triple crown (rugby union)

In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the national teams of England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. If any one team manages to beat the other three (which does not necessarily happen every season), they win the Triple Crown. The honour was most recently won by Wales as part of their Grand Slam win in 2005. As no trophy is awarded for winning the Triple Crown it is often called 'the invisible cup'. It is part of a larger tournament, the Six Nations Championship, which also involves France and Italy. A team that beats all five other teams in the Six Nations is said to have won the Grand Slam. The loser, i.e., the team with no wins or the lowest number of points, is said to have won the wooden spoon.

Triple Crown (Rugby Union)

See also