Historical fix? New trophy for century-old rugby series

By DENNIS PASSA
AP Sports Writer

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — When England and Australia play a three-match rugby series in July, they’ll do so for a new trophy part-named after an iconic Indigenous player from Australia. More significantly it will replace another piece of silverware that never sat well with the country’s Indigenous people. Rugby Australia has announced that the Ella-Mobbs Cup, named after Mark Ella and Edgar Mobbs, will replace the Cook Cup, which had been the trophy the teams played for since 1997. The Cook Cup was named after Captain James Cook due to his connection to both countries after navigating the coastline of Australia in 1770 for Britain. But for many Indigenous communities in Australia, Cook symbolized displacement.