All Blacks Jersey Donated to Charity After Fan’s Plea
A historic All Blacks jersey, signed by the Barrett brothers, is set to be auctioned off to benefit UpsideDowns Education Trust, following a heartfelt request from a young fan. The donation comes as the charity prepares for its annual Share the Dream gala dinner this Saturday at Eden Park.
The Barrett brothers – Beauden, scott, and Jordaan – are long-time patrons of UpsideDowns, a cause especially meaningful to their family as their sister, Zara, was born with Trisomy-21. Their mother, Robyn Barrett, described the family as “passionate supporters” of the trust, highlighting the critical role of early speech therapy intervention. “Back in the day, most schools had a speech language therapist based full-time at school,” she said. “That is not the case anymore so sadly many children…miss out on the support they need.”
The signed jersey is among a range of auction items, including Ed Sheeran concert tickets, a Queenstown holiday, a five-night stay in Rarotonga, a signed gael Monfils shirt from the US open (donated by ASB classic organisers), autographed Warriors and black Ferns kit, a VIP experience at the upcoming Bledisloe Cup test, and a chance to attend an Auckland FC training session.
Auckland FC chief executive Nick Becker affirmed the club’s support for UpsideDowns Education Trust, stating, “We hope everybody has a wonderful evening.”
Tickets and further facts about the gala dinner, whose principal sponsors are Ray White and Eden Park, are available at https://www.upsidedowns.co.nz/share-the-dream-2025.