The 2016 Six Nations gets under way this weekend, England travelling to Edinburgh to tackle Scotland in Saturday’s 4.50pm Murrayfield kick-off.

But why do they play for the Calcutta Cup?

Calcutta (or Kolkata as it is now known) might be in India, but the Calcutta Cup has been contested between England and Scotland since 1879.

A gift from the Calcutta Football Club during the days of Empire, the trophy is made from the melted-down Rupees drawn out of their bank account when the club disbanded.

Indian weather made attempts to play rugby there a virtual impossibility, but their determination to ensure the name lived on led to them donating the trophy to England’s Rugby Football Union.

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Engraved with three King cobras on the handles, it has been won 69 times by England, 39 by Scotland and seen 14 drawn matches.

England are the current holders, having defeated the Scots 25-13 last March.

North East interest in Saturday evening’s game is in short supply, South Shields’ David Wilson and Stockton’s Geoff Parling having been left out of the England side.

Newcastle’s Paul Gustard and former Newcastle Falcons prop Ian Peel are both part of England’s new-look coaching team under Australian boss Eddie Jones, and Falcons prop Jon Welsh would almost certainly have been in the Scotland squad but for the dislocated toe which has ruled him out for the rest of the current season.