9 October 2003
The National Museum in Canberra kicks off its celebration of the fifth Rugby World Cup next week when it launches a photographic exhibition of great sporting moments captured at earlier World Cup contests.
The exhibition, in the Museum's Focus Gallery, draws on the archive of pioneering rugby photographer Colin Whelan, in a display entitled Snapshots of Glory.
Senator Rod Kemp, the Minister for the Arts and Sport, launches the exhibition at 11am on Wednesday, 15 October in the Museum's Garden of Australian Dreams.
Senator Kemp will be joined by Whelan and by legendary former Wallaby David Campese, who'll share personal stories about representing Australia in World Cup play.
Photos in the exhibition come from both Whelan's global photo agency, Action Photographics, and the British agency Colorsport. Subjects include Nelson Mandela, in the historic moment when he donned a Springboks jersey at the1995 World Cup.
'We're very excited about our participation in the World Cup, which underlines the importance the Museum gives to sport, ' says National Museum director Dawn Casey.
The Museum's tribute to the World Cup includes a collection of private memorabilia from the Wallabies and the ACT Brumbies, to be displayed in both the Hall and the Friends Lounge of the Museum.
The Museum will also run live screenings of World Cup games and in association with the Brumbies stage Rugby for Kids demonstrations as well as educational briefings for the non-rugby 'thinking person'.
Snapshots of Glory runs in the Focus Gallery until 8 February, 2004.
MORE SPORTS NEWS: The Melbourne Cup comes to the National Museum on 13 October, from 11am to 2pm, displayed in the Main Hall next to one of the Museum's iconic objects, the heart of 1930 Melbourne Cup winner Phar Lap.
For more information, please contact the Museum's Public Affairs Director, Martin Portus, on (02) 6208 535, 0409 916 481 or email m.portus@nma.gov.au