Brian Lochore’s jersey sells for stg1000

                                                         Media release – May 13, 2009

 
1967 All Blacks captain Brian Lochore’s jersey sell for stg1000 at auction in London
 
The 1967 All Blacks captain Brian Lochore’s jersey sold for stg1000 at auction in London early today.

The famous jersey was bought by TVNZ’s European Correspondent Mark Crysell who was filmed buying the shirt at the auction conducted by Sotheby's associate auctioneer for sporting memorabilia, Graham Budd.

Crysell also bought a silver fern blazer badge and a player-issue black and white scarf in the lot with the Lochore jersey. He also received the Irish touch flag for stg300. The All Blacks – Ireland match was called off and never played because of a foot and mouth scare in the country at the time.

A lot of other 1967 tour memorabilia including a file of official photographs, original press photographs, luncheon and dinner menus (some bearing autographs), match programmes and tickets, souvenir newspapers and a folio of press cuttings; and two books on the All Black tours of 1963-64 and 1967 sold for stg600 and was bought by a private NZ collector.

The England v NZ programme from the 1924 Invincibles tour sold under the hammer for £500 at Sotheby’s New Bond St sale room in Mayfair.

The All Blacks items had belonged to Richard Walker, who was the team’s luggage and kit manager.

Walker, now just 62, from Shorne, near Gravesend in Kent, said he clearly remembers much of that day in the win over Scotland after Meads was ordered off.

``One of my lasting memories of the ABs was when Colin Meads was sent off in Scotland, and to see such a player reduced to tears over the incident was very moving and spoke volumes of the great man. He always had a back massage from me prior to each match, and that was very special,’’ Walker said.

``My personal memories on that tour include being driven, on my own, from the south of France to the north with the baggage in a van. Unfortunately the van driver didn't speak any English and I was unable to speak French - a very boring journey. At the border between Spain and France at Biarritz, I was hauled over to border control for taking photos, when we were supposed not to, and was nearly arrested, much to amusement of the All Blacks.

``I was given Brian's jersey at the end of the tour together with other shirts - I can’t remember the details. After the tour I was also baggage master  on the Wallabies tour of Britain in 1967, but after that I had to leave cricket professionally and get a full time job as my father died in May 1968.’’

Walker had been on the Lord's Ground Staff at the time the RFU were looking for someone new to act as baggage master for the tour, and as  the secretary of the MCC and the secretary of the RFU, John Tallent,  were friendly, it was thought that a cricketer needing winter work would be the ideal candidate. Walker applied and was chosen for the job.

He got to know all the players very well, and from Day One they treated him as one of their own, and they have him the nickname of Rocket.

``I joined in with some of their training runs, which was quite a challenge!  Unfortunately I have not kept in contact with any of them, although I have followed some of their careers with interest. To be connected with such a fabulous side was a great honour and experience for me. They won every single game except the final one versus the Barbarians, and this was due to the fantastic skill and talent of each team member and the absolute dedication of the side.

``Everywhere we went their behaviour was always impeccable, and UK fans idolised them.  They were particularly disappointed not to be able to go to Ireland owing to the foot and mouth situation, as they felt the match would have been one of their hardest games. Another incident was the dock strike at the time, which held up the gear at the docks, but this was remedied in time for the first international.’’

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