The aggregate score in the home and away ties decides the 1872 Champions each year and bonus points won within the URC league structure are disregarded.
"[4] Glasgow Warriors head coach Franco Smith said: "It's a very special derby that is world renowned.
"[5] The matches, often held over the Christmas and New Year holiday season, attract bumper attendances in larger stadia than the teams use habitually.
Not all Glasgow Warriors versus Edinburgh Rugby fixtures are deemed 1872 Cup matches.
The Cup was revived and rebranded by Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby as the 1872 Cup in season 2007–08, 1872 being the date of the oldest derby match in rugby union, between the Glasgow and Edinburgh amateur district sides on which the professional clubs were founded.
The aggregate score of Glasgow Warriors and Edinburgh Rugby in the fixtures is taken into account in deciding the winner.
With the introduction of the South African teams, the Cheetahs and the Southern Kings, and the new league format named the Pro14; Glasgow and Edinburgh were designated to different conferences, resulting in one meeting during the season.
The winner of the Cup will be the team that wins most matches, with the previous format of aggregate scores now being the first tie-break criteria.
The introduction of 4 more South African teams, the Bulls, Lions, Sharks and Stormers, and the new league format now renamed the United Rugby Championship; Glasgow and Edinburgh were designated the same conference, resulting in the traditional 2 league meetings during the season.