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Overview
This piece of white felt, embroidered with an image of a chained bear and ragged staff, was collected by David Gray during the 1924-25 All Blacks tour. Gray was a member of the official tour party, responsible for looking after the coin for the toss and the kiwi mascot that travelled with the team.
The bear and ragged staff design has long been associated with Warwickshire County. The All Blacks played the Warwickshire Rugby Football Union at Highfield Road on 11 December 1924, and New Zealand won the game 20-0.
The 1924-25 All Blacks team, which toured the United Kingdom, Ireland, France and Canada, won all 32 of its overseas games. Nicknamed ‘The Invincibles,’ the team scored 838 points and conceded only 116. It is still remembered as one of the greatest All Blacks sides of all time, and was inducted into the New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame in 1990.
References
- Ministry for Culture and Heritage. 2013. The 1924 Invincibles All Black team. https://nzhistory.govt.nz/media/photo/1924-invincibles-all-black-team
- New Zealand Sports Hall of Fame. All Blacks, 1924. Hall of Fame Inductees. https://www.nzhalloffame.co.nz/New-Zealand-Sports-Hall-of-Fame-Inductees/A/All-Blacks-1924
- Romano, Gail. 2015. A rugby legacy: The Originals and the Invincibles. Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. www.aucklandmuseum.com/discover/collections/topics/a-rugby-legacy-the-originals-and-the-invincibles