84th All India and South Asia Rugby Tournament, CCFC Kolkata

84th All India and South Asia Rugby Tournament

 

2nd All India Women’s Rugby XVs Tournament

Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC), Kolkata

It was the dyeing moments of the final of the 84th All India and South Asian Rugby and the score board read Army Red: 24 and Delhi Hurricanes: 20. Army Red was heading for their 9 th title but an unexpected try from the Delhi Hurricanes turned the table and at the final whistle the score board read Delhi Hurricanes: 25 and Army Red: 24. Thus crowning Delhi Hurricanes as the maiden champions of All India and South Asian Rugby.

Women’s Semi final. Delhi Hurricanes vs Jungle Crows. 2nd All India Women’s Rugby, CCFC Kolkata

Rugby in Calcutta has a long history and it all started on the Christmas Day of 1872. On this day Calcutta witnessed the first official rugby match of the country was played on that day between England and a combined team of Scotland, Welsh and Ireland.

83rd All India and South Asia Rugby Tournament, CCFC Kolkata

83rd All India and South Asia Rugby Tournament

 

1st All India Women’s Rugby XVs Tournament

Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC), Kolkata

Christmas Day 1872, Calcutta witnessed a strange spectacle, the first official rugby match of the country was played on that day between England and a combined team of Scotland, Welsh and Ireland.

All India Women’s Rugby XVs Tournament 2016, CCFC, Kolkata

144 years later, on 21 September 2016, rugby in India reached another milestone and the Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) witnessed the first ever official women’s XVs Rugby match in the country (there have been women’s Rugby 7s match before in the country).

The Calcutta version of Calcutta Cup

Retracing the history of Rugby in Calcutta (Kolkata)

Calcutta Cup (Calcutta Version) Trophy

All though it may sound strange but Calcutta Cup is a trophy awarded , since 1879, to the winner of the rugby match played between England and Scotland, played alternatively in London and Edinburgh.

Although not played in Calcutta, the Calcutta Cup has a Calcutta origin. It was in 1872 the first ever rugby match took place in Calcutta and was played by a group of rugby enthusiast of England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland.

Soon Calcutta caught on with the rugby enthusiasm, which led to the formation of the first Rugby club in India in 1874 and was named Calcutta Football Club. In order to attract more players the club offered free drinks to the rugby players. But with the mounting cost the idea was soon dropped, which resulted in the drop in the numbers of players.

Sadly within four years the Calcutta Football Club decided to wind up and a strange decision was made with the remaining club funds.

The entire remaining funds of the club were withdrawn in the form of silver coins which were melted and re-casted into a beautiful trophy, the Calcutta Cup.