The Rous Cup was a short-lived football competition in the late-1980s, contested between England, Scotland and, in later years, a guest team from South America.

Overview

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The Rous Cup arose from the ashes of the British Home Championship, which had been discontinued in 1984. Initially, the competition (which was named after Sir Stanley Rous, a former secretary of The Football Association and president of FIFA) was merely a replacement for the annual England v Scotland match that had been lost due to the end of the British Home Championship. Thus, the competition consisted of just one game between England and Scotland (with home advantage alternating annually) with the winner claiming the Cup. The competition was played in the early summer, normally just after the domestic season had finished.

After two years under this format, it was decided to invite a different South American team to compete each year to spice things up a bit and to fulfil England and Scotland's desire to regularly play 'stronger' teams (which was one of their reasons for leaving the British Home Championship). As there were now three teams competing, a league system, just like the one used in the British Home Championship, was introduced. Each team would play the other two once, receiving two points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, with goal difference (total goals scored minus total goals conceded) being used to differentiate between teams level on points. England and Scotland continued to play each other home and away in alternating years, but the guest South America team would play both their games away.

The Cup was discontinued, after just five years, in 1989. The annual England vs Scotland fixture was abandoned at this point and since then the oldest rivalry in world football has only been renewed when the two nations have been drawn together: in Euro 96 and in the qualification play-off for Euro 2000.

Results and winners

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1985

Scotland 1-0 England

Winners: Scotland

1986

England 2-1 Scotland

Winners: England

1987

Brazil were guests

England	1-1	Brazil
Scotland	0-0	England
Scotland	0-2	Brazil

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
Brazil	2	1	1	0	3	1	+2	3
England	2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
Scotland	2	0	1	1	0	2	-2	1

Winners: Brazil

1988

Colombia were guests

Scotland	0-0	Colombia
England	1-0	Scotland
England	1-1	Colombia

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
England	2	1	1	0	2	1	+1	3
Colombia	2	0	2	0	1	1	0	2
Scotland	2	0	1	1	0	1	-1	1

Winners: England

1989

Chile were guests

England	0-0	Chile
Scotland	0-2	England
Scotland	2-0	Chile

Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	Pts
England	2	1	1	0	2	0	+2	3
Scotland	2	1	0	1	2	2	0	2
Chile	2	0	1	1	0	2	-2	1

Winners: England

International national football competitions (defunct)