Former Springboks loose forward Adriaan Richter’s 1995 Rugby World Cup winner’s medal has been sold in a live auction in South Africa recently.
The gold medal, which is considered as a rare piece of South African sporting history, went under the hammer for ZAR R62,500 (c.GBP 2,770).
The Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers initially listed the medal with a starting bid of R30,000 (c.GBP 1,333) and an estimated value of between R40,000 (c.GBP 1,778) and R100,000 (c.GBP 4,444).
Medal presented by Nelson Mandela
It was presented to Richter by South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela after the Springboks, under the captaincy of Francois Pienaar, defeated their arch rivals the All Blacks 15-12 – after extra-time – in the final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.
The medal is described on the Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers’ website as a “very rare original Rugby World Cup 1995 winners’ medal”.
It is a large gold-gilded silver piece made from 999 purity silver, measuring 6.5cm in diameter. The medal consists of its original ribbon with presentation case and is inscribed to Richter.
It was the first time that the Springboks participated at a Rugby World Cup after they missed the previous two tournaments which were held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987 and England in 1991, due to Apartheid.
Richter, who is 59 years old, was not part of the Boks’ matchday squad in the final against the All Blacks in 1995 but made three appearances during that tournament.
Captained the Springboks at 1995 World Cup
He was part of the Boks’ broader squad at the global showpiece and captained them to a 21-8 win over Romania in Cape Town, before also starting at number eight in a 20-0 victory against Canada in Port Elizabeth.