As part of its rebranding, the United Rugby Championship has revealed the new URC trophy, crafted by master silversmiths and trophy makers Thomas Lyte. Named “The Array”, this new icon of international club rugby will be presented to the league champions at the first URC Grand Final on June 18.
The incredibly unique piece of silverware is the result of a collaboration between design agency, Matter, and the outstanding craftsmanship of the team of master silversmiths at Thomas Lyte’s silver workshops in London, the makers of the Emirates FA Cup, and restorers of the William Webb Ellis Rugby World Cup and the Ryder Cup.
Thisaway, the agency that led the URC rebrand, steered the design brief for the new URC trophy for a contemporary re-style of a traditional cup that represents the boldness and diversity of the United Rugby Championship. Early in the process, the URC reached out to former coaches and players who had won the league to get their opinions about what makes a great trophy. The points of emphasis from those who had earn the silverware were: weight, size and the ability to drink from it.
The Array’s bold outline is created by joining together four U-shaped arms in a nod to the four regional Shields while also matching the URC’s arcing logo. This creates eight robust handles and invites the trophy to be held by a group so that the message of teamwork is placed at the heart of the on-field celebrations.
The materials and appearance of the trophy are a tribute to the blend of power and finesse that is witnessed on the field of play. The outer arms have a burnt, industrial quality that represent the physicality and raw power of the game while the highly polished silver and intricate detailing embodies the skill and precision required to create moments of rugby brilliance.
Etched on the arms of the new URC trophy are the logo designs created to represent the Irish, Welsh, South African and Scottish-Italian Shields while the word Champions is engraved in different languages. The Array is capped at the top by a crown which appears to levitate above the rim of the trophy and will have a bespoke design that changes each season.
Imaginative engineering also allows for coloured light to illuminate the centre of the U-shaped arms and up to the top of the new URC trophy to produce a glowing effect around the crown.
Finally, when the crown is removed it uncovers a central cup that allows the URC champions to indulge in one of sport’s most cherished traditions and truly enjoy the taste of victory.
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