The Six Nations will conclude on Super Saturday but Ireland and France face not receiving the real trophy
Six Nations organisers have revealed their impossible mission to allow French, Irish and Scottish rugby players to see a replica trophy as they ran out for their decisive matches, despite the trophy suffering fire damage. The historic championship trophy was irreparably damaged in a vehicle fire while being transported in Ireland.
Though nobody was hurt, the incident has taken the trophy out of the equation and either Ireland or France will be handed a replica while the new trophy will not be ready until 2027. The replica was displayed at the Arriva Stadium for Ireland’s 43-21 win over Scotland, it will be transported to France as they look to crown themselves as Six Nations champions with a win over England.
A message posted by BBC Sport from a tournament official described their plans as a “mission impossible endeavour” with the replica being transported between Dublin and Paris.
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Ireland will have to wait and see if Steve Borthwick’s side can pull off an almighty shock to Les Bleus and deny the defending champions.
A statement confirmed that should either France or Ireland win the famous Six Nations Championship. It read: “Whilst in transit during Round Three of the Guinness men’s Six Nations, an incident occurred involving the vehicle carrying the championship trophy.
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“Thankfully no passengers were injured, however the trophy sustained fire damage, and following an assessment by the official trophy manufacturer, unfortunately it cannot be restored to its full presentation standard.
“In keeping with these presentation standards, respect for the significance of winning the Six Nations – one of sport’s most prestigious titles – and to preserve the integrity of the trophy and its heritage, it will be retired from ceremonial use.”
Images showed the damage to the trophy, which looked charred from the vehicle fire. The organisers face a race to have the trophy ready in time for 2027 as the old piece of silverware, introduced in 2015, will be replaced.
It was brought in to commemorate the competition’s expansion to six teams with the 75cm crafted from sterling silver.
The eye-catching trophy quickly became one of rugby’s most iconic symbols. The detailed procedure will require approximately 365 hours of expert craftsmanship, with the hope that it will be revealed prior to the Championship next year.
Scotland’s defeat to Ireland meant that they were out of the title chase on “Super Sunday” as they failed to follow up their win over France that opened the Six Nations up.
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A draw with a four-point try bonus would be enough for Les Bleus, as well as a win of any kind.
For England, it is another catastrophic campaign after their disastrous build-up to the 2023 World Cup and the off-field uncertainty before the tour of New Zealand a year later.
But no Red Rose side has ever gone through a Six Nations campaign without picking a single win – something Borthwick’s side are staring down the barrel of.
