Former Springboks loose forward Adriaan Richter’s 1995 Rugby World Cup winner’s medal has been sold in a live auction in South Africa recently.

The gold medal, which is considered as a rare piece of South African sporting history, went under the hammer for ZAR R62,500 (c.GBP 2,770).

The Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers initially listed the medal with a starting bid of R30,000 (c.GBP 1,333) and an estimated value of between R40,000 (c.GBP 1,778) and R100,000 (c.GBP 4,444).

Medal presented by Nelson Mandela

It was presented to Richter by South Africa’s former president Nelson Mandela after the Springboks, under the captaincy of Francois Pienaar, defeated their arch rivals the All Blacks 15-12 – after extra-time – in the final at Ellis Park in Johannesburg.

The medal is described on the Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers’ website as a “very rare original Rugby World Cup 1995 winners’ medal”.

It is a large gold-gilded silver piece made from 999 purity silver, measuring 6.5cm in diameter. The medal consists of its original ribbon with presentation case and is inscribed to Richter.

It was the first time that the Springboks participated at a Rugby World Cup after they missed the previous two tournaments which were held in New Zealand and Australia in 1987 and England in 1991, due to Apartheid.

Richter, who is 59 years old, was not part of the Boks’ matchday squad in the final against the All Blacks in 1995 but made three appearances during that tournament.

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Captained the Springboks at 1995 World Cup

He was part of the Boks’ broader squad at the global showpiece and captained them to a 21-8 win over Romania in Cape Town, before also starting at number eight in a 20-0 victory against Canada in Port Elizabeth.

Richter was rewarded with a brace of tries in each of the aforementioned Tests before coming on as a replacement in South Africa’s 42-14 quarter-final triumph over Samoa.

That was also his last of 10 Test appearances for the Boks after he made his debut for them against France in Lyon in 1992.

At provincial level, Richter initially represented Transvaal (the Lions) before he moved to Northern Transvaal (the Bulls) and went on to make more than 100 appearances for the Pretoria-based outfit.

Apart from Richter’s winner’s medal, a bronzed metal and marble Rugby World Cup winner’s trophy depicting two players contesting a high ball, which was another one of his prized possessions from the tournament, also went under the hammer.

It was presented to him in a fitted case and was estimated at R30,000 (c.GBP 1,333) to R60,000 (c.GBP 2,666).

It was eventually sold for R34,000 (c.GBP 1,511).

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