Sports play an important role in quite a few people's live and for those who compete in different sporting disciplines will dedicate time and effort to not just playing but also training to win a trophy. Today there are a wide variety of trophies and awards that teams and individuals would like the honour of winning and below we take a look at what we consider to be the top 10 sporting trophies or awards.
1. The FA Cup - This is one of the most prestigious trophies that teams who play in the English football league would like to be presented with. But it isn't just the teams that reach the final played at Wembley one of the most famous football grounds in the world in May each year who are excited so are their fans.
2. The Stanley Cup - All teams that compete in the USA NHL (National Hockey League) would like to be presented with this trophy. This is one of the largest trophies to be presented for a sporting competition these days and weighs a total of 34.5lbs (15.5kg) and stands at a height of 89.5 cm. The trophy will finally be presented to the team who wins the NHL Playoffs and in 2009 it was the Pittsburgh Pirates who achieved this. Their captain Sidney Crosby is the youngest captain to ever being presented with this trophy at the time he was 21 years old.
3. The Jules Rimet Trophy - It was originally known as the Coupe de Monde but in 1930 the world governing body of football FIFA chose to rename it after the chairman of the organization at the time. This newly named trophy was then presented to Uruguay after winning the final in 1930. However since the first presentation this trophy has been stolen twice the first time in 1966 prior to commencement of the World Football competition in England and then again in 1983. However as the trophy was not found following the second theft a replica was made and then presented to Brazil by FIFA as they had won the title for the third time in 1970.
4. Football World Cup - Following the Brazilian football team being presented with the Jules Rimet Trophy replica, FIFA chose to commission a new trophy. The first team to be presented with this new trophy was Germany who won the competition in 1974. There are five versions of this trophy and each weighs around 13lbs (6kg) as they have been crafted from 18 carat solid gold.
5. The European Cup - This is the most important trophy for football teams that play in the various leagues across Europe. As well as having to compete against teams from their own country they are also having to compete with others from across Europe. Following the first trophy being presented there have been several teams who because they have won the competition five times or three times in a row have been able to keep it. At present both AC Milan and Liverpool Football Club keep a copy of this trophy permanently in a cabinet at their ground.
6. America's Cup - Of all the trophies that we list here in our top 10 sporting trophies and awards list this is the oldest. It was first presented to the winning yacht team back in 1851 and although we have all heard of this trophy this is one sporting competition that many of us don't watch.
7. The Ryder Cup - For any professional golfer whether European or American being asked to play as a member of the team is an honour. The first game took place in 1927 and since then the competition has taken place another 37 times. This is actually one of the smallest trophies to be presented for a sporting competition and measures just 17" (high) by 9" (wide).
8. Wimbledon Men's Singles Trophy - This trophy for the sport of tennis was first presented back in 1887 and of all the trophies associated with this sport it is the one that most people around the world can recognize easily. Since the first time of it being presented players like Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer have had the honour of being presented with it more than once.
9. The Ashes - This is a trophy that involves just two teams namely the England and Australian cricket teams but is still a very important trophy to include in this list. Of all the trophies or awards that we look at in this list this one is the smallest. The team that wins the competition is presented with a small wooden urn which must be returned so it can be kept safe in the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) museum. To compensate for having to return the real trophy the winning team is also presented with a larger crystal version of it.
10. The Challenge Cup -This is the trophy that are involved in England's Rugby league are looking to have the honour of winning. Of all the top 10 sporting trophies or awards we list the team that wins this competition is allowed to retain the trophy until the final the following year. Currently the trophy resides in a cabinet at the ground of the Warrington Wolves who in 2009 at Wembley beat Huddersfield Giants.
