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The 1987 Rugby World Cup was of great significance to New Zealand rugby.
It marked the turning point of what had been a bitter period for our national game. The South African tour here in 1981 and that of the Cavaliers to South Africa five years later, had turned many against the sport.
So the advent of the World Cup, the adoption of a successful, open running game and the fact David Kirk held the Cup aloft to universal acclamation at the end of the campaign, all helped to, at least partially regain some of rugby's lost popularity.
I have many memories of those years: of commentating a match at Athletic Park when the announcement was made that the All Blacks' tour to South Africa in 1985 had been cancelled, and of an All Black, Mike Clamp, who was sitting alongside me at the time, looking bewildered and asking what it all meant; of the tour to France in 1986 when the All Blacks were beaten up in Nantes in the final test of the season; of the retirements of some star players such as Mexted, Hobbs, Haden, Shaw, Knight and Wayne Smith.
There was much reporting to be done and a lot of it was negative.
The first Rugby World Cup was a relief. It provided a lot of positive stories.
Therefore, to be at the re-union of the team which had won the William Webb Ellis trophy twenty years ago, was a thrill. It was held at Eden Park as a Westpac Halberg Celebrity Sporting Lunch.
Alex Wyllie walked past me, then paused, grinned and feigned to whack me in the stomach. It had been a favourite ploy of his when he was the All Black coach and I was the radio commentator travelling with the All Blacks.
Richard Loe shook my hand firmly (it still aches) and said "McBreath". He always called me that.
Wayne Shelford commented "Hell McBeth I haven't seen you for ages".
There was much catching up to be done.
Twenty years have sped by and it was heartwarming to see 600 people gathered to celebrate the feat and reminisce on what had been a superb few weeks of rugby.
There was laughter at the recollection of the rather low key opening ceremony which the late Lew Pryme had hastily put together with no budget. But it had worked.
Many administrators and journalists of the time could still recall the snide comments from the Northern Hemisphere scribes who continually criticised the first World Cup and who felt certain it would not survive. It had been the brainchild of Kiwis and Aussies, who had received little support from further afield.
The crowds were not huge, but not disappointing either. Games were played in Invercargill, Palmerston North and Rotorua and at Athletic Park and Lancaster Park and others which have now been superbly upgraded.
We watched footage of the 1987 games at this reunion. The players were significantly smaller.
Take second five Warwick Taylor for example. In 1987 he weighed 78 kilograms. Luke McAlister and Aaron Mauger are both at least 15 kilograms heavier.
Halfback David Kirk was 72 kilograms when he scored that memorable try in the 1987 final against France. Byron Kelleher is now 94 kilograms.
Sean Fitzpatrick was just starting to bulk up twenty years ago and tipped the scales at 93 kilograms. Compare that with Anton Oliver's 111. Gary Whetton was 105, Chris Jack is 117. Michael Jones was 92, McCaw is now around 107.
The current All Blacks might have been interested to meet this team of 1987, if only to see how they look now. The 13 World Cup winners who were in Auckland for the re-union all looked in superb physical condition.
All had interesting and amusing tales to tell, from the coach Brian Lochore to the physio Neil Familton, who told me that it was deemed a sign of weakness for some players to be seen on his table. "They'd just run the soreness out," he said.
David Kirk said he had a close-up view of the incident in which Wayne Shelford knocked out Welshman Huw Richards in the semi-final in Brisbane. He, like all of us, wondered what the outcome would be. Richards regained consciousness only to be sent off for foul play by referee Kerry Fitzgerald.
Sir Brian Lochore stressed the importance of Andy Dalton. The non-playing captain, Lochore said, was the captain of that successful campaign everywhere but on the field. Dalton's influence had been enormous.
In a significant address, David Kirk expressed his delight at being able to get together with many of his notable teammates after such a long time. It had been, he said, a fantastic part of their lives to win the World Cup.
"We are unique," he said, " but we don't want to be. We want this All Black team of 2007 to join the 1987 team as winners of the most important trophy in world rugby.
As you'd expect, there was unanimous agreement from the 600.
NOTE: Those to attend the reunion were: Warwick Taylor, Bernie McCahill, Grant Fox, David Kirk, Wayne Shelford, Andy Earl, Alan and Gary Whetton, Albert Anderson, Murray Pierce, Steve McDowell, Richard Loe and Andy Dalton.
The three coaches, Sir Brian Lochore, John Hart and Alex Wyllie attended along with the manager Richie Guy and physio Neil Familton.
