Triple Crown (Rugby Union)
Encyclopedia
In rugby union
, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles
who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship
: England
, Scotland
, Ireland
, and Wales
. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown was an informal recognition of success until the 2006 Six Nations
, when a physical Triple Crown Trophy was awarded to Ireland.
The Six Nations Championship also involves France
and Italy
, but they do not take part in the Triple Crown. Unlike the Grand Slam
, the triple crown winners will not necessarily be the tournament winners, since France or Italy could outperform the Triple Crown winner within the overall Championship. This first occurred in the 1977 Five Nations Championship
, when Wales won the Triple Crown by defeating the other three British Isles teams, while France won the Championship by completing the Grand Slam over all four of the British Isles teams.
England won the first Triple Crown — although the phrase was not in use at the time — in the inaugural 1893 series
of the original rugby union Home Nations Championship.
The Irish Times has the first recorded use of the term in its introduction to the newspaper's Ireland v Wales match report on Monday, 12 March 1894, the twelfth running
of the Home Nations Championship:
After long years of seemingly hopeless struggle Ireland has achieved the triple crown honours of Rugby football. For the first time in the annals of the game have the Hibernians proved beyond cavil or doubt their right to be dubbed champions of the nations and that the Irishmen fully deserve the great distinction no one will deny … Hurrah for Hibernia!
into a surprisingly ornate work. It has a crown sitting on a four-sided base on which are represented a rose, a shamrock, a thistle and the Prince of Wales feathers. It is kept in the Museum of Rugby at Twickenham.
As no trophy was historically awarded for winning the Triple Crown, it was often called 'the invisible cup'. However, in 2006, the primary sponsor of the competition, the Royal Bank of Scotland
, commissioned a trophy to be awarded to Triple Crown winners. The award, a silver dish known as the Triple Crown Trophy, was contested for the first time in the 2006 Six Nations
. Ireland
captain Brian O'Driscoll
claimed the trophy for Ireland at Twickenham
on 18 March after a last-minute try from Shane Horgan
gave Ireland a 28-24 win over England
.
Two teams have achieved the Triple Crown in four consecutive years: Wales (1976–1979) and England (1995–1998). No other teams have won the triple crown more than twice in a row.
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship
Six Nations Championship
The Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
: England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
, Scotland
Scotland national rugby union team
The Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
, Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
, and Wales
Wales national rugby union team
The Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the Triple Crown. The Triple Crown was an informal recognition of success until the 2006 Six Nations
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
, when a physical Triple Crown Trophy was awarded to Ireland.
The Six Nations Championship also involves France
France national rugby union team
The France national rugby union team represents France in rugby union. They compete annually against England, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales in the Six Nations Championship. They have won the championship outright sixteen times, shared it a further eight times, and have completed nine grand slams...
and Italy
Italy national rugby union team
The Italy national rugby union team represent the nation of Italy in the sport of rugby union. The team is also known as the Azzurri . Italy have been playing international rugby since the late 1920s, and since 2000 compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland,...
, but they do not take part in the Triple Crown. Unlike the Grand Slam
Grand Slam (Rugby Union)
In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
, the triple crown winners will not necessarily be the tournament winners, since France or Italy could outperform the Triple Crown winner within the overall Championship. This first occurred in the 1977 Five Nations Championship
1977 Five Nations Championship
The 1977 Five Nations Championship was the forty-eighth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the eighty-third series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played...
, when Wales won the Triple Crown by defeating the other three British Isles teams, while France won the Championship by completing the Grand Slam over all four of the British Isles teams.
England won the first Triple Crown — although the phrase was not in use at the time — in the inaugural 1893 series
1883 Home Nations Championship
The 1883 Home Nations Championship was the inaugural series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Five matches were played between 16 December 1882 and 3 March 1883...
of the original rugby union Home Nations Championship.
