Cup revived for match

Tall tales of victory on the rugby field are set to continue with the brief revival of a beloved piece of silver.
    The Bob Scott Cup — a junior rugby, or colts, challenge held between 1966 and 1999 — returns to Molyneux Park this weekend for a one-off game between Alexandra and Upper Clutha.
    The cup’s namesake, Bob Scott, was secretary of the Vincent Rugby Football sub-union from 1958-66.
    He donated the cup, which was first played for in 1966.
    While some details of the cup’s history are sketchy, the general understanding is it was contested throughout the season with holder defending it on its home ground.
    At season’s end, if a team did not get a shot at the cup it could challenge the cup holder, with the winner named as challenge winner for the year.
    The competition was disbanded about 1993 with a one-off challenge issued — and won — by Alexandra in 1999.
    More than two decades on, a chat between two former Alexandra and Upper Clutha players over a ‘‘couple of beers’’ has led to the competition’s return.
    Alexandra man Peter Breen said there was only one colts team in Central Otago — the Upper Clutha team — which played in the Dunedin league.
    ‘‘So every second week they travel down there [to Dunedin]. I got to thinking they should challenge Alexandra for the Bob Scott Cup and I would put a team together.’’
    The Alexandra Rugby Football Club has only five colts players this season so the competition is running as a ‘‘State of Origin’’, allowing the clubs to call on colts players who may live outside the region.
    ‘‘It provides an opportunity for the younger players to come back and play for the club again, and have the opportunity to win a cup that they may not have otherwise . . . it creates some memories for the players also,’’ he said.
    ‘‘That’s what this is about — we’ve set our challenge and we’ll put a team together.’’
    The Bob Scott Cup will kick off at 2.45pm on Saturday at Molyneux Park.