The idea of a trophy has been around since almost the beginning of time, when ancient warriors would claim “tropaeum”—tokens of victory in battles and wars, most often weapons, ships, and even body parts. Later, the word evolved into the present day “trophy”, and came to be associated with the world of sports.
Many of these trophies are still coveted and in circulation today! Here are just a few of them:
1. America’s Cup
Years before the first modern Olympic Games, sailors gathered every year to race their yachts and hopefully win the Royal Yacht Squadron’s Trophy, which was later named “America’s Cup” after a yacht named America won it for the first time in 1851.
To this day, national yachting teams compete to win this honour. So far, the New York Yacht Club has been the most successful with a record of 25-1.
2. Claret Jug
The Claret Jug, or its official name, The Golf Champion Trophy, is awarded to the best scoring golfer of the Open Championship. The first Claret Jug was awarded back in 1872.
The current trophy is a remake of the original, but even so, it has been active since 1928. Presently, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews is home to the original.
3. The Wimbledon Trophy
The Wimbledon tennis tournament is one of the oldest sporting events in existence, dating back to 1877. Since 1887, a silver gilt cup engraved with “The All England Lawn Tennis Club Single Handed Champion of the World”, and topped with a fake pineapple.
The reason? Back when the tournament originated, pineapples were highly sought after fruit and signified a very elite status. After all those years pineapples have lost some of that reputation, but the one on top of the Wimbledon Trophy is still as coveted as ever before.
4. The Stanley Cup
One of the most iconic trophies in North America is none other than The Stanley Cup. The Stanley Cup has an even longer history than the league in which it’s awarded—the NHL. The cup was first awarded way back in 1892 to the amateur hockey champion of Canada. It wasn’t controlled by the NGL until 1947.
Some form of The Stanley cup has been passed on from champion to champion for 108 years, and every year the world’s best hockey players compete for a chance to hold it with their very hands and hoist it in the air as they skate around for the iconic victory lap.
