O'Connor's boots made for auction
NICK TAYLOR, The West Australian
January 19, 2011, 3:05 am
The West Australian ©
They are a pair of boots that helped their owner carve his name in Wallaby folklore.
They were worn by the Western Force's young star James O'Connor when he scored the remarkable after-the-siren try to level the scores and then calmly convert from wide out to win last year's Bledisloe Cup Test in Hong Kong.
The 26-24 win ended a 10-match losing streak to the All Blacks.
Now the size 11s are raising money for the Queensland Premier's flood relief appeal.
O'Connor has signed the boots and put them up for auction on ebay, item number 160534087617.
O'Connor, who attended Brisbane's Nudgee College and whose family live on the Gold Coast, has many friends who lost homes and possessions in the disaster.
"Queensland's very close to my heart," he said. "It's not been a good time for many of my good friends and mates and their families. One house was totally demolished.
"I've been on the phone every day to them and it has been unreal. I was thinking of putting together a package and my Dad had the idea of getting rid of the boots."
The Force is also donating $10,000 to the Queensland Rugby Union to help re-build community rugby assets and has given signed jumpers for the Condamine and Gladstone clubs to raise money. The club is also working with the Queensland Reds to raise money when they clash in their opening round in Brisbane on February 20.
http://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/a/-...e-for-auction/
