The worldwide professional dream

The last week has been a significant one in the history of rugby as the sport endeavours to grow into a truly global professional sport.

"Hang on," I hear you say, "Didn't we go professional back in the mid to late 90s?"

In theory, yes, but Rome wasn't built in a day and the giant leap to professionalism on a global scale needs a few more small steps yet.

While the mega-salaries earned by the Dan Carters and Jonny Wilkinsons of this world leave us in no doubt that the days of playing for a "pie and coke" are well and truly gone, the fact that Monsieur Wilkinson is refereed by part-timers on a regular basis highlights the fact that the game still has a long way to go.

Rugby is growing, not always in the right direction (it seems the concept of 'more games' is more popular amongst administrators than 'better games'), but growing nevertheless.

Despite our love for bashing rugby's paper-pushers, four incidents over the past week or so have convinced me that our sport is in great health and moving ever closer to fulfilling the aspirations of those professional pioneers over a decade ago.

All four came about after a few amateurish mistakes and debates, but all four will provide building blocks and valuable lessons for the future.

They are:

1. The announcement that two Italian teams will join the Magners League from next season.

2. The announcement that IRB have helped fund Argentina's entry into the expanded Tri-Nations in 2012.

3. The tug of war between Stade Franšais and England for James Haskell's services.

4. The announcement that the Springboks will pick overseas-based players for their Test against Wales in June.

The first two speak for themselves and I'm sure that everyone will agree that exposing Italian and Argentine sides to more international competition is in the best interests of the countries involved and the sport in general.

The last two however will continue to be topics of hot debate in coming months, but I believe both were inevitable and are positive parts of the growing process.

If rugby is to be truly professional, then the members of its workforce should be allowed to ply their trade where ever they find gainful employment.

Exotic players put bums on seats and the cross pollination of ideas and experiences can only enrich the clubs involved. Fernando Torres playing for Liverpool, Lance Armstrong cycling for team Astana or Jacques Kallis batting for the Royal Challengers Bangalore make for great viewing. Why should rugby be any different?

Italian teams would benefit greatly from a couple of quality international players joining their new Magners Leagues sides and passing on their experience. (Note the word 'quality' as opposed to 'mediocre journeymen'). Wouldn't you be attracted by a year or two in Italia?

The Haskell debacle - and it did border on the ridiculous - must be used as a lesson for the future. Don't blame Haskell for wanting to play in France and don't blame his employers for wanting him to pitch up for work.

The old club-versus-country debate is far from new and it isn't unique to rugby. A Test player playing for a foreign team is however a relatively novel concept to our sport and teething problems are to be expected. Surely this incident will ensure that there is less ambiguity in contracts signed in the future.

Rob Andrew's knee-jerk reaction in threatening to call all EPS players back from France is swimming against the tide. The world is becoming a smaller place and national unions are simply going to have to adapt.

In the words of IRB president Bernard Lapasset: "More and more we need to (achieve) a common solution together to manage this process and issues such as the number of clubs, number of players, how many foreign players are allowed in sides."

"We have different issues in front of us to discuss with the clubs and the unions. Because the economy comes first in the professional system."

Mr Lapasset, might we suggest that the establishment of a global rugby calendar, so that such discussions have a basis to work from?

Now before South African fans start sending me death threats, let me make myself clear. I'm not advocating a mass exodus of young potential Springboks to the North.

I totally agree that the lure of foreign currencies would rob the southern hemisphere of far too much talent to justify a total change in selection norms, but that is not what's happening here. (For the record, SARU does NOT have an official policy that excludes foreign-based players from selection, it's rather an unwritten rule that is open to be bent.)

Peter de Villiers has been smart enough to make it clear that he is limiting the overseas-based players eligible for selection for the June Test against Wales to only those who have already worn the Springbok jersey.

Tapping into the pool of talent and experience offered by a number of overseas Boks makes complete sense considering the jam-packed and ever-growing Test schedule. To ignore them would be short-sighted.

Fans should not be afraid that the country's brightest young talents are all going to suddenly pack their bags and chase Euros and Pounds. The truth is that a player based close to home, playing alongside or against potential team-mates, will always have a better chance of making any selection, no matter what the sport. Just ask David Beckham why he turned his back on mega-millions at the LA Galaxy to return to Europe.

No, there won't be a sudden mass exodus. Players like Wynand Olivier or Ryan Kankowski aren't going to head for Europe any time soon - they know their best chances of selection lie in being seen on a regular basis at the Bulls and Sharks. No coach is going to slave over hours of videos of foreign games when he has what he needs at home.

Southern hemisphere fans should start getting used to the sight of foreign players in SANZAR teams. If the Pumas are to be a success in the expanded Tri-Nations, Argentines are going to have to start signing contracts in the South - and soon. Worryingly, this hasn't been the trend as Juan Martin Hernandez heads back to Paris just like Pumas young gun Martin Rodriguez.

While administrators rub their hands at the prospect of all those jersey sales, let's take this opportunity to remind them of the biggest hindrance to true professionalism in rugby: Amateur match officials.

It must make club owners in France sick to think of the millions of Euros they pour into clubs only to have to accept that they will lose the majority of their away games due to poor decisions made by part-time referees intimidated by local crowds.

It would be unthinkable to spend huge amounts of money on a top lawyer if you knew the judge presiding over you case was an amateur. If rugby is going to be truly professional, the guys in the middle need to be up to the standard of those they're adjudicating.

There are a lot of great professional referees out there. But there should be a lot more.

By Ross Hastie