Let’s face it. On a cold, blustery morning of 1823, William Webb Ellis did not invent the sport we know today as rugby. The outcry ensues, “How can you not accept our heroic, daring invention story, rooted in fact?” Believe it or not, this English private school tale with no proven witnesses, probably didn’t occur. Yet, it is Mr Ellis’ name that adorns the greatest trophy in rugby, the Webb Ellis Cup, given to the winners of the World Cup.
I don’t like this name. It’s pretty boring, and take the legend away, is named after a 19th century clergyman. So, if Bill Beaumont, and his World Rugby Council stumble upon this opinion, the obvious question is, what should we rename it as? Let’s take a look.
The World Rugby Rugby World Cup Trophy- The Boring (or cricket) Name
Let’s get this one out of the way first. If Bill took a leaf out of cricket (and I’m sure many other sports’) book, then he would take an even more boring approach. Give it a professional sounding name, whack our organisation in front of it. Done.
The Harold Tolhurst/Bill McLaughlin Trophy- The (pre-1970) Football Name
This one could work, but there could be criticism about just copying football. The Jules Rimet Trophy, the name of the football World Cup before they went the boring way in 1970, was named so as he was the FIFA president who initiated the competition. Two Aussies are up for contention here, for Wallaby Harold Tolhurst, who came up with the idea in the 1950s, faces off against ex RA president Bill McLaughlin, who proposed the idea in 1979, to be held in 1988 to coincide with Australia’s bicentenary celebrations. I think Tolhurst might take it for his earliness.
The David Kirk Trophy- The Kiwi Appreciation Name
It’s been said by many that New Zealand should keep the Webb Ellis trophy after having won it three times, à la Brazil and the Jules Rimet. Whilst I wouldn’t go that far, one way to give credit to the Kiwis would be to name the trophy after one of their most iconic captains, the first ever World Cup winning captain, David Kirk. Then maybe they’ll stop complaining.
The Jonah Lomu Trophy- The Lomu Appreciation Name
Here’s to the most iconic Kiwi. The most iconic player in the history of rugby. When you think of rugby, you think of only one man. Jonah Lomu. How better a tribute, than to name the World Cup trophy after him. Lomu embodies everything there is to rugby: The joy, the power, the skill. Better than your favourite Victorian schoolboy I’d say.
Jonah Lomu scoring yet another 1995 Rugby World Cup try.(Photo by Mark Leech/Offside/Getty Images)
To end, I’d like to acknowledge that all of these names, bar the first one, are just named after people. I struggled to come up with names, that aren’t just The [insert player] Trophy. Wonder if anyone could think of any non-human names. Comical ones are very much welcomed. Thanks for reading.
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
The way it stands it is not "favouring" any particular team..fans from every team would come up with a different name... Just leave it as it is...
Hertryk
Roar Rookie
Just leave things as they are... why do people have to undo the past - history- Gee!
Tah Man Too
Roar Rookie
How about.. drum roll.. “the Rugby World Cup”. Says what it is on the tin
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Don't want to cancel it at all. I also never mentioned my "own" fairytale. I don't have one. Just asking the question if we should rename a simple trophy.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
Guess it would be a massive honour to rename the trophy in someone's name, even if it is the great Lomu. A Jonah Lomu Medal is probably more realistic.
whistleblower (retired)
Roar Rookie
The Rassie? .........and then use it as a commode
Dean
Roar Rookie
Strewth, that is some desperation. Wanting to cancel the name of the trophy because your fairy tale is better. :thumbdown:
WhoDis
Roar Rookie
The responses seem like a resounding no :) JL is my all time favourite player and it would be good to honour him. I think you’d have more support with renaming the RWC player of the tournament award to something like the Jonah Lomu Medal.
