Heritage: An Update

Trust members built a database and refined this with advice from the above bodies so that it conformed with museum standards. Since the end of November, we’ve been working to populate this database, which means logging in and photographing each individual item. This is something which has never been done before, and it is therefore a very time consuming task. To date, we have managed to index 861 items, which includes all the memorabilia in the Hubert Johnson Room, the Members’ Lounge, the entrance lobby, the Gareth Edwards Lounge and the Player’s Bar. This only leaves the material in the Hospitality Boxes to do. The idea is that, when the time is right, this can form the basis of an online collection of memorabilia; in the short-term, the aim is to simply document and help preserve what we have.

Once the process is finished, we’ll then be completing what’s called a significance assessment using a standard Welsh Government framework. This will be central to determining how the collection is handled and how we move forward in terms of securing additional funding for the infrastructure of the planned heritage centre at the new ground and appropriate training in archiving skills etc. While this is a formal process that we need to work through, I think that we can safely say that the memorabilia is extremely significant in terms of documenting the history of rugby at Cardiff but also the social history of the area.

It’s perhaps worth reminding ourselves what the preliminary results of or ground survey said: ‘Over 90% were in favour of there being a Cardiff Rugby heritage centre as a central part of the new ground redevelopment. Nearly 99% wanted this to include Cardiff RFC memorabilia, 97% Cardiff Blues memorabilia, 84% videos of great Cardiff matches, 68% interactive displays, around 40% access to experienced guides and audio guides, and 77% a souvenir shop. Twenty-five per cent indicated that they would visit such a centre once a year, 37% twice a year, 29% three to four times a year and 10% more than four times a year. Over 85% indicated that they would also take friends and family along. These data suggest that a heritage centre would have good income generating potential and act as a key resource for the community.’

It’s therefore clear that a well-presented and well-run heritage centre could be the proverbial jewel in the crown and valuable commercial asset in the CAP redevelopment. There’s a long way to go in terms of planning, the next step in which is the formation of a heritage committee under Simon’s authority. We now have a clear baseline from which to plan however-something that would not have happened but for the input from the trust.

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