New Zealand boss Jock Hobbs’ battle with cancer has taken a turn for the worse and he has stepped away from rugby to start a new, more aggressive, course of treatment.
It was announced on Friday that Hobbs has stepped down as chairman of both the New Zealand Rugby Union (NZRU) and Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd (RNZ 2011) to focus on his health.
It was announced in May that Hobbs was diagnosed with a form of Leukaemia, which required chemotherapy treatment over a six month period.
Soon after completing that treatment sudden and unexpected complications arose.
Hobbs has now been diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, which will require a more aggressive treatment regime over an extended period of time.
As a consequence of this new diagnosis and the required treatment, Hobbs has made the difficult decision to resign from both board roles.
NZRU CEO Steve Tew said the NZRU wished Hobbs and his family the very best for this important stage of his treatment and acknowledged the enormous thanks owed to Hobbs for his service to rugby in his time as chairman which began in 2002.
“Under his [Hobbs’s] chairmanship, the NZRU has enjoyed a period of sustained achievement on and off the field, while the game in New Zealand has also had to navigate a number of major challenges,” Tew said.
“During his [Hobbs’s] tenure, New Zealand successfully hosted the 2005 Lions Series, re-built our international reputation and relationships, won the bid to host Rugby World Cup 2011 and established the organisation and support necessary to run the tournament, set new benchmarks in national team success, and managed major transitional changes in domestic and international rugby.
“He has been instrumental in many of these achievements and developments and the Board and indeed everyone associated with the NZRU are grateful for his commitment and service.”
Mike Eagle has been elected the new Chairman of the NZRU.
Brian Roche is currently acting Chairman of Rugby New Zealand 2011 Ltd and the NZRU and Government will discuss the Chairmanship role in due course.
All the best to you Mr Hobbs…. you’re a rugby man and as such you are part of our broad rugby family…
@ grootblousmile:
Ditto from me. Jock has contributed to rugby in a big way over a long period of time. This is likely to be the biggest battle ahead for him.
Read about this yesterday, but like OldG says, this is the biggest battle waiting for him.
I wish him all the best. Our thoughts go out to him and his family.
Another sad story, what’s going on, first Jinxie and now Jock?
I remember Jock scoring the winning try in Bloem against the Boks, the only test the AB’s won against us in ’76 (I think it was).
No, that was Joe Morgan.
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