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Jonah Lomu's shorts from the inaugural Super 12 final are up for sale
By Online Editors
If this week's Lotto winner is stuck on what to spend some of their winnings on, here's an idea.
The autographed pair of shorts which were worn and ripped off from legendary All Black Jonah Lomu in the inaugural Super 12 final, is being auctioned online for half-a-million dollars.
Lomu, who died aged 40 in 2015 from a heart attack associated with his kidney condition, scored one of six tries for the Blues in their 45-21 win over the Natal Sharks in the 1996 decider at Eden Park.
It was during the second half of that game that Lomu had his shorts torn off by Henry Honiball.
The shorts were flung over the sideline and reportedly snagged by a ball boy and then a commentator, before Lomu demanded them back.
Lomu instead gifted them to Starship Children's Health for the charity to auction.
A man, who was a student in Palmerston North at the time, snatched up the shorts for $4800, hoping they'd one day be worth much more.
The man is now set to list them on Trade Me for $500,000.
He said 50 per cent of proceeds would go to charity.
Speaking anonymously to Stuff, the Brisbane-based Kiwi said the current COVID-19 situation inspired him to create a "good news story".
"We need a bit of a dog on a surfboard story to pump up the tyres because morale is low," he told Stuff.
"I'm trying to separate the wheat from the chaff here ... I'm going to ask for $500,000. That's the start point, but I'm saying 'open to offers' and, look, whatever comes in will come in."
He said his dream is that a New Zealand celebrity will place a bid on the shorts.
The shorts have never been stored in his house and remain in a safety deposit box in a bank.
The auction is set to go live at midday today.
This article first appeared on nzherald.co.nz and is republished with permission.
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Latest Comments
My ‘fantasy’ team V Ireland,
Including options from ABXV if needed, as V Mun better V Ireland better prep than England.
The most important aspect V Ireland is AB need ALL their loosies AND 'loosie capable locks' on ALL match [except IF(?) any tiring ie the aging & slowing eg Cane]. As follows,
{starting} bench (3rd choice)
1 {De Groot} / Tu’ungafasi (Williams)
2 { anyone that can throw!! }/ Aumua (Brodie McAlister)
Ryan! coach lineouts & Aumua to throw!
3 {Lomax}/ Tosi (Newell )
Tosi immense strength V England
4,5 Locks { P.Tuipulotu, S.Barrett }, Vaa’i, Darry
( Isaia Walker-Leawere)
Vaa’i off V Eng. Assumed due to leg injury(?)
6,7,8 Loose forwards { Sititi, A.Savea, Cane } Vaa’i, S.Barrettm, P.Tuipulotu back up (Devan Flanders, Du'Plessis Kirifi )
9 {Roigard } Ratima ( TJ )
10 {D.McK} Perofeta ( Plummer)
12 {J.Barrett } ALB ( Q.Tupaea )
13 {Proctor} Ioane ( AJ Lam )
Ioane (off V England ) but Irish experience (NO not Sexton!)
14 { Tele’a} Reece (bkup W.Jordan )
11 {C.Clarke} Narawa (K.Naholo)
15 {W.Jordan} Love (Stevenson)
Go to commentsI guess the other option would be to start ALB, he's looked good in the 12 so far when he starts and sets up those outside him. But that would mean putting the vice captain on the bench, which is unlikely. Another option would be to drop Reiko to the bench and play Proctor, though he's gone home so that's not going to happen either.
Both of those players just offer more of the soft distribution skills good centres learn from playing their careers there. Unfortunately that's what's lacking with the current combo.
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