Sir Gareth Edwards' match-worn shirt fetches a record £240,000
Sir Gareth Edwards’ match-worn shirt in which he scored ‘the greatest try of all-time’ for Barbarians against the All Blacks in 1973 fetches a record £240,000 – becoming the most expensive item of rugby clothing ever sold at auction
- The shirt had been predicted to fetch £200,000 but exceeded that target
- Sir Gareth Edwards also put up several items from his glittering playing career
- Wales captain Ken Owens admits the last week has been a remarkable period
Sir Gareth Edwards’ match-worn Barbarians shirt from 1973 was sold at auction in Cardiff on Friday for a world record sum of £240,000.
The jersey of the former Wales and Lions scrum-half had been expected to surpass the previous record for a rugby item given it was the one he wore when scoring what is widely regarded as the best try in the sport’s history against New Zealand 50 years ago.
After going for £240,000, Edwards’ No 9 jersey passed Dave Gallaher’s 1905 All Blacks shirt as the most expensive item of rugby clothing ever sold at auction.
The identity of the new owner of Edwards’ shirt is not currently known but it was described as a ‘priceless piece of rugby memorabilia’ by Rogers Jones Auctioneers in Cardiff.
The Barbarians shirt was the main attraction of a huge lot of items from Edwards’ glittering playing career with Wales, the Lions and the Barbarians.
Sir Gareth Edwards auctioned off a collection of his match worn shirts, including the Barbarians jersey in which he scored a memorable try against New Zealand in 1973 (centre)
The Barbarian shirt Edwards is putting up for auction had an estimate of £150,000-200,000 but went for a record £240,000
‘It’s not sad, but it’s the end of an era. I don’t need physical things for the memories I’ve got. They’re all in the mind,’ Edwards told Sportsmail in January, when asked about the prospect of selling historic items from his playing career.
‘I’m not selling the shirts because I need any money. It will be for the benefit of my children and grandchildren. The money will benefit certain charities and the family.’
The previous record for a rugby shirt sold at auction was £180,000, fetched by Gallaher’s New Zealand shirt from the 1905-06 tour of the United Kingdom, France and the USA.
That was a one-off item, but Edwards’ remarkable collection is truly unique.
Alongside the Barbarians shirt, his Lions jersey from the famous tour of South Africa in 1974 was on offer.
It was estimated that Edwards’ 1973 Barbarians shirt will be sold for a sum in the region of £150,000 to £200,000, but went far beyond that target.
Ben Rogers Jones, from Rogers Jones, said back in January: ‘It’s hugely exciting. When you look at which rugby jersey could come close to Gallaher’s, it’s this one. It could exceed that price and that’s the expectation.
Edwards wore the iconic shirt when scoring the try considered the greatest in history
Edwards plays a pass during the match between the Barbarians and New Zealand in 1973
‘It’s a massive privilege to act on behalf of Gareth and his family. It’s a global market and we are living in a digital world. There are rugby collectors all over the world and this jersey reverberates all over the world. We could have bidders from all corners of the earth.
‘We are quietly confident about exceeding the Gallaher figure. There are collectors that are ready. The hope is that it can stay in Wales if possible. It would be fantastic for it to stay in Wales as it is a shirt worn by the greatest Welsh player.
‘My ideal is it is kept in Wales and in the public domain. There is no Welsh rugby fan who wouldn’t want that to happen.’
Edwards has two sons – Owen and Rhys – and they and their families will benefit from the auction sales. A percentage of the money will also be donated to charity.
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