Siam Cup

Siam Cup
Sport Rugby union
Instituted 1920
Number of teams 2
Country Jersey Jersey and Guernsey Guernsey
Holders  Jersey

The Siam Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the Channel Islands clubs of Jersey Reds and Guernsey RFC. It was first contested in 1920.[1] The trophy awarded its winner is one of the oldest rugby honour contested after the United Hospitals Cup and the Calcutta Cup.[2]

Trophy

The trophy is made from Siamese silver and decorated in Siamese style, the winning island's name engraved on an ebony base.[3] It was created after an idea from British students serving in the Siam Constabulary for an inter-island rugby union competition.

The trophy is made from coinage of Siam ticals and required the permission of King Rama VI to melt the coins down. The King not only permitted it, he had the trophy created within the Royal Crown Silversmith.[4]

The trophy was then taken to Guernsey by Lt. Col. Forty but was not presented until 1935.[5] During the German occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the trophy was hidden in an unknown place to prevent it being melted down by the Nazis; it reappeared in 1947.[4]

By the 1970s the trophy started to deteriorate from age and a replica was commissioned. The original was handed to the Rugby Football Union in 1977[5] where it is placed on display at the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham Stadium in London, England.[6]

Competition

The competition has been contested annually since 1920, each island hosting it every other year. The only breaks in competition were due to the Second World War.[7]

As of the 2015 competition, Jersey is the more successful island in the Siam Cup, due to being a professional side versus Guernsey's amateur side, with 56 wins to Guernsey's 15; there has been only one draw.[5] Equivalent competitions are held at academy, women's and veterans level.[8] Previously there had been no restrictions as to who could play in the Siam Cup. Following Jersey's rise through the English leagues to Level 2 and turning professional it was argued that it made the competition unfair. In 2016, it was declared that Jersey could only select players for the Siam Cup if they had been on the island for three years, Guernsey, playing in a league at Level 5, would be unaffected by the change.[9][10]

References

  1. ↑ "Siam cup". Jersey RFC. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  2. ↑ "Siam Cup Preview". BBC. 2007-05-05. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  3. ↑ "Siam Cup". Island Life. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  4. 1 2 "History — Siam Cup". Guernsey RFC. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  5. 1 2 3 "The Siam Cup: the Channel Islands' rugby trophy". BBC News. 2010-05-04. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  6. ↑ "Siam Cup". rfu.com. 1935-03-14. Retrieved 2011-05-05.
  7. ↑ "The Siam Cup". Jersey.com. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  8. ↑ "Siam 2008". Jersey Evening Post. This Is Jersey. Retrieved 2011-05-06.
  9. ↑ http://jerseyeveningpost.com/sport/2016/01/09/rugby-major-siam-shake-up/
  10. ↑ "Siam Cup 2016: Only eight Jersey professionals will play against Guernsey". BBC. 16 March 2016.
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