A COLLECTION of rare rugby memorabilia from one of Scotland’s most famous clubs has fetched over £26,000 at auction.
Hawick RFC sold match-worn international jerseys, caps, and other items dating back over 130 years of rugby history.
The rare memorabilia had been on display at the Borders club until they were put into storage following a flood.
They went under the hammer in Rogers Jones Auctioneers’ “Club House Auction” in Cardiff, where they attracted interest from across the globe.
The sale made a total of £26,200 including buyers premiums, with profits now going directly back into supporting the club, which has been a cornerstone of Borders history since 1873.
Among the highlights were the first and last Scotland jerseys worn by one of the nation’s greatest ever players.
The jerseys bookended Hawick prop forward Hugh McLeod’s eight year international career from his debut against France in 1954 to his record-breaking 40th consecutive and final cap against England in 1962.
Known to teammates as the Hawick Hardman, McLeod has been described as “one of the greatest players ever to wear the green of Hawick, the dark blue of Scotland and the red shirt of the British & Irish Lions”.
The rare pair of jerseys — McLeod retired from international rugby after 40 caps, saying it was “a good round number” – fetched nearly £1000 each.
The leading lot was a New Zealand jersey worn by prop Kevin Skinner – one of the great front-row players of his era – who swapped with McLeod after the tourists’ 3-0 victory over Scotland at Murrayfield in 1954, which made £3150.
One of the most poignant lots was the Romania jersey worn by Florică Murariu, one of Romania’s greatest players, swapped with Hawick RFC flanker Sean McGaughey following the famous 28 – 22 victory over the Scotland Grand Slam side in Bucharest in 1984.
Murariu, a 69-cap international, tragically died among seven other players during the Romanian Revolution later that year. His jersey fetched £340.
Other highlights included a 1957 – 58 Wallaby tour jersey worn by Sir Nicholas Shehadie, sold for £2750. One of the all-time greats, Shehadie later became the President of the Australian Rugby Union and co-founder of the Rugby World Cup.
The sale also featured historic international caps dating back to the early days of international rugby and match balls from British & Irish Lions tours, including a ball signed by the Springboks who faced the 1924 Lions in South Africa, and a 1980 British & Irish Lions autographed ball.
Ben Rogers Jones, Auctioneer, Valuer and Partner at Rogers Jones Auctioneers, said: “The lots in the Clubhouse Auction read like a history of rugby itself – each item telling the story of the sport’s legacy in Scotland and around the world.
“Bids came in from across the UK and overseas, with fans of local legends like Hugh McLeod and international heroes like Florică Murariu eager to secure a piece of rugby history.
“It’s fantastic to see that passion for the sport remains as strong as ever.”
Hawick RFC Past President Ian Landles said: “We have had valuable memorabilia languishing unseen in our attic in conditions which will inevitably lead to deterioration, and we felt it was high time we did something about it.
“The sale at Rogers Jones’ Clubhouse auction will provide vital support to our club. The funds raised will go directly back into improving the club and preserving it as a valued community asset.”
