A historic Wallabies jersey from the first northern hemisphere tour in 1908 is set to go up for auction on Thursday. However, it seems to be a missed opportunity for Rugby Australia, as the jersey is the only one to have already attracted a bid at the time of writing. The 1908 Wallabies jersey has spent most of the past 50 years folded up in a wardrobe in Wales. It was collected by former Wales and Newport rugby player Charlie Pritchard and is part of an impressive collection being auctioned off by his great-grandchildren. The collection includes All Blacks’ and Springboks’ jerseys from their first northern tours, as well as a 1904 New South Wales jersey.
Despite plans to launch a new Australian Rugby Museum announced by Rugby Australia in 2021, it seems that the museum may now be on the back burner. The Roar understands that the museum’s board chair became too busy to commit to the project, and a museum remains possible in the future but low on the current priority list. The great-grandchildren of Charlie Pritchard have decided to auction off some of his impressive collection of jerseys, including the 1908 Wallabies jersey, after deciding that they should be held in a place where they can be appreciated by the public. They have remained in the family’s possession for the past fifty years and were previously displayed at the Twickenham museum.
The 1908 Wallabies jersey has already attracted a bid of 4600 GBP (or $A8800) and appears to be in great condition despite its age. As part of a collection that includes the All Blacks’ original tour 1905 jersey and the Springboks’ first tour jersey, the Wallabies jersey would have been a perfect fit for the planned Australian Rugby Museum. However, the decision to go ahead with the auction suggests that the jersey may find a new home elsewhere.