Rugby legend Sir Gareth Edwards has put some of the most iconic jerseys from his glittering playing career up for auction.
Shirts worn by the former Wales captain, widely regarded as the greatest player in history, will go under the hammer in February, alongside those worn by some of his most memorable opponents.
Among the 14 jerseys worn by Sir Gareth is the one he adorned when scoring what many regard as the 'greatest try ever' for the Barbarians against the All Blacks at Cardiff Arms Park in 1973. That item alone is expected to fetch up to £200,000.
Other lots include the former Cardiff scrum-half's jersey from the unbeaten 1974 Lions tour, tracksuit tops from other tours and several match-worn Wales shirts. Some items, including President's XV jerseys from 1974 and 1977 and shirts from England/Wales combined XV matches from the same decade, are expected to go for anything between £400 to £2,500.
Fans of former BBC sports show Superstars might also be interested in Sir Gareth's t-shirts and vests from the British, European and International competitions being listed alongside his rugby memorabilia, and they could be yours for just a few hundred pounds.
It's not just the Wales legend's match-worn jerseys up for sale, however, with his collection of shirts also including those of some of the game's greatest players.
Legendary All Black Sir Colin Meads, former Wallabies star John Hipwell and Sir Gareth's old rival Sid Going are among the names who wore jerseys that are going under the hammer. Going's match-worn shirt from Wales v New Zealand in 1969 is set to fetch between £7,000 and 12,000.
Other big names featured in the collection are former Springboks scrum-half Dawie De Villiers, French star Jerome Gallion and Sir Gareth's Lions teammate Gerald Davies.
In total, the collection could be sold for much as £315,000, with this money benefiting a number of undisclosed charities.
Speaking at an event ahead of next month's auction, Sir Gareth said he wanted the shirts to go to a good home having given away jerseys to rugby clubs over the years and keeping others "neatly tucked away in cardboard boxes" in the snooker room in his house.
"I have so many memories in these shirts," he said. "But I had to think, where can I keep on putting them? I've given several away to all different kinds of clubs, most of them I have an affinity to or where people had been kind to me and supported me.
"When I look at all the jerseys here, I really appreciate that they're more than just pieces of cloth with an emblem. They represent a huge amount of memories of players I played alongside and of course players that I have played against.
"Lot of charities will benefit from the sale. But I think the other important thing is that these jerseys will have a good home and that whoever purchases them will look after them and share the memories that I had wearing them. Maybe in another 50 years or so we'll still be talking about the stories behind them, particularly the Barbarians shirt.
"Hopefully they'll still be talking about that moment in time when a broken down scrum-half made his way to the corner of Cardiff Arms Park and finished off a memorable move that we're still talking about today."
The items will go under the hammer on Friday, February 24, at Rogers Jones Auctioneers & Valuers in Penarth. The auction will be overseen by Ben Rogers Jones, the national valuer for Welsh antiques, Welsh art and sporting antiques.
He is internationally renowned in the industry for selling Dave Gallaher’s 1905 All Blacks jersey for a world record £180,000 in 2015. Among the other fascinating items he has sold from across the rugby world are former Wales captain Norman Gale's collection of international jerseys and an 1851 rugby rule book.
Mr Rogers Jones said he was "honoured" to be handling the sale and hopes to beat the amount he sold the Gallaher shirt for with Sir Gareth's jersey, which he described as "one of the most significant rugby jerseys won".
"That try still resonates with rugby lovers across the generations around the world," he said. "It is viewed as arguably the greatest score in the history of the game."
Mr Rogers Jones hopes the Barbarians jersey will remain in Wales after it is sold at auction, saying: "While we are thrilled to be able to handle the sale, as a passionate rugby fan I would love to see it put on public display in Wales to act as an inspiration for future generations of rugby players.
"We've been having discussion with institutions and consortiums across Wales trying to find a way to enter the bidding and keep this amazing piece of sporting memorabilia in Wales. It has already become an iconic and evocative piece of sporting memorabilia and would be an amazing centre-piece for either a rugby or broader Welsh sports museum."
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