James Bevan Trophy unveiled in Sydney
James Bevan Trophy unveiled in Sydney
May 24, 2007 - 12:30pm
Story by: ARU
The James Bevan Trophy was today unveiled in Sydney by former rugby greats Gareth Davies and John Eales. Commissioned by International Business Wales, the Trophy will immortalise James Bevan, the Melbourne-born, Welsh-raised player who was captain of the inaugural Wales international side against England in 1881.
The new Trophy will be contested in the upcoming two-Test series between Australia and Wales, which kicks off this Saturday (26 May) at Telstra Stadium in Sydney. The Trophy will be awarded following the second match, at Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium on 2 June.
“We are pleased to see that such a beautiful Trophy will serve as the permanent reminder of an original great in Wales’ rugby history,” said Gareth Davies, Head of Australia and New Zealand, International Business Wales.
“James Bevan is a great example of a man that shared a close affinity with both Australia and Wales and as such this Trophy is a fitting reminder of both countries’ rugby history. International Business Wales is pleased to donate this Trophy as a gift to both nations who also share strong commercial ties.”
John Eales, former Australian Captain, said that both teams would be firing on all cylinders on Saturday night, eager to be the inaugural holders of the Trophy.
“I have had first-hand experience of playing against the Welsh side,” said John. “I know how passionate their players and fans are.”
“Both teams will want to win this Trophy, especially leading into the World Cup later this year where Wales and Australia will meet once again.”
Guidelines for how the Trophy will be awarded were also announced today. The James Bevan Trophy will be based on a similar system to the Bledisloe Cup. Based on these guidelines, it has been agreed that Wales start off as holders of the trophy, due to the most recent matches between the two sides ending in a win for Wales (November 2005) and a draw (November 2006).
About the James Bevan Trophy
Size of the piece is 430mm Diameter and the materials are a mixture with the Logos cast in solid sterling silver set on engravers brass that will be silver plated once engraved. The two dishes are silver plated with the outer plate spun from engravers brass to enable crisp engraving of the winners’ names. The silver is from Australian Mines. It weighs approximately 4KG.
The James Bevan Trophy was made by Flynn Silver, Victoria.
About International Business Wales
Formerly known as the Welsh Development Agency, International Business Wales (IBW) has helped nearly 500 international companies base their operations in Wales. IBW is Europe’s most successful economic development body and has a global network of 23 offices, including one in Sydney
