Sport Fans Celebrate the GC2018 Queen's Baton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Boxing Day

Sport-lovers from around the world have taken the opportunity to get up close and personal with the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018) Queen’s Baton at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for its first major public appearance in Australia.

Before the start of the Boxing Day Test at the MCG Outfield fan zone, people young and old engaged with the Queen’s Baton, learning about where it had been and where it will travel to next.

For many, this was just an exciting taste of what is to come as the Queen’s Baton will return to their communities between January and April when it makes its way around Australia in the hands of approximately 3,800 batonbearers.

Selfies were the call of the day, as not only Victorians but also people from around Australia and the world, had a chance to hold the specially designed Queen’s Baton.

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation Chairman Peter Beattie AC said being with people at the Boxing Day Test was a fitting way to mark the start of the Queen’s Baton Relay in Australia.

"We’re thrilled to share the Queen’s Baton with so many people at one of the most popular sports days of the year at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The Boxing Day Test is on the bucket list of many Australians, and I can’t think of a better place or day to celebrate the start of the Queen’s Baton Relay in Australia for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games.

"The genuine enthusiasm for the Queen’s Baton is an encouraging sign that with 99 days to go until the Games’ Opening Ceremony on 4 April, Australians are excited for what’s going to be the biggest event in the country in a decade."

During the school holidays, the Queen’s Baton is engaging with thousands of Australians at popular summertime events, iconic locations and children’s hospitals around the country.

The next stop for the Queen’s Baton is the Taste of Tasmania on 28 December 2017.

On 25 January 2018, the Queen’s Baton Relay will shift gears to a traditional relay starting in Canberra.

The Queen’s Baton landed in Australia on Christmas Eve.

ENDS

For more information, please contact:

Keri Algar – keri.algar@goldoc.com / +61 466 381 305

Media Team, Queen’s Baton Relay

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC)

Trish Quayle – trish.quayle@goldoc.com / +61 466 355 886

Communications and Marketing Manager, Queen’s Baton Relay

Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games Corporation (GOLDOC)

BACKGROUND

The Queen’s Baton has been passed between thousands of people for 288 days across Africa, the Caribbean, the Americas, Europe, Asia and Oceania, building excitement for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games (GC2018).

In Australia, the Queen’s Baton will traverse 40,000km, travelling through every state and territory for 100 days.

Approximately 3,800 batonbearers will carry the Queen’s Baton in Australia.

During the school holidays, the Queen’s Baton is engaging with thousands of Australians at popular summertime events, iconic locations and children’s hospitals around the country.

On 25 January 2018, the Queen’s Baton Relay will shift gears to a traditional relay starting in Canberra.

The Queen’s Baton Relay started on Commonwealth Day, Monday 13 March 2017, at Buckingham Palace when Her Majesty placed Her message inside of the Baton.

The GC2018 Relay is the longest and most accessible in history, travelling through the entire Commonwealth for 388 days and 230,000km.

The distinctive design of the GC2018 Queen’s Baton captures the boundless energy of the Gold Coast. In form and inspiration, the Queen’s Baton is a symbol of our past, present and future.

The Queen’s Baton arrives on the Gold Coast for the XXI

Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony on 4 April 2018, where HRH The Prince of Wales will remove Her Majesty’s message from the Baton and read it aloud to declare the Games open.

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