John Drake: How fitting that a dream comes true for Hobbs

Waking at 5.30am yesterday to listen to the World Cup announcement, I'll admit I had no idea how things would eventuate.

As it turned out, it was a pretty good hour for rugby and New Zealand.

Listening to Jock Hobbs' humble but powerful victory/acceptance speech, I thought how fitting it was he who headed our bid.

I played under Jock in the All Blacks in 1986, and in fact against him in his last match.

It was Auckland against Wellington. Jock was knocked senseless - not for the first time - and was out of the inaugural Rugby World Cup, never to play again.

I suspect he would have been named captain, as after the game word went out that Andy Dalton, who was no spring chicken, was to be recalled as skipper of the All Blacks for that event.

As fate had it, Dalton never played and a guy called Fitzpatrick started his All Black career.

Oh, and Jock's replacement was a chap called Michael Jones. Not a bad player!

So it seems fitting that Hobbs led the World Cup back to New Zealand when he had been denied a role the first time around.

There will be 24 years between the two tournaments in New Zealand, and how things have changed.

In 1987 we were billeted for a few days with farming families. We went to work after training, were paid an allowance of $4.85 a day and after winning the cup disbanded the following morning, never to assemble as a team again.

Now the Rugby World Cup is a million times bigger, better and generates huge income.

It will be an advantage for the All Blacks playing at home, but the pressure from the public will be unimaginable come 2011.

Hobbs, chief executive Chris Moller, the New Zealand union, their advisers and the Government should be congratulated on the result.

I understand the country could benefit by up to $400 million out of hosting the cup. We have six years to host something far bigger than, say, the America's Cup.

I hope the country gets cracking, builds the stadiums and accommodation, gets the infrastructure in place, and please, let's not have the sandal brigade at local and national government interfering with what needs to be done.

Hobbs and co have shown again that with hard work and fight, dreams can come true. Great stuff.