Two framed Springbok jerseys autographed by 36 of South Africa’s national rugby captains are coming up for auction in aid of a charity providing palliative care for children with life-threatening illnesses.
The opening bid for each jersey is R150,000. The auction opens on March 5 and closes on May 25 on the Palliative Care for Children South Africa (PatchSA) website.
The auction is eight years in the making, PatchSA said.
“On receiving a donation of the official Springbok jerseys from the 2015 Rugby World Cup, the idea was conceived to have two of the jerseys signed exclusively by Springbok captains with the objective of creating two unique and sought-after memorabilia for philanthropic auction.”
The first signature was obtained in Pretoria in August 2016 and a full house of 36 signatures was achieved in London in August when Tommy Bedford, who is resident in the UK, added the final signature to the two jerseys.
The signatures represent all 34 living Springbok captains and two who have died.
In chronological order of having been appointed captain from 1960 to 2024, they are: Des van Jaarsveldt, Avril Malan, Dawie de Villiers, Tommy Bedford, Hannes Marais, Piet Greyling, Morné du Plessis, Theuns Stofberg, Wynand Claassen, Divan Serfontein, Naas Botha, Jannie Breedt, Francois Pienaar, Tiaan Strauss, Adriaan Richter, Gary Teichmann, Corné Krige, Rassie Erasmus, André Vos, Bob Skinstad, John Smit, Victor Matfield, Johann Muller, Jean de Villiers, Schalk Burger, Fourie du Preez, Adriaan Strauss, Warren Whiteley, Eben Etzebeth, Pieter-Steph du Toit, Siya Kolisi, Duane Vermeulen, Schalk Brits, Handré Pollard, Bongi Mbonambi and Salmaan Moerat.
PatchSA was launched in 2012 to mobilise and support a national sustainable network of roleplayers with a stake in ensuring the right of all children with life-limiting and life-threatening illnesses, as well as their families, to access the provision of a broad multidisciplinary spectrum of holistic palliative care, from diagnosis to bereavement. It is estimated that more than a million children in the country are afflicted with these diseases but only about 5% are able to access this care.
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