Why is England vs Scotland called the Calcutta Cup in the Six Nations, what is the rugby trophy and when did it start?
ENGLAND will take on Scotland for the Calcutta Cup when they lock horns on this afternoon in the Six Nations.
The two teams will line up today with a 4.45pm kick off, with more than just pride at stake.
What is the Calcutta Cup?
It is a trophy shared between England and Scotland.
The cup is up for grabs when the two rugby union sides meet at the Six Nations.
How old is the piece of silverware?
The Calcutta Cup was first competed for in 1879, at Raeburn Place in Edinburgh.
It ended in a draw, but the following year England were first team to get their hands on the trophy.
The cup was suspended during both World Wars and this year they will be competing for the trophy for the 214th time.
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Who currently holds the piece of silverware?
England are the current holders and have held the trophy since 2009.
The Red Rose beat Scotland 61 – 21 last year at Twickenham.
This was Eddie Jones’ first piece of silverware as England head coach, getting his formidable reign off to a perfect start before winning the Triple Crown and the Grand Slam.
How many times have England and Scotland won the time match?
England have won the the cup the most times, on 70 occasions.
Whilst Scotland have won the crunch match 40 times, with the other 16 encounters ending in a draw.
Jonny Wilkinson holds the record for scoring the most points in a Calcutta Cup game, scoring 27 points in 2007.
What is the design of the trophy?
The trophy originated after a game in Calcutta, on Christmas day in 1872.
The match saw 20 players representing England and 20 others representing Scotland, Wales and Ireland.
The design of the trophy has three king cobras as the handles, whilst on the lid there is an elephant.