RUGBY UNION: World Cup memorabilia a 'good long-term investment' as Pienaar's shirt signed by Mandela tops £50,000

Both rugby fans and memorabilia collectors alike are desperate to get their hands on RWC2015 memorabilia ahead of the final between New Zealand and Australia at Twickenham on Saturday, according to Sports Memorabilia expert Gary Ashburn.

Highly desirable items from the match, which sees both teams vying for their third tournament victory, are expected to be lucrative long-term investments.

Former director of the Stanley Gibbons Group of collectibles companies, Gary said: “A brilliant example of the increased interest in rugby memorabilia is a Francois Pienaar South Africa shirt signed by Nelson Mandela, which sold for £8,500 in a specialist auction prior to his death in 2013.

"Due to the soaring global demand for rugby memorabilia, I would now estimate this shirt to be worth up to £50,000 - with the price rising six fold - which is clearly a very attractive return of investment for its owner. With the Final of Rugby World Cup 2015 shortly upon us, interest in historic items from the match are going to attract a significant level of attention from rugby fans and memorabilia collectors alike who will look at these items as long-term investments.”

An official RWC 2015 match ball from the historic New Zealand v Australia clash will be available for collectors to purchase on the official RWC 2015 auction & memorabilia website, as well as limited edition montage framed images celebrating the team’s success. Each of the participating 20 Rugby Unions are fully represented with exclusive items.

To get your hands on historic pieces of Rugby World Cup 2015 memorabilia, including signed match balls from the semi-finals, visit www.rwc2015auction.com