Stolen historic rugby books found

DEAN KOZANIC/The Press

SOME CONSOLATION: Constable Caroline Stowell returns two of the books stolen along with Alistair Steel's car last week.

A young trailbike rider has helped reunite the son of a former All Black with two stolen historic rugby books, but his rare book is still missing.

Alistair Steel, 71, visited an isolated bike track by the Waimakariri River, near Eyreton in North Canterbury, last night, where two books were found dumped on a dirt track.

The trailbike rider, who did not want to be identified, said he was riding last Friday afternoon when he found the books lying on the track.

"I saw the date on it and thought `they weren't your average books'."

He took the books to work on Monday, when his boss told him about The Press story highlighting Steel's stolen rugby books. He then handed them in to the Kaiapoi police.

The books had belonged to Steel's famous All Black father, Jack Steel, a West Coaster who was a wing on the 1924 All Blacks tour of the British Isles.

About five books, and other rugby memorabilia, were in the boot of Steel's car when it was stolen on Thursday last week from the Woolston Club's car park.

A 14-year-old boy was picked up in the car the following night, but the books, which had been inside a blue bag, were missing.

The two recovered near the riverbank detailed the All Blacks' 1924 tour of Great Britain, and the All Blacks' South African tour in 1928.

Steel was happy to have the books back, but was "gutted" the rare, reference book handed to the Invincibles players after their 1924 tour of Britain was not among them.

A police spokeswoman said police had spoken to the young boy's family and inquiries were continuing.

- © Fairfax NZ News