The Calcutta Club initially wanted the trophy to serve as the rugby version of the FA Cup, but instead the RFU elected to play a match between England and Scotland every year, with the winning team awarded the cup.
The first Calcutta Cup game, held in Edinburgh in 1879, ended in a draw, with England beating Scotland in Manchester the following year to become the first side to win the trophy.
A month later, the Calcutta Rugby Football Club was founded by expats, former students of Rugby School and soldiers from the Royal East Kent Regiment, and the team officially joined the Rugby Football Union (RFU) in 1874.
The Six Nations continues this weekend with one of the most iconic games in world rugby as England take on Scotland for the Calcutta Cup.
But what exactly is the Calcutta Cup and why do England and Scotland compete for the trophy?.
