A Stadium of 4 Million

On the night of 23 October 2011, anxious fans endured the heart-stopping last minutes of the Rugby World Cup final as the All Blacks ground out a win by the narrowest of margins to again lift the Webb Ellis Cup. Watching in the stands was Martin Snedden, who had been charged with organising and delivering the Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. In A STADIUM OF FOUR MILLION, Snedden provides an erudite and brilliantly insightful analysis of the event, the largest to date in New Zealand, with a detailed background of its successful staging. He takes us on the journey from the drama and excitement of 'selling our story' bidding for the tournament, through the organisation process to getting everyone working together to deliver it, with all the successes and speed bumps on the way. National and provincial rugby unions, tourism, accommodation and transport providers, two successive governments and, ultimately, all New Zealanders rallied to the cause. The 'stadium of four million' delivered - and delivered something special.