A piece of rugby history is up for grabs, with a rare Jonah Lomu card - signed by the legend himself - going up for auction in the US.
Kiwi collector Bryn Probett has held onto the Card Crazy Authentics NPC Rugby Union Superstars card for nearly 30 years after picking it up in 1996.
The card features an image of Lomu from his early Counties Manukau days and has now been authenticated by Beckett Authentication Services.
The card is set to be auctioned off through Goldin - a sports and pop culture memorabilia.
Probett told NZ Herald he met Lomu during the 2015 Rugby World Cup - just weeks before Lomu’s death - and recalls the late and great All Black taking a long look at the card and reflecting on his career before signing it.
While not technically a rookie card, Probett says it comes from Lomu’s early playing years, making it a truly unique collector’s item.
“It’s basically a one-of-one card,” he told the outlet.
Lomu made history in 1994 as the youngest-ever All Black at just 19. Over the course of his career Lomu undeniably left his mark on the sport before passing away in November 2015 aged 40.
Although parting with the card isn’t easy, Probett explained the timing “feels appropriate”.
“All my friends told me to hold onto it as long as I could. I never really thought about selling it until now,” he said.
The auction has a starting reserve bid of $890 NZD ($500 USD), but similar Lomu memorabilia has previously gone for a whopping $14,000 NZD.
I’m sure there’d be a few Kiwis keen on owning this one and bringing it home to NZ.
Who’s got the cash?! You’ve got 25 days before the auction closes on the 9th of March.
