Martin Snedden
A tenacious New Zealand fast bowler who became the strategic architect of his country's major sporting events.
Born 1958 (age 68)·New Zealand cricketer·Birthday: November 23·Baby Boomers
Biography
Martin Snedden served as CEO of New Zealand Rugby during the 2011 Rugby World Cup, a tournament fraught with logistical challenges, then led Cricket New Zealand. Born in 1958, he first played as a wiry seam bowler alongside Sir Richard Hadlee in New Zealand's formidable 1980s attack. Snedden's relentless accuracy and stamina made him a crucial supporting bowler during one of the nation's most successful cricket eras. After retiring, he qualified as a lawyer and moved into sports administration. His two careers—first on the pitch, then in the boardroom—show a competitor who understood the game from the ground up and applied that knowledge to shape its future off the field.
Baby Boomers
1946–1964
The largest generation in history at the time. Shaped by postwar prosperity, the Vietnam War, the sexual revolution, and Watergate. They questioned every institution their parents built — then ran them.
Martin was born in 1958, placing them squarely in the Baby Boomers. The events that shaped this generation — postwar prosperity, civil rights, Vietnam, and the counterculture — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Martin Was Born
The biggest hits of 1958
#1 Movie
South Pacific
Best Picture
Gigi
#1 TV Show
Gunsmoke
Martin's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1958Born
NASA founded
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $11,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Volare" — Domenico ModugnoBest Picture: Gigi
1963Started school
JFK assassinated in Dallas; Martin Luther King's 'I Have a Dream' speech
Gas: $0.31/galHome: $13,100Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"Sugar Shack" — Jimmy Gilmer & The FireballsBest Picture: Tom Jones
1971Became a teenager
Voting age lowered to 18 in the US
Gas: $0.36/galHome: $18,100Min wage: $1.60/hrPresident: Richard Nixon"Joy to the World" — Three Dog NightBest Picture: The French Connection
1974Could drive
Nixon resigns the presidency
Gas: $0.53/galHome: $22,600Min wage: $2.00/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"The Way We Were" — Barbra StreisandBest Picture: The Godfather Part II
1976Could vote
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
1979Turned 21
Iran hostage crisis begins; Three Mile Island accident
Gas: $0.86/galHome: $37,900Min wage: $2.90/hrPresident: Jimmy Carter"My Sharona" — The KnackBest Picture: Kramer vs. Kramer
1988Turned 30
Pan Am Flight 103 bombed over Lockerbie
Gas: $0.90/galHome: $74,800Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Faith" — George MichaelBest Picture: Rain Man
1998Turned 40
Google founded; Clinton impeachment
Gas: $1.06/galHome: $107,300Min wage: $5.15/hrPresident: Bill Clinton"Too Close" — NextBest Picture: Shakespeare in Love
2008Turned 50
Barack Obama elected first Black US president; financial crisis
Gas: $3.27/galHome: $153,100Min wage: $6.55/hrPresident: George W. Bush"Low" — Flo RidaBest Picture: Slumdog Millionaire
2018Turned 60
Royal wedding of Harry and Meghan; Parkland shooting
Gas: $2.72/galHome: $211,800Min wage: $7.25/hrPresident: Donald Trump"God's Plan" — DrakeBest Picture: Green Book
2026Age 68 today
Gas: $3.91/galPresident: Donald Trump
Key Achievements
- Played 25 Test matches and 93 One Day Internationals for New Zealand as a key seam bowler.
- Was a member of the New Zealand team that famously defeated the West Indies in a Test series in 1980.
- Served as CEO of the 2011 Rugby World Cup hosted in New Zealand.
- Later became the Chief Executive of New Zealand Cricket.
Did You Know?
He is the nephew of former New Zealand Test cricketer Colin Snedden.
He bowled a record 45 overs in a single innings during a Test match against England in 1983.
After cricket, he became a qualified solicitor.
He authored a book about New Zealand's hosting of the 2011 Rugby World Cup.
“You prepare for every game as if you're taking the new ball.”
