Six Nations trophy ‘retired’ after being damaged in car fire

Thomas Lyte, the London-based silversmiths, created the trophy in 2015. There are two versions of it because it is common that multiple teams, playing in different cities around Europe, can win the Six Nations before the last round of fixtures.

This season, there will only be one trophy, the “exhibition” version, which could require a hasty dash across the continent before it is presented to the championship victors on “Super Saturday”.

Ireland host Scotland in Dublin at 2.10pm before Wales take on Italy in Cardiff at 4.40pm. Finally, France meet England at 8.10pm GMT.

The Six Nations statement continued: “The trophy was created in 2015 to reflect the tournaments evolution to six teams, standing 75cm tall and made from precious silver, and whilst this accident is hugely unfortunate, the situation adds another chapter to the history of a Trophy that represents one of global sport’s most celebrated tournaments, with its roots reaching back to 1883.

“As is the case with most major international sports tournaments, there is an identical exhibition trophy which will be used for the remainder of the Championship, meaning the prestige and recognition of winning the Six Nations is unaffected.

“A new trophy will be commissioned in the same design as the original, with materials from the original being incorporated into the new Trophy, ensuring its history is respectfully transferred to the new creation. The new trophy will take approximately 365 hours of skilled craftmanship to create, meaning it will be unveiled ahead of the 2027 Championship.”

The Jules Rimet trophy famously went missing before the 1966 football World Cup but was recovered — thanks to Pickles the dog — in time for England’s Bobby Moore to lift it. The FA Cup has suffered its fair share of damage and the present trophy is the fifth incarnation, previous versions having been stolen, sold off, retired or become too fragile. Still, the present version has been dropped from the team bus on a trophy parade, dented multiple times and had the lid split in two.

Perhaps the best example of longevity comes from the NHL’s Stanley Cup. When the Florida Panthers dented and cracked it during title celebrations last year it was just the latest in a long line of mishaps to befall the 131-year-old trophy: according to ice hockey folklore it has been submerged in water, dropped on the ice, soiled by the baby daughter of one of the players and even twice survived being set on fire.

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