Jock Hobbs

Jock Hobbs
Birth name Michael James Bowie Hobbs
Date of birth (1960-02-15)15 February 1960
Place of birth Christchurch, New Zealand
Date of death 13 March 2012(2012-03-13) (aged 52)
Place of death Wellington
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Weight 92 kg (14 st 7 lb)
School Christ's College
Occupation(s)

Amateur rugby union player

Sports Executive
Rugby union career
Position(s) Flanker
All Black No. 836
Provincial / State sides
Years Team Apps (Points)
1981–1987 Canterbury ()
National team(s)
Years Team Apps (Points)
1983–1986 New Zealand 21 (16)

Michael James Bowie 'Jock' Hobbs, CNZM (15 February 1960  – 13 March 2012) was a New Zealand rugby union player and administrator. A flanker, he played for Canterbury and won 21 caps for the New Zealand national team, the All Blacks, between 1983 and 1986, with four tests as captain.

In later years he was prominent in rugby administration. Between 2002 and 2010 he was chairman of the New Zealand Rugby Union before standing down due to illness.[1]

Youth and playing career

Jock Hobbs was born in Christchurch. He played in the first XV at Christ's College in Christchurch, and was a regular first choice for Canterbury from the 1981 season onwards, playing in the failed Ranfurly Shield challenge against Waikato. His test debut came in 1983 against the British and Irish Lions, where he was successor to Graham Mourie. Others that were possible replacements were Bruce Middleton and Auckland captain Alwyn Harvey, but Hobbs played so well against the Lions that he was an automatic selection as All Blacks number seven for the next few seasons.

Hobbs was All Black captain on the short tour of Fiji late in 1984 when Andy Dalton was unavailable, and in the tour of Argentina in 1985 when Dalton was again unavailable. He took part in the 1986 New Zealand Cavaliers tour to South Africa, before retiring in 1987 after a succession of concussions.

Administrator

In 1995 Hobbs was instrumental in retaining New Zealand's leading players when they were on the verge of defecting to Kerry Packer's rebel World Rugby Corporation.[2]

In 2005 Hobbs led New Zealand's successful bid to host the 2011 Rugby World Cup and in the same year was named the Herald's New Zealander of the year.[3] Jock is the longest serving Chairman in NZRU history and his service to the game was recognized at the 2011 IRB and Steinlager Rugby awards where he received the Vernon Pugh award for Distinguished service and the Steinlager Salver award respectively.[4]

In 2010, he stepped down from his administrative positions in order to battle leukemia.[5]

Hobbs died on 13 March 2012 at Wellington Hospital.[6]

References

  1. ↑ "Rugby: NZRU keen to keep Hobbs' experience". The New Zealand Herald. 7 May 2010. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
  2. ↑ FitzSimmons, Peter (2003). The Rugby War. Harper Collins Publishers. ISBN 0-7322-7882-1.
  3. ↑ Cumming, Geoff (17 December 2005). "NZer of the Year: Jock Hobbs". Nzherald.co.nz.
  4. ↑ "Jerome Kaino named NZ rugby player of year". Stuff.co.nz. 2011-12-01. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  5. ↑ Hinton, Marc (2010-05-07). "Health forces Jock Hobbs to stand down". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2012-03-13.
  6. ↑ All Black great Jock Hobbs dies Stuff.co.nz, 13 March 2012
Awards
Preceded by
John Anderson		 Leadership Award
2010		 Succeeded by
Murray Halberg
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