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A bit much baggage on the other thread so here's a new one!
Start with the news re the Triple Crown:
'Triple Crown' is now a trophy
Friday, January 27, 2006
For the first time this season the winners of the Six Nations's Triple Crown will receive a trophy.
The Triple Crown is 'won' if one of the Home Nations (England, Scotland, Wales and Ireland) beats all the others during the course of a Six Nations (previously Five Nations) Championship.
But up until now it has been something of a mythic prize. However this season, in addition to the Six Nations trophy itself, a new silver dish will be on offer during a tournament which starts a week on Saturday when Ireland host Italy and world champions England entertain Six Nations title holders Wales.
"For such a long-running and much contested prize in rugby, it may seem quite surprising that no physical trophy for the Triple Crown has ever been adopted by the Home Unions," Six Nations chief executive John Feehan said on Wednesday.
"To now have something that is tangible and so impressive will add greatly to the already ultra-competitive environment of the Six Nations Championship."
Ireland captain Brian O'Driscoll added: "When we won the Triple Crown in 2004 for the first time in 19 years, it was a fantastic occasion and one of the most memorable days in my career so far, but to have been handed a trophy would have been the icing on the cake."
The trophy has been commissioned by Six Nations sponsors the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) who announced Wednesday they had agreed a four-year contract extension of their support for Europe's leading rugby union tournament.
RBS's new commitment will run up to, and include the 2009 competition.
AFP