Webb Ellis Cup facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Webb Ellis Cup |
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Webb Ellis Cup in 2015
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| Sport | Rugby union |
| Competition | Rugby World Cup |
| Local name | |
| Nickname | "Bill" |
| Presented by | World Rugby |
| History | |
| First award | 1987 |
| First winner |  New Zealand (1987) |
| Most wins |
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| Most recent |  South Africa (2023) |
The Webb Ellis Cup is a special trophy given to the team that wins the men's Rugby World Cup. This is the biggest competition for men's international rugby union teams. The Cup is named after William Webb Ellis. Many people believe he invented the game of rugby football.
The trophy looks like it's made of silver and gold. It has been given to the winning team since the first Rugby World Cup in 1987. South Africa has won it four times (1995, 2007, 2019, 2023). New Zealand has won it three times (1987, 2011, 2015). Australia won it twice (1991, 1999), and England won it once (2003).
The Webb Ellis Cup is 38 centimeters tall and weighs 4.5 kilograms. It is made of gilded silver, which means silver covered with a thin layer of gold. It has two curved handles. One handle has the head of a satyr (a mythical creature), and the other has the head of a nymph (a nature spirit). The words International Rugby Football Board are carved on the front. Below that, it says The Webb Ellis Cup. People sometimes call it the "Webb Ellis Trophy" by mistake. It's also often called "Bill," a nickname started by the Wallabies team who won in 1991.
History of the Webb Ellis Cup
There are actually two official Webb Ellis Cups. They are used in turns. One was made in 1911 by Carrington and Co. in London. Its design is based on a cup from the 1740s by Paul de Lamerie. The other cup is a copy made in 1986.
How the Trophy Was Chosen
John Kendall-Carpenter and Bob Weighill helped organize the first Rugby World Cup. They visited Garrard & Co, a famous jewelry store in Regent Street, London. A director there showed them the cup from a vault.
The cup was chosen to be the Rugby World Cup trophy in February 1987. Rugby officials from Ireland, Wales, New Zealand, and Australia all agreed on the choice. Silversmiths Thomas Lyte take care of the trophy and fix it after each tournament.
Who Has Won the Cup?
The trophy was quickly named "The Webb Ellis Cup." New Zealand was the first country to win it in 1987. Since then, only four nations have held the Webb Ellis Cup: New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, and England.
The current champions are South Africa. They won the 2023 Final in France by beating New Zealand 12-11. After their 2007 win, the trophy was shown in Newlands, South Africa, for two years. Later, it was returned to the home of World Rugby in Ireland. One of the cups recently traveled around New Zealand. It was shown with other important rugby trophies like the Dave Gallaher Trophy and the Bledisloe Cup.
See also
In Spanish: Copa Webb Ellis para niños
- Paul Barrière Trophy