Name
The origins of the name 'Triple Crown' are uncertain. The concept of a Triple Crown dates to the original Home Nations Championship predecessor of the Six Nations Championship, when the competition only involved England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. Like the modern Grand Slam, the Triple Crown was an informal honour to the team that went undefeated to win the Championship.The Irish Times has the first recorded use of the term in its introduction to the newspaper's Ireland v Wales match report on Monday, 12 March 1894, the twelfth running
1894 Home Nations Championship
The 1894 Home Nations Championship was the twelfth series of the rugby union Home Nations Championship. Six matches were played between 6 January and 17 March. It was contested by England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales.-Table:-Results:...
of the Home Nations Championship:
After long years of seemingly hopeless struggle Ireland has achieved the triple crown honours of Rugby football. For the first time in the annals of the game have the Hibernians proved beyond cavil or doubt their right to be dubbed champions of the nations and that the Irishmen fully deserve the great distinction no one will deny … Hurrah for Hibernia!
Trophy
In 1975 a retired miner by the name of Dave Merrington from South Hetton, County Durham got to work with his penknife and turned a lump of coal hewn from the Haig Colliery in CumbriaCumbria
Cumbria , is a non-metropolitan county in North West England. The county and Cumbria County Council, its local authority, came into existence in 1974 after the passage of the Local Government Act 1972. Cumbria's largest settlement and county town is Carlisle. It consists of six districts, and in...
into a surprisingly ornate work. It has a crown sitting on a four-sided base on which are represented a rose, a shamrock, a thistle and the Prince of Wales feathers. It is kept in the Museum of Rugby at Twickenham.
As no trophy was historically awarded for winning the Triple Crown, it was often called 'the invisible cup'. However, in 2006, the primary sponsor of the competition, the Royal Bank of Scotland
Royal Bank of Scotland
The Royal Bank of Scotland Group is a British banking and insurance holding company in which the UK Government holds an 84% stake. This stake is held and managed through UK Financial Investments Limited, whose voting rights are limited to 75% in order for the bank to retain its listing on the...
, commissioned a trophy to be awarded to Triple Crown winners. The award, a silver dish known as the Triple Crown Trophy, was contested for the first time in the 2006 Six Nations
2006 Six Nations Championship
The 2006 RBS 6 Nations Championship was the seventh series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship to be held since the competition expanded in 2000 to include Italy...
. Ireland
Ireland national rugby union team
The Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
captain Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll
Brian O'Driscoll is an Irish professional rugby union player. He is the current captain of the Ireland Rugby team and captained Leinster Rugby until the start of 2008 season. He also captained the British and Irish Lions for their 2005 tour of New Zealand...
claimed the trophy for Ireland at Twickenham
Twickenham Stadium
Twickenham Stadium is a stadium located in Twickenham, in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. It is the largest rugby union stadium in the United Kingdom and has recently been enlarged to seat 82,000...
on 18 March after a last-minute try from Shane Horgan
Shane Horgan
Shane Patrick Horgan born 18 July 1978 in Bellewstown, County Meath is a rugby union player who plays wing or centre for Leinster and Ireland. He is tall. While he was young he played for Boyne RFC. He also played Gaelic football at Minor level with Meath.Horgan joined Lansdowne on leaving...
gave Ireland a 28-24 win over England
England national rugby union team
The England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
.
Winners
There has been a Triple Crown winner in 62 of the 116 competitions held from 1883 through 2011 (12 competitions cancelled due to world wars).Two teams have achieved the Triple Crown in four consecutive years: Wales (1976–1979) and England (1995–1998). No other teams have won the triple crown more than twice in a row.
