All Blacks Rugby ball for sale

A piece of sporting memorabilia from one of the most talked about games in Welsh rugby is being put up for sale.

 

One of the three match balls from the day The Scarlets beat New Zealand in 1972 has been gathering dust on a sideboard. Now its owner Margaret Richards, who won it in a raffle after the game has decided to auction it off.

 

She is hoping the ball, signed by both sets of players, can be converted into a couple of thousand pounds.

 

Few expected The Scarlets to beat the All Blacks when they toured Britain, yet on 31 October 1972 they emerged 9-3 winners of what was a bruising, brutal encounter.

 

At the final whistle the Llanelli players were carried off the pitch by a sea of rejoicing fans and the celebrations continued late into the evening and it has been claimed that it was the day the town’s pubs ran dry.

 

Mrs Richards said: “We went to the game and they were selling raffle tickets, when I got home I had a telephone call to say I had won the ball. Everybody was so into rugby – I could not believe it.”

 

The ball had been kept safe over the years and although it would be shown to family and visitors, her children were not allowed to play with it.

 

“We talked about putting it in a cabinet for a long time but never got round to it. Apparently there were three match balls on the day, one went to Roy Bergiers who scored the one try and we thought the other had gone to the Scarlets but apparently they don’t have one.”

 

“I really don’t know how much it is worth but I think it should be on display. It’s such a waste just having it in the house.”