Hugely Rare 1950 British & I Lions Matchworn Jersey: The cla...

Hammer

£3,800

Hugely Rare 1950 British & I Lions Matchworn Jersey: The classic large scarlet match worn No. 27 (tour number) British & I Lions jersey of an iconic rugby figure: Rees Stephens, Welsh forward, captain, later selector and (like his father, also a captain of Wales), President of the WRU. This April marks the centenary of Rees' birth. Remarkably difficult to obtain, it is from the first Lions tour post WW2 to NZ and Australia, against whom Stephens played in both tests. He had suffered injury which kept him out of the All Black tests reckoning but made 13 appearances overall. This was the first tour when the Lions wore red jerseys, still with the 'all home unions' crest. Made in Scotland by Forsyth's, it has white stitched numbers to the reverse, bears his name to the label, and still has some faded game marks to the white collar (with full original buttons) and elsewhere. Stephens, of Neath, a skilled physical forward and noted leader, gained 32 Welsh caps from 1947-57. Comes with a splendid b/w mounted photograph of the young Rees in his Welsh Schools cap and jersey from 1935 and an attractive glazed caricature of him from 1947. A magnificent opportunity, unlikely to be quickly repeated. Excellent. From the British & Irish Lions Tour of Australasia 72 years ago in 1950, is remarkably rare. Such items rarely come to the market. It has impressively full provenance and is in fine condition.