LOT 15 1967 France | Christian Darrouy

International Rugby Union jersey match-worn by Christian Darrouy versus Wales

Jersey & Provenance

All white jersey in original and complete condition. Bears label for Allen Sports, Paris. Blue badge applied with braided and embroidered cockerel and FFR, black plastic No.11 as per the period.

Provenance: the personal collection of Sir Gareth Edwards CBE & family.

Christian Darrouy

Christian Darrouy (b.1937) was a long serving winger for France with 40 caps between 1957 and ’67 being one of the country’s best try hunters.

Wearing the French jersey, Darrouy amassed 69 points with an impressive 23 tries, 13 of which were scored in the seven Five Nations Tournaments in which he participated. Darrouy’s overall match win rate with France was a solid 62%. He was a Five Nations Tournament winner in ‘59 and in the year that he wore this jersey against Wales in 1967.

The Match

In that ’67 match France beat Wales 20-14 at Stade Olympique, Colombes, before dispensing of Ireland to be crowned champions.

The 1967 match against Wales was Sir Gareth Edwards’ first Wales cap at the age of 19. Darrouy was also awarded his first French cap at the age of 19 albeit ten years earlier. Darrouy was to bow out of international matches four games later, at the end of the season, playing against South Africa.

It was perhaps because of this symmetry and affinity that Darrouy was to gift Edwards his No.11 jersey after the match.

Sir Gareth Recalls

‘After the match Stuart Watkins swapped his shirt with Darrouy to allow me to keep my first Welsh shirt and have a French shirt from my first International’.

Estimate: £1500-2500