Siam Cup
| Siam Cup | |
|---|---|
| Sport | Rugby union |
| Instituted | 1920 |
| Number of teams | 2 |
| Country |
 Jersey and  Guernsey
|
| Holders |
Jersey
|
The Siam Cup is an annual rugby union competition held between the Channel Islands clubs of Jersey Reds and Guernsey RFC. It was first contested in 1920. The trophy awarded its winner is one of the oldest rugby honour contested after the United Hospitals Cup and the Calcutta Cup.
The trophy is made from Siamese silver and decorated in Siamese style, the winning island's name engraved on an ebony base. It was created after an idea from British students serving in the Siam Constabulary for an inter-island rugby union competition.
The trophy is made from coinage of Siam ticals and required the permission of King Rama VI to melt the coins down. The King not only permitted it, he had the trophy created within the Royal Crown Silversmith.
The trophy was then taken to Guernsey by Lt. Col. Forty but was not presented until 1935. During the German occupation of the Channel Islands by Nazi Germany in the Second World War, the trophy was hidden in an unknown place to prevent it being melted down by the Nazis; it reappeared in 1947.
By the 1970s the trophy started to deteriorate from age and a replica was commissioned. The original was handed to the Rugby Football Union in 1977 where it is placed on display at the World Rugby Museum at Twickenham Stadium in London, England.
The competition has been contested annually since 1920, each island hosting it every other year. The only breaks in competition were due to the Second World War.
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