Former Springbok loose forward Adriaan Richter has been trending in recent weeks after confirmation that he was looking to sell his 1995 Rugby World Cup winners’ medal.
Richter played in three matches during the Springboks’ run to lifting the Webb Ellis Cup in 1995 – against Romania, Canada and Samoa.
All told, Richter played 10 Tests for the Springboks, scoring four tries.
He was on the winning side on five times, lost four and drew one, for a win percentage of 50%.
FACTFILE
| Full names: Adriaanus Johannes Richter |
| Date of birth: 10 May 1966 |
| Place of birth: Roodepoort |
| School: Roodepoort |
| Springbok #580 |
| Physical: 1.95m, 99.8kg |
| Current age: 59 |
| Test summary: Tests: 10 Tries: 4 |
| First Test: 17 October 1992 – Flank against France at Stade de Gerland, Lyon |
| Last Test: 10 June 1995 – Reserve against Samoa at Ellis Park, Johannesburg |
Test career record
| Date | Opponent | Venue | Result |
| 17 Oct 1992 | France | Stade de Gerland, Lyon | Won 20-15 |
| 24 Oct 1992 | France | Parc des Princes, Paris | Lost 29-16 |
| 14 Nov 1992 | England | Twickenham, London | Lost 33-16 |
| 11 Jun 1994 | England | Newlands, Cape Town | Won 27-9 |
| 9 Jul 1994 | New Zealand | Carisbrook, Dunedin | Lost 22-14 |
| 23 Jul 1994 | New Zealand | Athletic Park, Wellington | Lost 13-9 |
| 6 Aug 1994 | New Zealand | Eden Park, Auckland | Draw 18-18 |
| 30 May 1995 | Romania | Newlands, Cape Town | Won 21-8 |
| 3 Jun 1995 | Canada | Boet Erasmus, Port Elizabeth | Won 20-0 |
| 10 Jun 1995 | Samoa | Ellis Park, Johannesburg | Won 42-14 |
On auction
The sale of a 1995 Rugby World Cup winners’ medal belonging to former Springbok loose forward Adriaan Richter has sparked widespread reaction, after the historic item was snapped up shortly after going on auction earlier this month.
Eagle-eyed observers noticed that Richter’s medal – awarded following South Africa’s World Cup triumph on home soil – had been listed for sale, with the auctioneer’s website indicating that it was sold on the first day for R62 500.
The medal’s description highlighted its historical significance, reading: “Very rare original Rugby World Cup 1995 winners medal, presented by Nelson Mandela to Adriaan Richter, large gold-gilded silver medal, .999 purity and 6.5cm in diameter with original ribbon and presentation case, inscribed to Adriaan Richter, who was a loose forward and member of the 1995 squad and also captain for the Romanian game in Cape Town.”
Financial hardship
Adriaan Richter also placed another item on auction – a bronzed metal and marble trophy depicting two rugby players contesting a ball – which sold for R34 000.
The former Springbok has now explained that the decision to sell the memorabilia was driven by financial hardship rather than choice.
“I definitely didn’t sell it because I wanted to. It’s just because we live in South Africa and I can’t find work. It’s not nice,” the 59-year-old told Rapport.
“I have children who would love to have it, but in the end we live in a completely different country. At my age, I can’t find work either. Nobody wants to hire me. It’s absolutely dire.”
Richter said the items represented the last of his valuable possessions.
“It’s my last personal belongings that I could sell. They were precious to me,” he said.
“I think I won six Krugerrands in my rugby career and I’ve already sold them. My car has already been sold. At one point, I even had to sell my rugby jerseys.”
Went into farming
Adriaan Richter was part of the Springbok squad that delivered South Africa’s unifying 1995 World Cup victory and also captained the side in their pool stage win over Romania.
After retiring from rugby, he went into farming near Nylstroom in Limpopo before selling the farm in 2006 and relocating to Witbank, where he took up a managerial role at Darajo Hire.
Since then, he has tried several avenues to earn a living, including financial broking and equipment rental businesses.
However, he believes opportunities have dried up due to age and race.
“These days, everything is race-oriented, and I just couldn’t get contracts anymore,” he said.
“You work for months and then you don’t get paid. What do you do then?
“You feel terrible when you can’t pay bills or have to ask the school for a discount.”
