World sport has changed tremendously in the past few years. If we had a crystal ball 10 years ago, there's no way we would have believed the forecast changes that have since come to pass. In rugby, we've gone from Super Six, to Super 10 to Super 14, to Tests being played offshore.
But I've noted the biggest changes in the past 12 months. I coached in France and England for six years and rarely did any news from that part of the world filter back to Australia. The world is now a much smaller place. Now you get extensive coverage - scores, match reports, tables, coaches' comments - in the papers and on the internet. Overseas news has become a matter of interest here.
That's particularly the case in league and union circles now the likes of Sonny Bill Williams, Craig Gower and Mark Gasnier are playing in France. More rugby players have also moved overseas and how they perform also attracts interest. The league and union seasons in the UK are massive and the coverage is worldwide.
From a rugby point of view, we have an All Blacks-Wallabies Test being played in Hong Kong on November 1. We also had the failed attempt to take that trans-Tasman contest to Twickenham in the UK, though a Bledisloe match may still be played in the US.
There's no doubt that the loss marquee matches to offshore venues does not appeal to those in the rugby heartland.
New Zealand have lost 15 of their top players in the past year, while the stream of South African players to the northern hemisphere is constant. More of our best league and union players will head north.
The other major change is that young players turn professional much sooner. By the time they are about 25, these players often look for a new direction and new challenges. That, coupled with the money available in the northern hemisphere, makes a move hard to resist. The cultures there are far different and the experience takes players out of their comfort zone. For most who venture over, it's a very special time in their lives.
New Zealand have allowed Daniel Carter to go on a nine-month sabbatical in the northern hemisphere. The experiment is a clever way of giving him the money and experience of playing overseas while locking him in as an All Black for the long term. This may turn out to be the way of the future. It may also signal a step towards a global season.
The massive appeal and greater financial rewards of the competitions in France and England may reshape the Test season in the southern hemisphere. A season that runs from July to September would allow players to be available for the northern season. We will never see the Six Nations move from its current schedule in February and March.
We're now even seeing Australian sides allowing foreigners into the Super 14. It appears only a matter of time before it becomes an open market.
These are challenging days ahead for rugby administrators as our game evolves. How they adjust to those changes will determine whether we prosper or wither.
