Weird trophies from around the world
A trophy is a great way to reward hard work and big wins!
In big sports, academic and professional events, a lot of time and effort goes into making exceptional trophies.
But sometimes, even the most prestigious trophies are a little strange…
Read below to find out everything you need to know about some of the weirdest trophies from around the world.
1.The Ashes Urn
Sport: Cricket
Competition: The Ashes
Most of us have heard of The Ashes. It’s a world-famous cricket competition after all.
But, have you ever wondered where the term “the Ashes” actually comes from?
It started in 1882 when Australia defeated the British cricket team in a test match.
An Australian satire newspaper poked fun at the event, listing a fake obituary for English cricket
Here's what it said...
“In Affectionate Remembrance
of
ENGLISH CRICKET,
which died at the Oval
on
29 August 1882,
Deeply lamented by a large circle of sorrowing
friends and acquaintances
R.I.P.
N.B.—The body will be cremated and the
ashes taken to Australia.”
After this, the term slowly caught on, and English cricketers created media hype by talking to the newspapers about their campaigns to return the ashes.
Eventually, an actual urn was created as a trophy, which was first presented in 1883 when Englan won the next test match.
The urn contains the ashes of a burnt cricket bail (the small sticks placed on top of the wicket to determine if the wicket is broken).
2.Paul Bunyan’s Axe
Sport: American College Football
Competition: Minnesota- Wisconsin Football Rivalry
Paul Bunyan’s Axe is a trophy awarded to the winning team of the college football conference rivalry between the Minnesota Golden Gophers and the Wisconsin Badgers.
Introduced in 1948, the axe was created to replace the original trophy, which was just as weird.
It was a slab of bacon that symbolised the winning team “bringing home the bacon”.
The winning team lives eternally through the axe. The team name, year of win and game score is recorded on the 6-foot long handle of the axe.
A new axe was created in 2000, and the original axe now lives in the College Football Hall of Fame.
It is a tradition that if the team who already holds the axe from the last tournament wins again, they run down the field and use it to chop down their opponents' goalposts!
If the team not currently holding the axe wins, they run down the field and steal the axe from their opposition.
3. A Giant Clam
Sport: Golf
Competition: Qatar Masters
The Qatar Masters golf trophy is very weird. Its official name is “the mother of Pearl Trophy”, and it’s meant to symbolise Qatar's history.
Before all the oil, their economy was largely built around in pearl diving and trading.
I mean, I guess a golf ball kind of looks like a pearl. But still, I would prefer a nicer looking trophy on my shelf if I was a golf pro.
4. Ion Tiriac Madrid Open Trophy
Sport: Tennis
Competition: Madrid Open
The trophy for the Madrid Open is weird in a good way.
It’s made of solid rose gold, and it’s design consists of 32 tennis rackets spiralling up the stem towards a tennis ball.
The tennis rackets are engraved with the names of tennis players who have won the most grand slams, and each one is encrusted with a diamond.
The Swiss designer designer, Roland Iten wanted to create a tennis trophy like no other. And he succeeded! It took him a whole year to create it.
5. Collier Trophy
Unlike the others in this list, this weird trophy isn’t a sports trophy.
It’s a yearly aviation award that’s presented to those who make great contributions towards improving the performance, efficiency and safety of air and spacecraft.
It’s awarded to aeronautics and astronautics professionals in the USA.
Created in 1911, It’s presented once a year, but lives at the U.S National Air and Space Museum. It was actually stolen once in 1978, but the thieves left it in a park, and it was found just over a day after it went missing.
The strange thing about this trophy is that considering it’s an aviation award, it’s design doesn't seem to have anything to do with aviation!
6. The Golden Boot
Sport: American College Football
Competition: Arkansas - LSU Football Rivalry
American college football has some really weird trophies.
The Arkansas Razorbacks and the LSU Tigers play a yearly tournament that’s known as the “Battle for the Golden Boot”.
Why? Because the victorious team literally wins a 24- karat golden boot.
First presented in 1996, its design comes from the fact that the states of Arkansas and Louisiana (the home states of each of the teams) look like a boot on a map.
Take a look for yourself.
7. Commissioner's Trophy
Sport: Baseball
Competition: Major League Baseball Championship
Presented each year by the Commissioner of Baseball to the world series winning MLB team, the commissioner's trophy isn’t your average trophy.
The original trophy was designed by A jewellers in Massachusetts, and it shows.
It looks more like a crown than a trophy.
First awarded in 1967, the trophy features 30 gold plated flags, representing all of the MLB teams, towering above a silver baseball, which symbolises the world.
8. Calcutta Cup
Sport: Rugby
Competition: England V Scotland Rugby
Awarded to the winning team of an annual England versus Scotland rugby match, this rugby trophy somehow doesn’t seem fitting at all.
Designed in an Indian style, it’s decorated with Cobras and an Elephant.
But why would an England V Scotland game have an Indian trophy? It’s a great story actually.
The original competition took place in Calcutta! If you didn’t already know, Calcutta is a city in India.
On Christmas day in 1872, 20 players representing England, and 20 players representing Scotland had a rugby match in Calcutta.
The game proved so popular it led to the birth of an Indian rugby club. Although, it wasn’t long before the club had to shut due to financial difficulties.
The Calcutta Club, keen to be remembered, withdrew their funds in silver rupees from the bank and melted them down to create the Calcutta cup.
It was gifted to the Rugby Football Union in England on the condition that it would be competed for annually.
9. CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores Trophy
Sport: Football
Competition: Copa Libertadores
How can a football trophy look like Shrek?
Awarded annually by CONMEBOL to the winning team of the Copa Libertadores, this is a trophy that only a mother could love.
10. Peter J. Cutino Award
Sport: Water Polo
Competition: Water Polo
In the sport of water polo, this weird trophy is one of the most highly regarded awards that a player can receive, even though It looks like some kind of monster from a horror film!
It’s awarded each year to the top male and female player in the North American National Collegiate Athletic Association
First presented in 1999, by America’s oldest athletics club, The Olympic Club of San Francisco, the original trophy is kept on display at the Olympic Club.
Winners of the trophy are presented with a replica to keep.
Which Trophy do you think is the Weirdest?
Why not head over to our novelty trophies section and browse our trophies. We’ve got a great range of funny and strange trophies that are sure to put a smile on your face.