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
A well argued case.
sheek
Roar Guru
Joshua, As you attest, William Webb Ellis is a lie. I would rather have someone else, as opposed to anyone else, on the same of the cup. But of course, after two antipodeans came up with the eventual modern concept – Nick Shehadie & Dick Littlejohn – the Brits decided if we were going to have a rugby world cup, then they had to dominate it somehow. Hence William Webb Ellis. Did I say William Webb Ellis is a lie? If you like your most important world trophy named after an imposter, by all means stick with WWE. So who or what else? None of the names mentioned resonate. Lomu & Kirk are both worthy, but Lomu is too NZ-provincial & Kirk was an accidental captain. If the Brits want a genuinely historical figure on the cup, then I suggest William Wavell Wakefield. Wakefield was an aviator in WW1, & then captain courageous of the often conquering England team in the 1920s, playing in 31 tests. England won 4 grand slams during this time & shared another 5 Nations. Also one outright second & one shared second. He would have captained the Lions also had there been a tour in the 20s. By the time the tour to NZ & Australia happened in 1930, WWW was retired. Wakefield played mostly in the back row, exhibiting strength, weight, speed & intelligence. Wakefield is largely attributed with formalising forward positions, which previously, arranged themselves ad hoc on a first arrival at scrum, start at front-row, etc, system. On retirement, he continued to serve his club Leicester in administration, as well as serving as RFU president. He was knighted & later given a baronetcy, was a politician for many years & socially active in society. He is far more deserving than any of the others named here, because he achieved so much more outside of rugby as well as within rugby. Wakefield’s achievements were real, while Ellis’ were fake. Best of all, with both men sharing the first name William, the RWC can still be nicknamed Bill. You read it here first: the William Wavell Wakefield Rugby World Cup.
Brendan NH Fan
Roar Rookie
Naming any cup after a player because he was the biggest name is never a good idea. The reason the Webb Ellis works is it has no connection to any union but the history of the sport. For Football that is not possible as while FA football started in England forms of it were in many countries. As far as I know outside of Georgia there is not other history of anything unrelated to rugby (possibility Italy). Many people aged 40-60 will pick Lomu but was he a star off the field or on it. He did not attend the most WCs, he did not win it the most or even make it to the most finals. McCaw probably has greater claim than Lomu from an NZ presective. But why not Kolisi who has probably had a bigger impact on a WC and could well be a double winning captain. Stick with what it is or call it what it is which is the World Cup trophy. Once you get into players we will never agree. Lomu would probably not even be in the top 5 NZ players of all time if picked by people who new rugby but we then to pick what we have seen so in 20 years time they would want to change it to the Dupont trophy as no one will really remember an amateur player who would do poorly in today's game where big winners are par for the course. At 1.96m and 120kg he was a big player but plenty bigger stronger players are nullified these days.
Livale5
Roar Rookie
Well einstein how do you know it didn’t happen the way we are led to believe or is this just some assumption you’ve decided sounds right to you. Probably you’ll be calling for worldwide communism next.
Livale5
Roar Rookie
In certain parts of the UK we have a saying that goes like this- Do one. It basically means #*€# off. Is that clear enough for ya
JeffRo
Roar Pro
Change the name after every tournament, naming it after the winning team. So currently in France they would be playing for the "South Africa are champions cup"! Or out and out cash grab " Microsoft/Apple/Tesla cup.
Fred Fittler
Roar Rookie
And which nation did you play rugby for?... lol Whoever wrote this article must be sick lol... The late Jonah Lomu is a relative of mine. He himself if he was alive would say NO... leave it as it is... thats history "Webb Ellis"
graymatter
Roar Rookie
David Campese
Tom G
Roar Rookie
If the game keeps going the way it is, maybe change it to the Referees Cup
Joshua Makepeace
Roar Rookie
First captain to win the RWC. I'll be in honest in that I don't know tons and tons about rugby history, but surely that is some achievement. I pitched the ideas as suggestions, not saying I give them my full support.
Ben Pobjie
Expert
Yeah but like, how did you think of Kirk? When you think of rugby you only think of one man, so where’s this Kirk guy coming from?
Ben Pobjie
Expert
The answer to that is also no