SECURITY scanners, signed jerseys and corner flags, championship medals and traffic management plans are just some of the unique items on display at the New Zealand Rugby Museum’s newly opened exhibition, “Mission Accomplished: New Zealand’s Rugby World Cup 2011 Legacy”.

Comprising five cabinets filled with items emphasising the enormity and excitement of an event that captured the world-wide attention of millions of rugby supporters and observers, the exhibition is testament to a moment in history never likely to be experienced in New Zealand again.

“Mission Accomplished” is the museum’s second break-out exhibition since it opened its new gallery in Te Manawa last August, replacing the exceedingly popular “Having a Ball”, the New Zealand Cartoon Archive-Alexander Turnbull Library’s exploration of the cartoon history of New Zealand rugby.

NZRM Director Stephen Berg said a number of subjects for the new exhibition had been considered, but the final decision was decided after museum officers were invited to Wellington following the tournament by Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd, the organisation responsible for the planning and delivery of the event.

“They sent us a list of items and ephemera they thought we may be interested in and the Wellington meeting gave us a chance to view them,” said Stephen. “We were struck by the depth and breadth of the items and the layers of work and painstaking attention to detail that had been carried out.

“We found it so fascinating that we had to share the story.”

“Mission Accomplished” is divided into five named displays – “Permanent”, “Games”, “Hosting”, “Organisation” and “Media” – with each case featuring items relevant to their theme.