The Siam Cup

The Siam Cup is a rugby competition between Guernsey and Jersey dating back to the 1920’s. It takes place at the end of the season each year. Each year the islands take it in turn to host the event. Matches are played between all age groups from 7+. The 1st teams play their matches on the Saturday and the 2nds have their matches on the Sunday.

History of the Cup

The Siam Cup is one of the oldest rugby trophies in existence with an interesting and chequered history. Stories are not totally reliable but it seems that is has also appeared from time to time, as a billiards trophy in Guernsey and a darts trophy in Jersey. It was during the German Occupation of the islands that the cup was at its’ greatest risk because the Germans wanted it to be returned to their homelands to be melted down for funds for the Third Reich. The cup then mysteriously disappeared, but was safely hidden and resurfaced after the war in 1947. To this day there is much speculation about where it went during this time but the truth is that nobody really knows.

The actual Siam Cup is a large circular rose-bowl made from Siamese (Thai) silver beautifully decorated in traditional Siamese style, with figures of dancing girls and elephants’ heads. It stands on an ebony base and is engraved with the cup winners’ names, dating back as afar as 1920. The cup was originally brought to Guernsey by a Lieutenant-Colonel CH Forty who was serving in the Durham Light Infantry in Siam at the early part of the century. Forty along with four other colleagues donated the trophy to encourage interest in the game; on hearing that rugger was no longer to played between Victoria College in Jersey and Elizabeth College in Guernsey.

The story goes that Vajiravudh, son of the King of Siam, also served in the Durham Light Infantry and was befriended by Forty and Captain S P Groves, another donor of the cup. Vajiravudh, later became King Rama VI, and it seems certain that it was he, that instructed that the cup be made from ticals (Siamese silver dollars) by the court silversmith. It is probably this chequered history that makes the survival of the Siam Cup so important to the people of Guernsey and Jersey. So much so that it is now safely kept in the Rugby Union Museum in Twickenham. The clubs agreed to this providing that a replica was made which could be displayed each year but the winning side. Using techniques developed following a fire at Windsor Castle, a Guernsey jeweller, Bruce Russell, created the replica which is barely distinguishable from the original. This was handed over to one of the vice presidents of the Rugby Union at a formal handing over ceremony during the Siam Cup weekend in 1997.

See also: www.jrfc.com