| 23 | 1883, 1884, 1892, 1913, 1914, 1921, 1923, 1924, 1928, 1934, 1937, 1954, 1957, 1960, 1980, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 2002, 2003 | |
| 19 | 1893, 1900, 1902, 1905, 1908, 1909, 1911, 1950, 1952, 1965, 1969, 1971, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1988, 2005, 2008 | |
| 10 | 1894, 1899, 1948, 1949, 1982, 1985, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 | |
| 10 | 1891, 1895, 1901, 1903, 1907, 1925, 1933, 1938, 1984, 1990 |
| 1883 | |
| 1884 | |
| 1885-90 | Not achieved |
| 1891 | |
| 1892 | |
| 1893 | |
| 1894 | |
| 1895 | |
| 1896-98 | Not achieved |
| 1899 | |
| 1900 | |
| 1901 | |
| 1902 | |
| 1903 | |
| 1904 | Not achieved |
| 1905 | |
| 1906 | Not achieved |
| 1907 | |
| 1908 | |
| 1909 | |
| 1910 | Not achieved |
| 1911 | |
| 1912 | Not achieved |
| 1913 | |
| 1914 | |
| 1915-19 | Not held due to World War I World War I World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918... |
| 1920 | Not achieved |
| 1921 | |
| 1922 | Not achieved |
| 1923 | |
| 1924 | |
| 1925 | |
| 1926-27 | Not achieved |
| 1928 | |
| 1929-32 | Not achieved |
| 1933 | |
| 1934 | |
| 1935-36 | Not achieved |
| 1937 | |
| 1938 | |
| 1939 | Not achieved |
| 1940–46 | Not held due to World War II World War II World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis... |
| 1947 | Not achieved |
| 1948 1948 Five Nations Championship The 1948 Five Nations Championship was the nineteenth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fourth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between... |
|
| 1949 1949 Five Nations Championship The 1949 Five Nations Championship was the twentieth series of the rugby union Five Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the fifty-fifth series of the northern hemisphere rugby union championship. Ten matches were played between 15... |
|
| 1950 | |
| 1951 | Not achieved |
| 1952 | |
| 1953 | Not achieved |
| 1954 | |
| 1955-56 | Not achieved |
| 1957 | |
| 1958-59 | Not achieved |
| 1960 | |
| 1961-64 | Not achieved |
| 1965 | |
| 1966-68 | Not achieved |
| 1969 | |
| 1970 | Not achieved |
| 1971 | |
| 1972-75 | Not achieved |
| 1976 | |
| 1977 | |
| 1978 | |
| 1979 | |
| 1980 | |
| 1981 | Not achieved |
| 1982 | |
| 1983 | Not achieved |
| 1984 | |
| 1985 | |
| 1986-87 | Not achieved |
| 1988 | |
| 1989 | Not achieved |
| 1990 | |
| 1991 | |
| 1992 | |
| 1993-94 | Not achieved |
| 1995 | |
| 1996 | |
| 1997 | |
| 1998 | |
| 1999-01 | Not achieved |
| 2002 | |
| 2003 | |
| 2004 | |
| 2005 | |
| 2006 | |
| 2007 | |
| 2008 | |
| 2009 | |
| 2010-11 | Not achieved |
See also
- Six Nations Wooden Spoon
- Grand SlamGrand Slam (Rugby Union)In rugby union, a Grand Slam occurs when one team in the Six Nations Championship manages to beat all the others during one year's competition...
- Six Nations Championship
- Tri Nations
- Pacific Tri-NationsPacific Tri-NationsThe Pacific Tri-Nations is the traditional rugby union series between Tonga, Fiji and Samoa. It was established in 1982 with the Samoan team, then known as Western Samoa, winning the tournament...
- Calcutta CupCalcutta CupThe Calcutta Cup is a rugby union trophy awarded to the winner of the annual Six Nations Championship match between England and Scotland. It is currently England's since the 2009 Six Nations Championship....
- Millennium TrophyMillennium TrophyThe Millennium Trophy is a rugby union award contested annually by Ireland and England as part of the Six Nations Championship. It was initiated in 1988 as part of Dublin's millennial celebrations...
- England national rugby union teamEngland national rugby union teamThe England national rugby union team represents England in rugby union. They compete in the annual Six Nations Championship with France, Ireland, Scotland, Italy, and Wales. They have won this championship on 26 occasions, 12 times winning the Grand Slam, making them the most successful team in...
- Ireland national rugby union teamIreland national rugby union teamThe Ireland national rugby union team represents the island of Ireland in rugby union. The team competes annually in the Six Nations Championship and every four years in the Rugby World Cup, where they reached the quarter-final stage in all but two competitions The Ireland national rugby union...
- Scotland national rugby union teamScotland national rugby union teamThe Scotland national rugby union team represent Scotland in international rugby union. Rugby union in Scotland is administered by the Scottish Rugby Union. The Scotland rugby union team is currently ranked eighth in the IRB World Rankings as of 19 September 2011...
- Wales national rugby union teamWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
- Rugby union trophies and awardsRugby union trophies and awardsRugby 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...
