RWC-winning skippers sign jersey for USRFF

February 2, 2007

Brian Vizard at the USRFF is listing a unique collectible jersey, and as always I am only too happy to give him some promotional support to a great cause. By all means check out the eBay link below, there's plenty more good reading at the actual listing.

US RUGBY FOUNDATION AUCTIONING COMMEMORATIVE JERSEY SIGNED BY ALL FIVE VICTORIOUS WORLD CUP CAPTAINS

A rugby jersey signed by all five of the Rugby World Cup winning captains is the latest jersey to be auctioned off by the United States Rugby Football Foundation.

Quarter-paneled in front, this jersey includes a black panel with an embroidered New Zealand flag along with 1987 Rugby World Cup winning All Blacks captain David Kirk’s autograph; a gold panel with an embroidered Australia flag with the signatures of 1991 RWC winning captain Nick Farr-Jones and 1999 World Cup winning skipper John Eales; a green panel with an embroidered South African flag and the autograph of 1995 winning World Cup Springbok captain Francois Pienaar; and a white panel with an embroidered England flag and the autograph of the 2003 RWC winning England captain Martin Johnson.

The jersey was donated to the Rugby Foundation by John Eales who wants to see the sport’s continued development around the world.

“For the continued growth of rugby as an international sport a key market is the USA,” said the Wallaby legend. “While rugby union has now been a professional sport for over 10 years, over 99% of rugby players are still amateur and this accounts for the entire grass roots junior development of the game worldwide. I thoroughly endorse the work that Brian Vizard and the team at the US Rugby Foundation are doing to promote the game at the development level in the USA.”

Photos of the jersey, along with brief accounts of the five Rugby World Cups to date and short bios about the winning captains can be found on eBay, item #180080753158. The bidding will conclude at 10:00 pm PST on Friday, February 9, 2007.

Visit the official USRFF website here.