RISING rugby star Jordan Brodley lost hope after an England jersey gifted to him from head coach Eddie Jones was stolen.

His dad even offered a three-figure reward for the return of the number 17 shirt.

An after the appeal featured in the Oxford Mail the missing jersey has been found, much to the delight of the student from Nuneham Courtenay.

He was gifted the shirt at a surprise presentation for the team on Saturday, April 2, ahead of his first England Students game against Ireland.

The next day, after the match at Iffley Road’s Oxford University ground he was shocked to discover that the bag which had been left at the pavilion benches and contained the shirt had disappeared, believed stolen.

A member of the public, who wanted to remain anonymous, apparently found it in a garden in a street just off Iffley Road in Oxford, and contacted the family.

Dad John Brodley, 63, said: "We got the bag back with most of the kit inside including the shirt.

"A member of the public found it and contacted me. They got the number from the article."

Mr Brodley added: "Obviously Jordan is thrilled."

"Personally I would like to thank both the Oxford Mail for their considerable help.

"Without their publicity we could not have reached such a wide audience. I would also like to thank publicly the member of the public who wishes to remain anonymous for his vigilance and for taking the time and making the effort to contact me."

Former Magdalen College School pupil Jordan is now a fourth year student at Bristol having previously played his rugby with Oxford Rugby.

His current team, the England Students, is part of England Rugby and selects the best university rugby players across the country to give them experience and mentoring for playing internationally.

The 23-year old said on losing the shirt: "It was heart-breaking. To have my first England shirt stolen was pretty hard to take."

Speaking of the significance of being gifted an international jersey he said: "It’s not just the shirt, it is everything that you have sacrificed to earn the shirt.

“It is every night you have missed or social occasional, just the things that you have given up to be rewarded with the shirt.

“That’s what it means, it’s the significance of being able to wear a shirt, in order to play and also everything you have given up for it."