A piece of rugby history will be on show in Alexandra during Queen's Birthday Saturday as ‘Country Day’ on Saturday June 5 at Molyneux Park.

Several hundred players, volunteers and supporters will be part of the annual Otago Country Rugby Day, which this year will be hosted by the Alexandra Rugby Club and sponsored by RD Petroleum. 

Those attending can expect a full programme of rugby that will involve a variety of grades and games.

Topp Cup

Following curtain raisers, the Central Region Premier team plays the Southern Region Premiers for the Topp Cup, which was first presented to the sport in 1913 and played for most years since then, apart from during the war years and 2020 due to Covid disruption.

Central holds the Topp Cup, which it won last time it was played for in Lawrence 18 to 15.

 In July 1912 the Tuapeka sub union resolved to accept the offer of a silver cup to be played for in the Country competition. 

The cup was donated by Mr Alex Topp, proprietor of the Grand hotel in Roxburgh, which is where it got its name.

According to Otago Rugby Football Union, the cup was played for, and at, Tuapeka (Roxburgh), Vincent, Maniototo, South Tuapek (Lawrence) and Tapanui.

The first challenge for the Topp cup was held in Roxburgh between Tuapeka and Tapanui (Eastern) on August 30, 1913. Tuapeka won 26 - 0.

There is a huge gap on the cup with no holders registered between 1931 and 1947. 

Games were played but no winners recorded. This gap may be part of the reason the history of the cup was confused. 

That confusion was compounded as the Jopp family were heavily involved with rugby and cricket in Otago Country and the story grew that the Topp Cup was donated by Andrew Jopp and a “mistake” at the engravers led to it being the Topp Cup. 

This was the believed history as the Country board prepared for the centennial of the cup in 2013.

After an article in a newspaper outlined the understood history of the cup, Ray Goodall, of Clyde, did some research of his own. 

He uncovered minutes from the Tuapeka sub union and articles from the Mt Benger Mail that showed the true origin of the “Topp Cup”.

We may never know what happened. It is highly likely there was a “Jopp” Cup for rugby or cricket and the different cups got confused over the years.

Previous results:

2008: Central - 9 : 6 

2009: Southern - 29 : 6

2010: Southern - 16 : 9

2011: Southern - 34 : 5

2012: Draw - 18 : 18

2013: Southern - 38 : 12

2014: Southern - 31 : 22

2015: Central - 30 : 8

2016: Southern - 37 : 24

2017: Central-  36 : 24

2018: Central - 29 : 24

2019:  Central - 18 : 15

2020:  Covid-19 - Not played

Otago Country Day schedule (Saturday June 5, Molyneux Park):

10am: Junior Club Rugby 

11am: Secondary School Girls –OC Kawarau vs OC Clutha 

12:45pm: Central Development vs Southern Development 

2:30pm: Central Premiers vs Southern Premiers – Topp Cup Challenge 

For those who cannot attend the event, live coverage including match results and updates can be found on the “Central Otago Rugby” and “Southern Region Rugby” Facebook pages.