In the 1987 Rugby World Cup, 23 year old Sir John Kirwan ran through the Italian team, beating 6 players on his way to scoring ‘the try of the century’. It electrified the world cup, firing up the wider public, and firmly placing rugby on the global stage.
‘The Try’ is a tribute to JK’s greatest moment on the field – taking you inside the moment like never before.
Artwork
‘The Try’ is a digital portrait of Sir John Kirwan, telling the untold story of this epic sporting moment from the unique perspective of the man behind the legend.
‘The Try’ deconstructs the moment from 14 different angles over 87 seconds, revealing in intimate detail what was going through JK’s mind, whilst simultaneously making a powerful statement about the serious mental health challenges he faced at the time.
‘The Try’ has been minted through Mintbase, on the Near blockchain which is certified carbon neutral.
Limited edition: 14
Preview right.
Note: Only owners of the NFT will have access to the high resolution artwork.
JK 14 Amarone wine
Tethered to ‘The Try’ is a case of JK14 Amarone, 2016 vintage, containing 14 collectors-item bottles.
Each bottle displays a unique scene distilled from the video, creating a beautiful physical object to accompany the digital NFT.
Also included in the case is a personal note from Sir John Kirwan.
The auction process
- NFT will be auctioned. Bidders must pre-register to participate.
- Auction will be conducted through this website at 3:00pm NZST, Sunday 29 May 2022
- Successful bidders will be provided with a concierge service to ensure the NFT transaction is seamless. Meaning previous experience with NFTs isn’t necessary. Simply register and relax – we’ll take care of the tricky stuff.
To provide inspiration for the artwork, Sir John sat down with artist Nick McFarlane and talked in depth about the try.
From his highly unusual training method, to the price he had to pay, and the imposter syndrome he suffered afterwards…
What emerges is not just a story about the try of the century, but a deeply personal insight into what it feels like to perform at the highest level – and the immense pressure on a person’s mental health that comes with it.
Sir John Kirwan KNZM MBE
The former All Black became “Sir John” in 2012, being recognised just as much for his contribution outside of rugby; for services to mental health, having worked at the forefront of the campaign to heighten public awareness of depression, an illness he has suffered from himself.
These days JK is an ambassador for Westpac, rugby presenter for Sky TV, whilst continuing with raising the profile and assisting with mental health initiatives. He’s also the proud co-founder of Groov NZ, an exciting new platform offering workplace wellbeing programmes.
Nick McFarlane
Artist, author, and award-winning designer, Nick produces a wide range of work at the intersection of creativity and technology.
Highlights include solo exhibitions in London, organising and curating groups shows in Auckland. Designing a No. 1 selling album-cover artwork for The Prodigy. And publishing several books on the subjects of creativity and culture.
Follow Nick here.
Please get in touch
Podium
To help tomorrow’s superstars find their feet, build a following and take over the world, we decided to make NFT XFKTR.
The ultimate art competition to nurture talent and launch careers.
Mintbase
The NFT XFKTR auction will be held on Mintbase, an NFT marketplace which is a fast, scalable and green NFT infrastructure.
Mintbase is built on the Near protocol, which is certified Carbon Neutral.
JustCarbon
The NFT XFKTR competition will be Carbon offset through Just Carbon.
Just Carbon are a blockchain-powered marketplace that simplifies offsetting carbon emissions and supports high-quality carbon removal projects to combat climate change.