British Lions captain Sam Warburton raises £2,000 for cancer charity after donating his Tour kit


RUGBY star Sam Warburton raised more than £2,000 for cancer charity after donating his Lions kit – with only his flips flops left to sell.

Warburton gave away his kit and rugby mementos to a local charity shop in his home city.

Sam Warburton has raised £2,000 for a cancer charity after donating his British Lions kit
Sam Warburton has raised £2,000 for a cancer charity after donating his British Lions kit
Wales News Service
This young boy was delighted to get the bag used by Sam Warburton to pack his kit in
This young boy was delighted to get the bag used by Sam Warburton to pack his kit in
Wales News Service

And within just one hour the whole lot sold out raising an impressive £2056.50 for Tenovus cancer care.

The charity has now announced that a pair of flip flops are all that remains – and they are set to go on sale tomorrow (Sat).

Warburton, 28, who is patron of the charity, donated his prized British Lions kit as well as his Cardiff Blues kit to the shop in Rhiwbina, Cardiff.

The 28-year-old tweeted a picture of himself outside the shop, close to where he played his junior rugby.

“It’s that time of year again,” he wrote.

“Pop down to @tenovuscancer Rhiwbina for my @lionsofficial and @cardiff_blues kit! Ready from 4pm today!!”

The prize asset was the playing top worn by the British Lions legend
The prize asset was the playing top worn by the British Lions legend
Wales News Service
The staff at the Welsh charity shop had to be careful with the latest batch of clothing to sell
The staff at the Welsh charity shop had to be careful with the latest batch of clothing to sell
Wales News Service

The store then fielded questions from fans eager to get their hands of Warburton’s kit, and added on Twitter that Warburton was “an absolute legend”.

One Cardiff Blues fan Iain Hunt‏ said: “Not all hero’s wear capes, they wear the no.7.”

During the Lions tour of New Zealand each rugby player got 64 pieces of clothing and accessories – including 28 made-to-measure items of formal wear from Thomas Pink.

The full cost of the haul was reported to be around £2,500 per man, with the most expensive item a £595 velvet jacket.

The British Lions drew the Summer Tour with New Zealand after both teams one a game each, and drew the decider.

Unsurprisingly there was a fair bit of interest once the locals found out about the special items for sale
Unsurprisingly there was a fair bit of interest once the locals found out about the special items for sale
Wales News Service
This was the far from elaborate sign posted in the shop window ahead of the fire sale
This was the far from elaborate sign posted in the shop window ahead of the fire sale
Wales News Service
Kind-hearted Sam Warburton took his treasure trove of mementos to a cancer charity shop in his home city
Kind-hearted Sam Warburton took his treasure trove of mementos to a cancer charity shop in his home city
Wales News Service
Sam Warburton captained the British Lions to a Tour draw with New Zealand as the two teams shared the trophy
Sam Warburton captained the British Lions to a Tour draw with New Zealand as the two teams shared the trophy
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British and Irish Lions captain Sam Warburton thanks fans after a successful tour of New Zealand

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