Two years after Australia’s historic victory in the Women’s T20 World Cup final, artwork commemorating the moment has been unveiled at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where a record 86,174 fans watched the team win the 2020 title.
Key points:
- The painting is the first artwork depicting a women’s team to be on permanent display at the MCG
- The 2020 final broke attendance records
- Fans will be able to see the artwork as part of the famous MCG Tour
Painted by two-time Doug Moran National Portrait Award winner Vincent Fantauzzo, the portrait depicts the 16 team members lifting the trophy as yellow and green confetti fills the sky.
It is the first artwork depicting a women’s sports team to be on permanent display at the MCG, and will be displayed along the route of the famous MCG Tour, which attracts around 130,000 people each year.
Not only is the legacy of the tournament victory immortalized in the artwork, but so is the significance of the larger moment to women’s sport.
Unveiled on the eve of International Women’s Day, the portrait also commemorates the fact that the 2020 final broke the attendance record for a stand-alone women’s sporting event and the highest attendance for a women’s cricket match in the world, after a months-long campaign by Cricket Australia. to raise awareness of the event.
Fantauzzo came up with the concept in conjunction with all of Australia’s World Cup-winning players through a mix of in-person interviews and video calls.
After painting Heath Ledger, Baz Luhrmann and Julia Gillard, he said this project was one of the most important and memorable of his career.
“This is my first major commission for the sport, and although I have painted sportsmen before, this one has taken on added importance because of what the World Cup moment here at the MCG means to the history, for the players themselves and for those who witnessed it,” he said.
“Because of that, there was a bit of nervousness in unveiling it.
“It’s one thing to have the reaction of someone you’re portraying; this time I have reactions from 16 people, plus their friends and family, and the general Australian public.
“The players were an absolute joy to work with them; they bought into the concept straight away. Getting to know them and their story has been a real privilege.
“Our Australian women’s sports teams have been leading the way on the international stage for a number of years now, so bringing this piece to life and ensuring that everyone appreciates what it represents has been a career highlight.”
Australia Women’s Team Captain Meg Lanning said it was an honor for the team to be the first women’s sports team immortalized in art on the historic pitch.
“The ICC Women’s World Cup Final in 2020 was a special day, and now having a piece of art to remember the occasion is really exciting,” she said.
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“When we couldn’t be there, the unveiling of the artwork on the eve of International Women’s Day – which will mark two years since the victory in the final – reminds us of what can be achieved.
“We hope we can make all of our fans back home proud and emulate our performance from this World Cup in 2020 as we are here in New Zealand competing for the 50+ version.
“It was great to work with Vincent during the process and we would like to thank him, the Melbourne Cricket Club and Cricket Australia for bringing it to life.
“We hope this inspires all visitors to the MCG to grab a bat and a ball.”
With the theme for this year’s International Women’s Day being Break The Bias, MCC Chairman Michael Hapell said the artwork represented the work cricket has done to advance gender equality .
“We are delighted to be able to present this important work of art,” he said.
“It’s an incredible artifact that inspires and will continue to shape the discussion around women’s sport in the future.
“This groundbreaking coin supports our ambitions to showcase and celebrate the achievements of our female athletes and indeed our National Women’s Sports Teams on the walls of the Member’s Reserve.
“The club is committed to working towards diversity, inclusivity and equality, and we are proud to display this artifact in the CWM for our members, guests and all visitors to enjoy. enjoy.”