I’ve always been fascinated with gigantic sculptures. I think it goes back to seeing Jason and the Argonauts when I was a child. The scene where Jason and his argonauts land on some mysterious island and discover a valley of massive bronze statues unlocked something in my imagination. Unfortunately, Hercules decides to steal a giant pin from the plinth beneath the statue of Talos which brings him to life. I’ve always been a fan of Ray Harryhausen’s but that scene, in particular, stuck in my mind forever.
I used to tell people that my lifelong ambition was to create a 60-foot statue of Neil Jenkins situated on Ponty common overlooking the town…. with a right arm that moves back and fore, like Jinks used to when he envisaged the ball going through the posts. I’m still up for the challenge if anyone can get the funding sorted!
It was no surprise then, that when our 45th Anniversary rolled around I wanted to make something substantial, and a rugby version of Mount Rushmore immediately came to mind. Reducing that amazing construction to something collectors could display in their homes wouldn’t be easy, but the worst part would be choosing who would be the four players representing the greatest ever Welsh rugby players.
In just a few seconds I had decided I wasn’t going to make that call. We’ve been lucky enough over the years to get to know most of our rugby heroes and I wasn’t going to upset any of them by not including them! We sensibly decided to ask the public to vote for their four greatest players and the pressure, for me, was off. I just had to make it.
In the end I think it’s a pretty good call…. with two giants of the 70’s and two giants of the modern era. Modelling it was a different matter. You never really realise how complex something is until you try and replicate it. The piece was as far from a normal Grogg as you can get, and I struggled with the format for some time until I decided to cut it into individual faces and then piece it back together again. The painting was also difficult as it had to look like carved stone but in the end it’s a piece I look back on with satisfaction.
Sadly, in that year we lost the Voice of rugby in the brilliant Bill McLaren. In a tribute to him I found a quotation of his about each player and incorporated them on the back of the piece.
Who knows…. one day I may be asked to recreate this monumental Grogg for real somewhere in Wales…. we’ve got enough mountains for it haven’t we!
