doddie Weir Cup20182026Perpetual Trophy – 4 – 5The cup was created to bring awareness to Motor Neurone Disease. Former Scotland international lock Doddie Weir was diagnosed with illness and the cup was named in his honour.Cuttitta Cup20222026Perpetual Trophy – 3 – 2The Trophy is to commemorate Massimo Cuttitta, a former Italian captain and Scotland scrum coach, who died of COVID-19 in 2021 aged 54.Rugby Championship trophy20122025Tournament Trophy – 9 – 1 – 3 – 0The trophy received for winning The Rugby ChampionshipBledisloe Cup19312025Perpetual Trophy – 53 – 12 Named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931.Mandela Challenge Plate 20002025Perpetual Trophy – 13 – 9Named after South Africa's first post-apartheid president, Nelson Mandela.Freedom Cup2004 2024Perpetual Trophy – 16 – 4The trophy is contested between South Africa and New Zealand, during the Tri-nations tournament. It was first contested in 2004, the 10 year anniversary of South African democracy.Puma Trophy20002026Perpetual Trophy – 14 – 3Trophée des Bicentenaires19892023Perpetual Trophy – 14 – 7To celebrate the bi-centenaries of Australia and the French Revolution, in 1988 and 1989 respectively, the French Rugby Union donated the Trophée des Bicentenaires to be played in perpetuity between the two countries. It is a bronze sculpture featuring two players in a tackle. Although the trophy dates from 1988, it was first contested in 1989.Cook Cup19972021Perpetual Trophy – 10 – 13Cup named after Captain James CookElla–Mobbs Trophy20222025Perpetual Trophy – 1 – 2Cup named after Mark Ella and Edgar Mobbs. Replaced the Cook Cup.Hopetoun Cup19982025Perpetual Trophy – 8 – 7Named after the Seventh Earl of Hopetoun, a Scotsman, who, as the then Governor-General of Australia, presided over the Federation of Australia in 1901.Lansdowne Cup19992026Perpetual Trophy – 9 – 8Donated by the Lansdowne Club of Sydney, which was named after Lansdowne Road, the home of Ireland rugby for over a century until its demolition in 2007 to make way for Aviva Stadium.James Bevan Trophy20072024Perpetual Trophy – 13 – 3Dave Gallaher Trophy20002025Perpetual Trophy – 13 – 3Named after Dave Gallaher, the famous 1905–06 All Blacks captain who was killed in Belgium during World War I. Introduced in 2000, it is awarded to the winner of a selected challenge match in any given year.Hillary Shield2008 2022Perpetual Trophy – 8 – 1The trophy is named in memory of the New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, Sir Edmund Hillary.Prince William Cup20072022Perpetual Trophy – 9 – 3Celebrates 100 years of rugby union history between Wales and South Africa. It is named after the Vice Royal Patron of the WRU, Prince William.Admiral Brown Cup20122024Perpetual Trophy – 6 – 0Admiral Guillermo Brown was born in 1777 in Foxford, County Mayo. He emigrated at an early age, first to Philadelphia and then to Buenos Aires. He led the Argentinean navy in the wars for independence against the Spanish and Brazilian empires. The Republic of Argentina honors this Irishman as a national hero and many cities, partidos, streets and parks, including clubs and sports stadiums throughout Argentina are named in his honour.Tom Richards Trophy20012013Perpetual Trophy – 1Lions – 1LionsBritish & Irish Lions–South Africa Series Trophy 20092021 Perpetual Trophy – 2Lions – 0Lions Series Trophy20252025Perpetual TrophyLions – 1 – 0 – – LionsA new trophy created ahead of the 2025 Lions tour of Australia. This new trophy will be contested in all upcoming Lions series.Killik Cup20092016Perpetual TrophyBarbarians – 5Int. sides – 5Drawn – 1Barbarians(Shared result)Douglas Horn Trophy20082018Perpetual Trophy – 3 – 0Douglas Horn is the Father of Alan Horn, a board member of Rugby Canada, while the trophy is essentially to recognize the long-standing relationship between Canada and Scotland in both the rugby world and international relations.Antim Cup20022023Perpetual Trophy – 16 – 6Named after Anthim the Iberian, a native of Georgia who became one of the most important Orthodox ecclesiastical figures in Wallachia, one of the predecessor states of modern Romania.European Nations Cup20002016Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 9 – 4 – 1European Championship for tier 2 and tier 3 rugby union nations, with winners of each division promoted up to the next and loser demoted down. The overall winner is dictated by who wins the 1A division, despite there being divisions below 1A.Asian Rugby Championship1969 / 20152016Tournament Trophy – 17 – 5Annual international rugby union competition held in Asia. This tournament had previously existed, between 1969 and 2007, but was changed to the now defunct Asian Five Nations. The competition was brought back in 2015, with a changed format. The overall champion is dictated by who wins the Tri Nations tournament, despite there being divisions below the Tri Nations.Pacific Nations Cup20062016Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 4 – 2 – 2 – 2 – 1South American Rugby Championship19512016Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 35 – 3 – 1Annual international rugby union competition held in South America. The overall champion is dictated by who wins the Division A tournament.CONSUR Cup20142016Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 3Annual rugby union tournament held in South America, where the top 2 teams from the South American Rugby Championship, play CONSUR leading team, Argentina.Americas Rugby Championship20092018Tournament Trophy – 6 – 2 World Rugby Pacific Challenge20062016Tournament TrophyTitles won since 2011: – 4 Pampas XV – 2 – 0 – 0 – 0 Organised by World Rugby, the tournament prior to being renamed the Pacific Challenge in 2015, was known as the Pacific Rugby Cup. National 'A' teams from the Asia-Pacific region have competed for the trophy since 2011. From 2006 to 2010, two selected representative sides from each of Fiji, Samoa, and Tonga played for the cup.Africa Cup20002025Tournament TrophyOnly winning sides listed: – 9 – 3 – 3 – 2 – 2 – 1Organised by the Confederation of African Rugby (CAR), the tournament prior to being renamed the Africa Cup in 2006, was known as the CAR Top 9 and CAR Top 10. The over winner is dictated by who wins the top division, despite there being divisions below Division 1.Pershing Cup20142024Perpetual Trophy – 3 – 2Named after General John J. Pershing, for organizing the Inter-Allied Games, where a Romanian team, selected from members of the military, played the first ever international test for Romania, the first match being played against the Americans.Kiselyov Cup20212021Perpetual Trophy – 1 – 0Named after count Pavel Kiselyov, the leader of Danubian Principalities and commander of Russian troops in Wallachia and MoldaviaSiam Cup19202020Perpetual Trophy Jersey – 62 Guernsey – 16drawn – 1 JerseyMade from coinage of Siam ticals at the behest of King Rama VI within the Royal Crown Silversmith
Past international trophies