The URC Trophy: What You Don't Know

The BKT United Rugby Championship has been around for over three years and found a home with three different champions in that time, but ahead of the first Grand Final in the northern hemisphere it's worth taking a look at some of the hidden details you might not know about.

• The trophy's official name is 'The Array' however those who have been responsible for it have nick-named it 'Beastie'
• Weighing in at 20 kilograms the Array is the heaviest trophy in club rugby (20kg)
• It stands 68 cm tall (before it's placed on its stand)
• You'll need some strong arms, but you can absolutely get to enjoy the taste of success with it's 12 litre capacity that can hold around 25 pints of beer or 12 bottles of champagne!
• The trophy was crafted by Thomas Lyte of London, makers of the FA Cup
• Former winning coaches and players were consulted before design who said the trophy had to be: “Bloody big”, "Needs handles" and "You needed to be able to drink from it"
• Trophy body is silver-plated, hand-spun from a single metal sheet; arms were 3D printed and electroformed
• Named “The Array”, it features four U-shaped arms, each representing Wales, Scotland, Ireland, or South Africa
• Each arm is etched with a national shield and the word “Champions” in four languages
• Designed with eight handles for team celebrations, reflecting the URC’s team-first ethos
• Blue aluminum “crown” lid is engraved with the logo, removable for celebrations
• Trophy includes a watertight central chamber that lights up the lid from below, creating a glowing effect