Rare Francois Pienaar shirt signed by Nelson Mandela valued at £50,000 as interest in rugby memorabilia rises

Historic moment: Mandela congratulates Pienaar after the 1995 Rugby World Cup final
JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images
Sam Long27 October 2015

A rare rugby shirt worn by former South Africa captain Francois Pienaar and signed by Nelson Mandela has been valued at £50,000 by a memorabilia expert.

The Springboks were crowned champions of the world in 1995 and their triumphant skipper was handed the Webb Ellis Trophy by the rainbow nation's first democratically elected president.

The image of the pair has become one of sport's most recognisable moments and interest in one of Pienaar's shirts - plus various other collectables - has been piqued ahead of Saturday's Rugby World Cup final between Australia and New Zealand.

The former flanker won 29 international caps for the Springboks - all of them as skipper - and Pienaar's jersey, which was signed by Mandela prior to his death two years ago, has increased in value significantly as fans and collectors alike become keen to claim a piece of history.

Mandela waves upon arriving at Ellis Parkfor the World Cup final in 1995 Picture: Getty
JEAN-PIERRE MULLER/AFP/Getty Images

“A brilliant example of the increased interest in rugby memorabilia is a Francois Pienaar South Africa shirt signed by Nelson Mandela, which sold for £8,500 in a specialist auction prior to his death in 2013.

"Due to the soaring global demand for rugby memorabilia, I would now estimate this shirt to be worth up to £50,000 - with the price rising six fold - which is clearly a very attractive return of investment for its owner.

"With the Final of Rugby World Cup 2015 shortly upon us, interest in historic items from the match are going to attract a significant level of attention from rugby fans and memorabilia collectors alike who will look at these items as long-term investments,” said Sports Memorabilia expert Gary Ashburn.

But it is not just items from previous tournaments that have attracted interest and a range of exclusive items for all 20 teams that competed in this year's tournament are available to purchase from the official Rugby World Cup 2015 memorabilia and auction website.

For a chance to get your hands on historic pieces of Rugby World Cup 2015 memorabilia, including signed match balls from the semi-finals, visit www.rwc2015auction.com.

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