Graham Henry has stated that he can see the day in the not too distant future where kiwi’s choosing to play for Sth African and Australian S14 sides will be considered for AB’s selection.

This would have raised more than a couple of eyebrows at NZRFU hq to see “their AB’s coach” muttering those blasphemic words to a reporter and as one can picture NZRFU CEO Steve Tew closing the door to his office and unsheathing that Samurai sword given to him as a token of “good will” from the Japanese World Cup delegation.

I ponder…is it really all that bad?

To be fair Henry stated that the S14 model would adopt the true franchise ( I guess in the USA sporting sense ) model with ownership extending beyond our respective national unions to include private interests.

Interesting too that he was quick to mention a franchise (or two) residing in Japan. Good move commercially as the time differences are workable for TV viewing and advertising so too basing a franchise in the Sth Pacific as an amalgam of Samoa, Fiji and Tonga for similar reasons - maybe not from a commercial perspective but to demonstrate to the IRB that the new SANZAR (or whatever they end up calling themselves) are developing the game in the process.

Somehow I just cannot see Argentina’s time zones being a workable option for their inclusion but hey they could kick the Poms outta the Faulklands again and base a team there…..well just encourage ‘em to “kick the Poms” maybe?

Although “the devil will be in the detail” our unions need to retain a stake in each franchise to ensure our international calendar maintains a degree of integrity with players being available but with private ownership and no salary cap the mind boggles with some of the player combinations available not to mention franchise fan bases extending beyond borders.

I can see now around the caketin in Wellington large as life billboards of the Hurricanes “front-row from hell” Tialata, Mealamu and Beast…WOW! Or imagine Giteau steering that Bulls pack around week in week out -or the Dan and Jean show at Newlands …. Priceless.

Gentlemen start your engines!