Record Number Run Onto Eden Park For Sir John Kirwan’s Charity Curtain Raiser At Eden Park

History was made at Eden Park, Auckland on Saturday, when
672 New Zealanders took to the hallowed turf to officially
set a new world record for the most participants in a rugby,
touch or mini-tag exhibition match, serving as the
spectacular apex of the John Kirwan Foundation’s ‘Drive
for Five’ campaign.

Serving as the
curtain-raiser to the Bledisloe Cup, the Mitey Match saw
tamariki aged 5–15 take to the field to face Sir John
Kirwan’s star-studded team of sporting legends and
celebrities. The line-up included rugby legends Richie
McCaw, Ian Jones, Kennedy Tukuafu, Braxton Sorensen-McGee,
Anton Leinert-Brown (Ref) and Marty Banks, alongside current
All Blacks and Black Ferns players, TikTok star Louis Davis
and well-known presenters Matt Gibb, Joey Wheeler & Ric
Salizzo.

The 12-minute non-contact match saw hundreds
of children and their parents enter the field in controlled
waves, running past the celebrity lineup.

The
successful event is a landmark for the Sir John Kirwan
Foundation, and its ongoing mission to embed mental health
awareness in primary and intermediate schools across
Aotearoa through the Mitey education programme.

Sir
John Kirwan, legendary All Black and passionate mental
health advocate, described the record-breaking event as a
monumental milestone for youth mental health in New Zealand,
and a celebration moment for Mitey.

“We set out with
a massive ambition to rally five million Kiwis behind mental
health education and break a world record, but tonight was
about so much more than numbers,” said Sir John
Kirwan.

“Seeing over 600 passionate kids and their
whānau take to Eden Park, shows what Aotearoa can achieve
when we stand together for our tamariki. These kids
represent every community fighting for a better future for
our young people.”

The Drive for Five campaign
focused on mobilising five million Kiwis to get behind
Mitey’s mental health education programme, with a
long-term fundraising goal of $5 million to help bring Mitey
to more schools across Aotearoa.

Among the Mitey Match
youth squad Faith Diamond King, from Tauranga was one of the
inspiring young participants selected to take part in the
match shared her story on the Mitey website.

“I am
currently suffering from a mental health disorder that
disrupts my experiences at Kura and my environment I live
in,” shared Faith. ” I try every day to do my best, and
playing in the Mitey Match means I can be an example for my
Kura, friends, and Whānau while supporting
Mitey.”

All Black Anton Leinert-Brown, who refereed
the Mitey Match highlighted the significance of the
cause.

“It was an absolute privilege to be at Eden
Park with these amazing kids tonight,” said Leinert-Brown.
“The energy and passion they brought was unbelievable.
Building mental resilience early is so crucial, and seeing
the rugby community gather to support Sir John’s vision and
the Mitey Foundation is something really special to be part
of.”

The Sir John Kirwan Foundation thanks New Zealand
Rugby and Eden Park for supporting the initiative over the
weekend and over the past few
months.

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