Will Kirk was left speechless on The Repair Shop after a guest revealed she had accidentally ruined a historic rugby jersey by putting it in the washing machine.
Lloyd Richards arrived at the barn with his wife, Karen, carrying a sports shirt that had belonged to his late father, Bryan Richards. Lloyd explained that his greatest regret was never seeing his father play.
Bryan began his career at Neath Rugby Club before moving to Swansea, where he became captain. He also earned Barbarian honours and won his only Welsh cap against France in 1960, playing as a fly-half—the last Welsh international to wear the number six jersey.
Washing Machine Mishap
Lloyd revealed his father had died in 2023 at the age of 91. Karen then admitted that before having the shirt framed, she had washed it, forgetting it was from the 1960s. The colour ran from the main body to the collar, and she tried to fix it herself using bleach.
Will was visibly shocked, asking, "This is actually you?" Karen became emotional, saying she felt "mortified" and carried "incredible guilt" over the mistake.
Successful Restoration
Textile conservator Rebecca Bissonnet managed to restore the jersey, returning the vibrancy of the red. When the couple returned, Karen broke down in tears, describing the work as "amazing."
The Repair Shop is available to watch on BBC iPlayer.
