Auld Alliance Trophy facts for kids
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| Sport | Rugby union |
|---|---|
| Instituted | 2018 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Country |  France Scotland |
| Holders | France (2025) |
| Most titles | France (5 titles) |
The Auld Alliance Trophy is a special award in rugby union. It's given to the team that wins the yearly match between France and Scotland during the Six Nations Championship. This trophy helps remember the brave rugby players from both countries who lost their lives in World War I.
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What is the Auld Alliance Trophy?
The Auld Alliance Trophy is a trophy made of solid silver. It has beautiful designs of poppies and cornflowers, which are flowers used to remember soldiers. The trophy was created by expert silversmiths in London called Thomas Lyte.
Why Was the Trophy Created?
The trophy was first awarded in 2018. This year marked 100 years since World War I ended. It was made to honor all the French and Scottish rugby players who died during the war. Two captains, Eric Milroy from Scotland and Marcel Burgun from France, are especially remembered. They were the captains of their teams in the last matches played before the war began.
When the trophy was first presented, two 11-year-old boys, Lachlan Ross and Romain Cabanis, carried it onto the field. They are descendants of the Milroy and Burgun families. Overall, 30 Scottish and 22 French international rugby players died in the war.
The trophy has a message written on it in both English and French. It says: "In memory of Eric Milroy, Marcel Burgun and all the French and Scottish rugby players who fell during World War I". In 2022, a current Scottish rugby player, Ollie Smith of the Glasgow Warriors, was found to be a descendant of Eric Milroy.
The Name of the Trophy
The name "Auld Alliance" comes from a very old friendship. It refers to the Auld Alliance, which was an agreement made in the 13th century between France and Scotland. This alliance was a long-standing friendship and military agreement between the two nations.
Trophy Match Statistics
The Auld Alliance Trophy is awarded for the match played between France and Scotland in the Six Nations Championship. Here are the results of these trophy matches:
| Host nation | Played | France wins |
Scotland wins |
Drawn | France points | Scotland points |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| France |
4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 117 | 74 |
| Scotland |
4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 99 | 93 |
| Overall | 8 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 216 | 167 |
Past Winners
Here is a list of the matches played for the Auld Alliance Trophy and who won each time:
| Year | Date | Venue | Home | Score | Away | Trophy Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | 11 February | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Scotland |
32–26 | France |
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| 2019 | 23 February | Stade de France, Paris | France |
27–10 | Scotland |
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| 2020 | 8 March | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Scotland |
28–17 | France |
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| 2021 | 26 March | Stade de France, Paris | France |
23–27 | Scotland |
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| 2022 | 26 February | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Scotland |
17–36 | France |
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| 2023 | 26 February | Stade de France, Paris | France |
32–21 | Scotland |
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| 2024 | 10 February | Murrayfield, Edinburgh | Scotland |
16–20 | France |
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| 2025 | 15 March | Stade de France, Paris | France |
35–16 | Scotland |
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See also
- List of international rugby union players killed in World War I
- Rugby union trophies and awards
- Millennium Trophy, for winners of England v. Ireland in the Six Nations
- Calcutta Cup, for winners of England v. Scotland in the Six Nations
- Giuseppe Garibaldi Trophy, for winners of France v. Italy in the Six Nations
- Centenary Quaich, for winners of Ireland v. Scotland in the Six Nations
- Triple Crown Trophy, if either England, Ireland, Scotland or Wales beat the other three Home Nations.
