The Holy Grail of Rugby- The Webb Ellis Cup
July 22nd 2007 22:02
....aka Bill*.
This is the Ultimate Rugby prize. The Holy Grail of the Rugby World. The Stephen Larkham of trophies. The bane of All Blacks existance.
The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby Union competition and one of the largest international sporting tournaments in the world.
The International Rugby Board commissioned the Webb Ellis Cup for the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand.
The Rugby World Cup is held every 4 years. This is a Rugby World Cup year and France** hosts the tournament, which starts in September.
The trophy is named after a student of England's Rugby School, William Webb Ellis, who English authorities claim picked up a soccer ball and ran with it, in 1823.
A little know fact is that Webb Ellis was psychic and he saw the future while playing soccer that day and saw David and Victoria Beckham and wanted no part in the history of soccer...
That would be the players history, values and integrity, not the bureaucratic/autocratic numbnuts that run Rugby and write ridiculous fustian pontifications like this;
The 38cm trophy is made of gilt silver and is held by two cast scroll handles (symbolising the Rugby creed that thou shalt hold on with two hands and never let go) and was modelled on a 1906 trophy made by Carrington and Co. of London, which itself was a Victorian design of a 1740 cup by Paul de Lamerie, the best-known English silversmith of his generation.
On one handle there is a head of a satyr, on the other there a is head of a nymph but if I had designed it...he he...I'd just have 2 plain handles, like the curvature of a Rugby ball.
What? What did you think I was going to say?
The words International Rugby Football Board are engraved in an arch on the face of the trophy and below that arch, it's name. The Webb Ellis Cup. The winners names are engraved on the trophy pedestal.
It really should be renamed The Wallabies Cup.
Australia is the only country to have won the Cup twice and the country responsible for it's affectionate moniker.
The nickname 'Bill' was given to the Cup by centre Anthony Herbert when the Wallabies won it in 1991.
The nickname emerged again in 1999 when "Bring Back Bill" became the theme of the Wallabies World Cup campaign and it 'stuck'
To read a Brief History of Rugby World Cup Winners...please read this post...
Year Winner
1987 New Zealand
1991 Australia
1995 South Africa
1999 Australia
2003 England
2007 Australia
Why?
...because Stephen Larkham would like one more chance to engrave his initials on Bill.
No, my name is not Bill.
***************************** *******
*To read a very amusing article on what Bill means to different people, please click on Bill...at Snotrags & Eyebrows.
Please be sure to check out the rest of the very enlightening articles on the game the play in heaven.
**Webb Ellis is buried in France. The World's Rugby graveyard
info courtesy of the ARU and bloggers pal Wiki
Bill image courtesy of IRB (International Rugby Board),
Farr-Jones image courtesy of ABC
Nobody's (aka John Eales..Nobody's Perfect) image courtesy of Sports Illustrated
Bill. Made in England. Made FOR Australia.
This is the Ultimate Rugby prize. The Holy Grail of the Rugby World. The Stephen Larkham of trophies. The bane of All Blacks existance.
The Rugby World Cup is the premier international Rugby Union competition and one of the largest international sporting tournaments in the world.
The International Rugby Board commissioned the Webb Ellis Cup for the inaugural Rugby World Cup in 1987, hosted by both Australia and New Zealand.
The Rugby World Cup is held every 4 years. This is a Rugby World Cup year and France** hosts the tournament, which starts in September.
The trophy is named after a student of England's Rugby School, William Webb Ellis, who English authorities claim picked up a soccer ball and ran with it, in 1823.
A little know fact is that Webb Ellis was psychic and he saw the future while playing soccer that day and saw David and Victoria Beckham and wanted no part in the history of soccer...
While historians now dispute that this was the origin of the game of rugby, the Webb Ellis name has become synonymous with the game's history and values.
That would be the players history, values and integrity, not the bureaucratic/autocratic numbnuts that run Rugby and write ridiculous fustian pontifications like this;
Its ornate, glimmering gold exterior symbolises world supremacy in rugby.
The 38cm trophy is made of gilt silver and is held by two cast scroll handles (symbolising the Rugby creed that thou shalt hold on with two hands and never let go) and was modelled on a 1906 trophy made by Carrington and Co. of London, which itself was a Victorian design of a 1740 cup by Paul de Lamerie, the best-known English silversmith of his generation.
On one handle there is a head of a satyr, on the other there a is head of a nymph but if I had designed it...he he...I'd just have 2 plain handles, like the curvature of a Rugby ball.
What? What did you think I was going to say?
The words International Rugby Football Board are engraved in an arch on the face of the trophy and below that arch, it's name. The Webb Ellis Cup. The winners names are engraved on the trophy pedestal.
It really should be renamed The Wallabies Cup.
Australia is the only country to have won the Cup twice and the country responsible for it's affectionate moniker.
The nickname 'Bill' was given to the Cup by centre Anthony Herbert when the Wallabies won it in 1991.
Nick Farr-Jones; Captain of the victorious '91 Wallabies
The nickname emerged again in 1999 when "Bring Back Bill" became the theme of the Wallabies World Cup campaign and it 'stuck'
John Eales: Captain of the victorious '99 Wallabies
To read a Brief History of Rugby World Cup Winners...please read this post...
Year Winner
1987 New Zealand
1991 Australia
1995 South Africa
1999 Australia
2003 England
2007 Australia
Why?
...because Stephen Larkham would like one more chance to engrave his initials on Bill.
No, my name is not Bill.
***************************** *******
*To read a very amusing article on what Bill means to different people, please click on Bill...at Snotrags & Eyebrows.
Please be sure to check out the rest of the very enlightening articles on the game the play in heaven.
**Webb Ellis is buried in France. The World's Rugby graveyard
info courtesy of the ARU and bloggers pal Wiki
Bill image courtesy of IRB (International Rugby Board),
Farr-Jones image courtesy of ABC
Nobody's (aka John Eales..Nobody's Perfect) image courtesy of Sports Illustrated
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Comment by David
Firstly, thanks for the plug on my non-Rugby Blog. (It never ceases to amaze me what people read into things, and how they interpret non-Rugby posts).
As to the origins of Bill, just imagine your delight if William's parents had named him Stephen.
David ...
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
As for your non-Rugby posts?...as non Rugby as witty harmless sledging...
mah warmth sugah...
Dusk
Comment by David
A normal hammer doesn't penetrate a Blogger's skull. One needs a sledge-hammer.
David ...
Comment by Andrea
V8 Supercar Pitstop
From one blogger to another ... true, so true!!!
Dusk, you're in damn fine form today.
Big hugs
Cara. xxxx
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
I'm just biting back after Saturday's...I don't want to talk about it but...sigh...I suppose I need to write about it...
Comment by Andrea
V8 Supercar Pitstop
Comment by DuskDevi
Rugby World Cup 2007
Oh yeah because I'm just so Jedi like every other time.
Comment by R4i SDHC