A 1905 All Blacks shirt worn during the first Rugby Union test match to be held in New Zealand between the All Blacks and Australia – won 14-3 by the hosts – sold just below top estimate at £39,000 at Welsh saleroom Rogers Jones (18% buyer’s premium inc VAT) on March 1. Ben Rogers Jones from the auction house said: "The rugby jersey has returned to New Zealand and has been purchased by a consortium."
The wearer was full-back Hubert Sydney ‘Jum’ Turtill (1880-1918). He received just one All Blacks cap before switching to play rugby league for the NZ team dubbed ‘All Golds’. Born in London but raised in Christchurch, he later returned to Britain and played for St Helens rugby league club. He was killed in the First World War. The shirt came with associated items including Turtill’s All Blacks cap.
In October 2015 the New Zealand rugby shirt worn by captain Dave Gallaher on their 1905-06 British tour made £180,000 at Rogers Jones, an auction record. That tour was the first for a New Zealand rugby union team outside Australasia, to the British Isles, France and the US. For the first time the nickname ‘The All Blacks’ was used by the British Press. Read more about the original All Blacks shirt here.
Gordon Banks England shirt shown with vendor Dave Hollins – £4200 at Ewbank’s.
Meanwhile, at Surrey saleroom Ewbank’s (24% buyer’s premium) a day earlier, it was a football legend’s shirt in demand. Worn by England goalkeeper Gordon Banks, a 1966 World Cup winner, it sold for £4200 against an estimate of £2500-3500).
It came from the international match that Banks, who died on February 12 this year at the age of 81, played on October 12, 1963 – a British Championship fixture between Wales and England at Ninian Park, Cardiff.
The vendor was Dave Hollins, the Welsh keeper in the same match, with whom Banks swapped the shirt at the end of the game. Hollins played 11 times for Wales from 1962-66.
Read more about the history of the Gordon Banks consignment here.
