Life-sized statue immortalises NZ's greatest fan

Life-sized statue immortalises New Zealand’s greatest Super Rugby fan

Peter Sutton is a hero in his own home-town.

The 60-year-old grandfather and extreme Crusaders supporter has been immortalised as a life-sized statue, put on prominent display at AMI Stadium, after being declared New Zealand’s greatest Super Rugby fan in the adidas Call Yourself a Fan competition.

“It’s totally unreal,” says Sutton, who has lived all his life in the Christchurch suburb of Burnside. “It’s all a bit overwhelming. I really can’t say how I feel without swearing.”

He says it’ll make up for his poor showing in the fantasy rugby series he plays with his mates. “They already think I’m a bit of a clown, a bit of a nutcase. They just all think it’s totally hilarious. Everyone I’ve told has just about wet themselves.”

Rugby fans all over the country entered by uploading a photo of themselves in their Super 14 team jersey to the adidas website and inviting friends and family to support them. Super 14 players chose five finalists to battle it out for the supreme title of New Zealand’s Greatest Super Fan in a live radio trivia challenge. It came down to Sutton and a Hurricanes supporter in the final, and Sutton got to the buzzer first.

Sutton says he entered to try to win some adidas gear for his young grandchildren, three of whom play rugby. He didn’t think for a minute he’d end up with a statue at the rugby ground he’s been attending for decades.

adidas New Zealand marketing manager Nadia Scott said the competition aimed to draw out the country’s most insanely dedicated rugby fans – and it worked.

Sutton started playing rugby – as a foundation member of Burnside Rugby Club – more than 50 years ago, and refereed for 18 years. The highlight of his refereeing career came in 1986, when he was a touch judge for an Auckland vs Canterbury Ranfurly Shield match. Though Auckland won, he still rates it as “the game of the century”.

He’s a big Crusaders fan and goes to as many games as he can, so will have plenty of opportunities to lap up the attention from the statue. And you can guarantee he’ll be setting the alarm for the early hours for this weekend’s Super 14 semi-final.

“Peter is a lifelong rugby fan,” Nadia Scott said. “He proved himself a worthy winner and we hope he enjoys the glory of the prize.”

The Peter Sutton statue is no ordinary monument. It has been crafted by leading Otago figurative sculptor Bryn Jones, famous for making the striking sculpture of Sir Edmund Hillary that stands under the shadow of Aoraki/Mt Cook. Jones is one of New Zealand’s foremost sculptural artists, renowned for his lifelike representations.

His most famous work is the sculpture of Sir Edmund Hillary that gazes towards Aoraki/Mt Cook from the Hermitage. When Hillary unveiled it in 2003, the 50th anniversary of his historic Everest climb, Hillary shook Jones’ hand and said, “You have made a great job of this, lad – and I don’t say that to many people.”

Jones lives at Broad Bay, on the Otago peninsula and also teaches art at John McGlashan college in Dunedin.

The adidas Super Fan statue was unveiled earlier this month at AMI Stadium in Christchurch.

ENDS

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