Rugby World Cup Kicks Off Friday: The Webb Ellis Cup Up Close 🏉

France 2023 opens September 8. The Webb Ellis Cup — 38cm of gilded silver — is one of the most photographed and least imitated trophies in world sport. Worth studying why.

Twin Handles and Pineapple Finial

The Webb Ellis Cup has two ornate vine-shaped handles and a small carved pineapple at the top — a Victorian touch that should look dated but somehow works. The lesson: ornament that ties the trophy to a specific historical era (Victorian, Edwardian, Mid-Century) reads as deliberate and earned, while generic 'modern' ornament reads as filler.

Engraving on the Underside, Not the Body

Winning nation names are engraved on the trophy's underside — invisible during display, discovered when the trophy is tilted. This deliberate hiding makes finding the engraving feel like a reward. For perpetual trophies you commission, hiding the engraving on a non-display surface preserves visual cleanliness and adds a discovered-detail moment for anyone who turns it over.