Women’s rugby continues to grow, and few trophies symbolise the transformation of the sport as evocatively as the Women’s Six Nations trophy designed and handcrafted by Thomas Lyte.
A Royal Warrant holder as silversmiths and goldsmiths to the Late Queen Elizabeth II, Thomas Lyte are world-renowned custom trophy designers and makers. They are also synonymous with global rugby’s most glittering prizes – not least the previous Women’s Six Nations Championship trophy, which was originally commissioned in 2008.
Rugby will always have its proud traditions, but the new Women’s Six Nations Championship trophy is an indication of its willingness to embrace change and face the future head-on. A bespoke commission, crafted over 250 painstaking hours in Thomas Lyte’s London Silversmithing workshop and standing 25 inches tall, the trophy incorporates both hallmarked silver and 24-carat gold plate. It was designed to reflect the challenger mindset of the tournament itself – a competition prepared to do things differently, and a tournament with change at its heart.
The most striking feature of the trophy is a distinctive design featuring six arms reaching upwards. The crest of each of the competing nations is engraved towards the top of the trophy.
Speaking of her pride at the trophy’s unveiling, Julie Paterson, Director of Rugby at Six Nations Rugby, said: “There is a collective ambition from everyone at Six Nations Rugby, alongside our Unions and Federations, to deliver sustainable growth of the women’s game, built on strong foundations, and play our part in raising the game for women’s sport in general.
“The 2023 Championship has once again shown that elite women’s rugby delivers high class sporting entertainment, and fans have responded with sell-out crowds, creating an incredible atmosphere at games, and by flooding social feeds to engage with the Championship, the teams, and their players.”
First founded in 1996, the Women’s Six Nation’s Championship has grown year-on-year. Originally beginning as a four-team tournament involving England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales, the competition expanded to incorporate France in 1998/99. In 2000/01, Spain were added to complete the Women’s Six Nation’s format which has continued ever since. In 2007, Italy were introduced to the tournament, with Spain dropping out.
England – the most prolific winners of the competition – were the first team to be awarded the new trophy after completing a record 17th Grand Slam in front of their home crowd.
In addition to designing and making this iconic new trophy, Thomas Lyte is proud to have designed and hand-crafted many of the sport’s other major prizes including the Men’s Six Nations trophy, the European Professional Club Rugby (EPCR) European Champions Cup and the EPCR Challenge Cup. Thomas Lyte also restores the Rugby World Cup’s Web Ellis trophy, the Rugby 7’s World Cup and the Women’s Rugby World Cup.
You can browse our full trophy gallery here.
Our team make the conceivable possible, while preserving traditional skills, pioneering modern methods, and promoting authentic British craft across the globe. Combining the latest technologies with centuries of knowledge, Thomas Lyte’s silver workshops in London, England house world-class facilities for an elite team of designers and makers, masters of their craft. Learn about 3D printing, electroforming and other new technologies that our team have introduced to our sustainable handcrafting process.
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Materials. Sterling silver + 24-carat gold plating
Workshop Processes. Planishing, Casting, Spinning, Filing, Sanding, Chasing, Polishing, and Engraving
Thomas Lyte are proud to be the entrusted designers and makers of the Women’s Six Nations trophy.
Take a glance at these fast facts about one of the most iconic trophies in Women’s Rugby.
