Winning the Rugby World Cup is the goal of every rugby player. Despite that, not a lot of people know what the trophy that they are all after is called.
What is the Rugby World Cup trophy called? The Rugby World Cup trophy is called the Webb Ellis Cup. It is named after William Webb Ellis, the man who is believed to have invented the game of rugby.
The Rugby World Cup is by far the biggest tournament in rugby. It is the trophy that all players are desperate to win and there have been so many legendary players to win that tournament. The winners of the Rugby World Cup get to lift the William Webb Ellis cup above their heads.
The trophy is named after William Webb Ellis, who is the man believed to have invented the game of rugby. The story goes that when Webb Ellis was a student at the Warwickshire school of Rugby, he was involved in a game of football. During the game, it is alleged that Webb-Ellis picked up the ball with his hands and started running with it.
It is believed that the game of rugby was invented from this, getting it’s name from the school which Webb Ellis was a pupil of. The story has since become part of rugby legend, although there is some evidence that this is nothing more than a legend. The story only came about after Webb Ellis had passed away, so it could not be properly verified.
But seeing as the story is now part of rugby legend, you can understand why the trophy for the Rugby World Cup winners has been named after William Webb Ellis. Considering the trophy has been called the Webb Ellis cup since the Rugby World Cup started in 1987, it seems unlikely that this will change anytime soon.
Webb Ellis Cup winners
In total there have been four different teams who have won the William Webb Ellis Cup in the past. The winners of the trophy have been New Zealand, South Africa, Australia and England. New Zealand were the first team to win the trophy when the first Rugby World Cup took place in 1987.
With the final being hosted in New Zealand, the All Blacks were able to defeat France 29-9 in the final. This meant that they became the first team to win the Rugby World Cup and therefore the first team to lift the William Webb Ellis Cup. In 2015, they also became the first team to lift the trophy three times, winning their second Rugby World Cup in a row.
South Africa are not only the current Webb Ellis Cup holders, but they are also the joint record holders of the trophy, winning it three times. They won the trophy for the first time in 1995, then again in 2007. By beating England in the 2019 final in Japan, they won the trophy for the third time, equalling New Zealand’s record.
Australia were actually the first team to win the Webb Ellis Cup twice. They won the trophy for the first time in 1991 and then again in 1999. Despite going to the Rugby World Cup final two times since then, they have not been able to win the Webb Ellis Cup for the third time to equal the records of Australia and South Africa.
England have won the Webb Ellis cup just once in their history. Thanks to a last-minute drop goal from Johnny Wilkinson, England were able to defeat Australia in Australia to lift the Webb Ellis cup in 2003. They managed to get to the Rugby World Cup Final in 2007 and again in 2019 but lost to South Africa both times.
Is there a Six Nations trophy?
The Six Nations is one of the top rugby tournaments in the world. It has a huge amount of history and prestige, but fans are still uncertain as to whether there is a trophy for winning the championship.
There is a Six Nations trophy. The Six Nations trophy is called the Championship Trophy and is awarded to the international team that wins the Six Nations. It was first awarded to the winners in 1993 when the championship was known as the Five Nations, as it was before Italy had joined the competition.
The original trophy was actually replaced in 2015 because it was originally designed to represent the five nations competing for the trophy. Now that there are six teams competing for the trophy, a new design was needed and so was introduced in 2015. There are other trophies within the competition for individual games.
Where is the Webb Ellis Cup now?
The William Webb Ellis Cup is of course the trophy given to the winners of the Rugby World Cup. So where is the trophy right now?
At the time of writing, the Webb Ellis Cup has been transported to Paris, in preparation for the start of the 2023 Rugby World Cup which is taking place in France. During a Rugby World Cup, the trophy is usually held in the capital city of the country where the tournament is taking place. This is why the trophy is currently in Paris.
For the last four years, the Webb Ellis trophy has been in South Africa for the last four years. That was because the Springboks won the Rugby World Cup in Japan four years ago. The winners of the Rugby World Cup will hold the trophy in their country in between tournaments.
But at the start of June 2023, the trophy was ceremonially flown from South Africa to Paris in preparation for the 2023 Rugby World Cup which starts in September 2023. After the tournament has finished, the Webb Ellis Cup will travel to whichever country wins the tournament.
It is then most likely that the trophy will be held in the capital city of that country for the next four years, until it Is flown over to Australia for the 2027 Rugby World Cup.