The London Cup

The origins of the London Cup can be traced back to 1941, when New Zealand staff were invited to contribute to a food parcel fund for people working at the London branch of the Bank during the Second World War. Incessant bombing, food rations and other hardships were making life very uncomfortable in central London at the time. 

In 1951, London staff returned the favour by presenting five trophies to the New Zealand staff – one for each region of the country. An additional trophy was given to Auckland region in 1968. In each of the Bank’s regions, branches have the chance to compete for the London Cup. Usually a sporting challenge, decided regionally, determines the cup winner.

Today, the cups continue to be contested for. As the tradition has grown, so too have the cups themselves. Tiers have been attached to create additional space for the names of each year's winner.