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A rare Jonah Lomu rugby card signed by the legendary player, and owned by a Kiwi collector who has held it for nearly 30 years, is up for auction in the United States.
Authenticated by Beckett Authentication Services, the autographed card is being auctioned by American sports memorabiliaauction house Goldin, which has featured in the Netflix series, King of Collectibles.
Collector Bryn Probett acquired it as a teenager in 1996 and later met Lomu during the 2015 Rugby World Cup.
“It’s basically a one-of-one card. It’s from his Counties days, which was nearly his rookie time. While it’s not a rookie card, it’s from that same era - about two years into his start,” he said.
The rare, signed Jomah Lomu card has been listed by the sports memorabilia auction house Goldin for US$500. Image / Supplied
Luck brought Probett the chance to have Lomu sign the card before the Rugby World Cup final, when he won a trip on the Jono and Ben show and sponsored by Heineken.
“That was awesome. He signed it just before kickoff of the grand final between the All Blacks and Australia. I got to hang out with him for about three hours before kickoff.”
“He held it, signed it, and looked at it for about five to 10 minutes, obviously reflecting on what he’d done over the years.”
Widely regarded as one of the greatest rugby players of all time, Lomu became the youngest All Black in New Zealand’s history at 19 in 1994.
He gained international fame for his dominant performances in the 1995 Rugby World Cup, scoring seven tries.
He was recognised as rugby’s first global superstar, known for his incredible power and speed, as well as his philanthropic nature.
His rise coincided with the professionalisation of rugby union, making him the sport’s biggest draw during his career.
Lomu passed away in 2015 at the age of 40, just two weeks after watching New Zealand win the Rugby World Cup.
Card collector Bryn Probett met Lomu at the 2015 Rugby World Cup, where he had him sign the rare item. Photo / Supplied
Probett said there was a lot of sentimental value with the card, but the time to sell it felt 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.
“It’s coming up to 10 years since his passing, and there’s this documentary about him coming out this year.”
The card is part of Goldin’s elite auctions for February, with an opening reserve of US$500.
“That’s the same as a Michael Jordan rookie card, signed. It’s in the same calibre as all the GOAT’s (Greatest of All Time).”
Probett said this was the first signed Jonah Lomu card listed on their auction webpage, though an All Blacks card featuring Lomu had previouslly sold for around US$8000.
