Ashes urn: MCC exhibition in Australia, 2006-07

Date released: 7 September 2005

The world-famous Ashes urn is to be exhibited in Australia during the next Test series between Australia and England, in 2006-07.

The tiny, delicate and irreplaceable urn (see right) has been displayed in Australia on only one previous occasion - in 1988, to help celebrate its bicentenary of European settlement. An exhibition that had been planned for 2002-03 had to be cancelled when X-rays revealed serious cracks in the urn's shoulders and stem.

Although the urn's condition remains fragile, the problems identified by the X-rays (see right below) were tackled - successfully - by specialists at the conservation experts Plowden & Smith. MCC has since been in touch with Cricket Australia to reschedule the previously planned trip; the two bodies agreed that it should take place during England's next tour 'down under'.

Following successful partnership discussions between MCC and the Virgin Group (which has extensive interests in both the United Kingdom and Australia), the detailed planning of this trip can now begin.

The combined expertise and resources of MCC and Virgin will ensure that the tour is organised to the highest possible standards. For example: the urn will be taken to Australia by Virgin Atlantic; its flights within Australia will be the responsibility of Virgin Blue; and all the exhibition arrangements will be planned and then supervised by MCC's Curator (Adam Chadwick), Archivist & Historian (Glenys Williams) and experts on MCC's Arts & Library committee.

Announcements about the exhibition venues will be made when all the conservation, security and insurance issues have been considered in suitable detail. At each stage, every possible effort will be taken to minimise the risk of any damage being caused to the urn, which is perhaps the world's most famous and celebrated sporting artefact.

MCC’s Secretary & Chief Executive, Roger Knight, said: "I am delighted that we have been able to re-arrange the urn's visit to Australia. With its energy and enthusiasm, and its expertise in both international and Australian air travel, the Virgin Group is the perfect partner for MCC. The two organisations can now start to plan the urn's eagerly-awaited exhibition in Australia where, I am sure, countless cricket fans will enjoy seeing it for themselves."

Chairman of the Virgin Group, Sir Richard Branson, said: "Everyone at Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Blue is hugely excited and proud to be given the honour of carrying the world's most precious cricket artefact to Australia. The urn will be given the full award-winning Virgin Atlantic Upper Class service on its way to Australia - with complimentary limos to and from the airport and our famous in-flight entertainment. I'll even ask our beauty therapists to give it a full rub-down and polish! Virgin Blue will then take over and fly the urn from venue to venue within Australia. With interest in the Ashes at an all-time high, I'm particularly pleased that Virgin is joining forces with MCC to enable millions of cricket-mad Australians - is there any other sort of Aussie? - to see the tiny but immensely important urn for the first time."

The Chief Executive Officer of Cricket Australia, James Sutherland, expressed delight that the urn will be exhibited in Australia in 2006-07: "The Ashes urn represents one of the most traditional rivalries in world sport. Australian cricket fans are already looking forward to the 2006-07 Ashes series - and knowing the Ashes urn will be on display in Australia during that series will only add to the anticipation. The exhibition will provide many thousands of Australians with a rare opportunity to view the unique urn. On behalf of all cricket fans in Australia, I would like to thank MCC for its commitment to bring this exhibition to fruition."

Notes

- The term "Ashes" was first used after England lost to Australia, for the first time on home soil, at The Oval on 29th August 1882. A day later, The Sporting Times carried a mock obituary to English cricket which concluded: "The body will be cremated and the ashes taken to Australia."

- The Ashes urn was subsequently presented to the Hon Ivo Bligh (later Lord Darnley), who captained the next English team to tour Australia.

- He subsequently took the urn back to England, where it was kept at his family home (Cobham Hall, in Kent ).

- On his death (in 1927), his widow bequeathed the urn to MCC - which has looked after and displayed it ever since.

- Further details about the urn can be seen by clicking on The Ashes.