Fan frenzy pushes up memorabilia prizes
Highly desirable items from the tournament – which saw the New Zealand clinch their third World Cup title, having won the competition in 1987 and 2011 – are expected by to be lucrative long-term investments.
New Zealand collectibles have historically been of huge interest, with the jersey captain Dave Gallaher wore during the famous 1905 Test against Wales selling at an auction for a world record price of £180,000 last month.
The sale of the shirt beat the previous world record – a New Zealand shirt worn on their first tour of Britain which sold for £22,000 in May this year.
Other stand-out memorabilia include a cap from the first NZRU national team that sold for £7,500 in 2011 and a ball used during the 1924 'Invincibles' New Zealand tour, which sold for £2,400 in the same year.
New Zealand's emphatic World Cup victory has further added value to team memorabilia.
One item that is expect to be very popular for fans and collectors alike is a signed World Cup shirt featuring the players from the victorious All Black squad.
An item such as this would be very sought after and if placed in a specialist auction could sell for in excess of £50,000.
Fans and collectors can bid for highly desirable items, such as signed squad jerseys to commemorate the most memorable moments, like Japan's incredible win against semifinalists South Africa, or the scintillating performance by tournament winners New Zealand
A World Cup Final match ball has already attracted staggering bids – currently sitting at over £11,000.
All these items are available for collectors to purchase on the official World Cup auction and memorabilia website: www.rwc2015auction.com
