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Cape Town - The jersey worn by captain Francois Pienaar when the Springboks won the 1995 Rugby World Cup final is believed to be worth about R1m.
According to the Evening Standard website, Pienaar's jersey - which was also signed by the late Nelson Mandela - has increased in value significantly as fans and collectors alike look to claim a piece of history.
According to Sports Memorabilia expert Gary Ashburn, the jersey is now worth a fortune.
“A brilliant example of the increased interest in rugby memorabilia is a Francois Pienaar South Africa shirt signed by Nelson Mandela, which sold for £8 500 (R170 000) in a specialist auction prior to his death in 2013.
"Due to the soaring global demand for rugby memorabilia, I would now estimate this shirt to be worth up to £50 000 (about R1m) - with the price rising six fold - which is clearly a very attractive return of investment for its owner.”
According to Ashburn, interest in historic items from Saturday’s final between New Zealand and Australia are also going to attract a significant level of attention from rugby fans and memorabilia collectors.
Pienaar led the Boks to a 15-12 win over the All Blacks in the 1995 World Cup final.
Mandela, also wearing a No 6 Springbok shirt, was present to hand Pienaar the Webb Ellis Cup after the match in what would become one of sport’s iconic moments.
