Former England rugby captain Lawrence Dallaglio has sold his 2003 Rugby World Cup winner's medal for £54,000 as he continues to deal with the financial fallout from his bankruptcy.
The Wasps legend raised a combined £100,500 from the sale of 12 items of memorabilia at Budds auction house in Wellington, Northamptonshire, on October 13, although 10 other pieces failed to sell.
Medal sale at auction
Dallaglio's winner's medal, which had been valued at between £50,000 and £80,000, was bought by an internet bidder, with the hammer price reaching the lower end of that estimate.
Other items sold included his 2003 Six Nations winner's medal for £7,500, his 2003-04 Champions Cup victory medal for £4,400 and his 2007 Rugby World Cup runners-up medal for £5,000.
Financial difficulties
The auction comes amid a difficult period for the former England No. 8, who was declared bankrupt last year following his divorce from his wife of almost 20 years, Alice.
Dallaglio was forced to sell the couple's former family home for £2.4million in May last year, having initially put the property on the market for £3.3million months earlier.
He was declared bankrupt the following day and ordered to hand over his share of the proceeds to help repay an overdrawn director's loan of more than £366,500.
Documents filed at Companies House had previously revealed that Dallaglio owed £423,570 in overdrawn director's loans to his now-defunct company, Lawrence Dallaglio Limited, alongside more than £60,000 to liquidators. Claims of around £350,000 had also been made by HM Revenue & Customs, with a further £61,000 claimed by two other creditors.
Bankruptcy terms extended
Earlier this year, the former England captain's bankruptcy terms were extended by a judge following an application by the joint trustee of his bankruptcy, with his discharge suspended.
Dallaglio confirmed the development at the time, saying: "This was agreed by mutual consent while I continue to work with my trustee in bankruptcy in dealing with my estate."
Speaking on Jake Humphrey's High Performance podcast earlier this year, Dallaglio opened up about the personal and financial challenges he has faced, including his divorce and bankruptcy.
"In the last couple of years, I've got divorced and as a result of getting divorced, I was made bankrupt, so I had some financial problems. I lost my father last year at the age of 91 as well. So, a bit like London buses, things have come definitely two or three at a time, but it's OK."
The former back-row forward also reflected on how he had responded to the setbacks in his life.
"Whenever I've have faced adversity or problems or setbacks or difficulties, whether they're personal or professional or a mixture of both, I think the first place to look is at yourself.
"I probably was guilty of withdrawing back into my little shell and going a little bit into hibernation. But I think for someone who says a lot all the time, it was probably no bad thing for me to just take what's happened on the chin a little bit and and sit back and reflect."
