Bok sells World Cup winner’s medal
Former Springbok No 8 Adriaan Richter has revealed the painful circumstances that forced him to part with his 1995 World Cup winner’s medal.
Richter captained the Boks in the pool match against Romania, scoring two tries, and also grabbed a double against Canada. He came off the bench in the quarter-final against Samoa, but did not feature in the semi-final or final.
The 59-year-old told Rapport that the decision to sell his medal was driven purely by financial pressure.
“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.”
Richter said the reality of providing for his family had become overwhelming.
“I have children who would love to have it, but in the end we live in a completely different country,” he said. “At my age, I can’t find work either. Nobody wants to hire me. It’s absolutely dire.”
Richter’s medal and a miniature World Cup trophy were sold last week by The Old Johannesburg Warehouse Auctioneers for R62,500 and R34,000, respectively. The medal was presented to him by Nelson Mandela after the final.
“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.”
The emotional toll, he admitted, has been immense – particularly for his children.
“They’re only now really finding out who I am and what I achieved,” Richter said. “There’s not much left for them. Maybe a video here or a few photos, but nothing physical.
“You feel terrible when you can’t pay bills or have to ask the school for a discount.”
Reflecting on his post-rugby life, Richter said he had tried everything — from financial broking to farming and running equipment rentals — but believes opportunities 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?”
Photo: Gallo Images