David Leggat: Note to rugby chiefs: Charity begins at home

How come sorting out a handful of New Zealand's finest to represent the nation in rugby's tsunami charity match in London next month is furrowing so many brows?

Certainly it is an easier deal for the Northern Hemisphere unions to grapple with. The match is set down for March 5, when there is a break between weeks three and four of the Six Nations Championship.

Take four players from each of those countries and Clive's your uncle.

It's trickier for the Southern Hemisphere where the Super 12 is in full swing. Or is it?

Why can't the Rugby Union get on the blower to South Africa and Australia, agree to have one test player per franchise (yes, even the dear old Bulls have several Springboks) get on the plane, throw in a mix of Argentines, Pacific Islanders, a couple of Japanese and there you have it?

In the early days of the Twickenham match being mooted, it sounded just a touch as if the union was twitchy about upsetting its franchises.

Sorry, franchises. There are some things bigger than the Super 12 and I'd respectfully suggest rugby doing it's bit for a global disaster might just pip the Highlanders versus the Stormers in importance.

That said, the International Rugby Board haven't exactly been nimble in their handling of a sensitive matter. Here's one thought on what they could have done: write a cheque for $1 million for relief assistance (in case you're wondering, that's a shot glass in the bucket of euros they've got in the safe at their Dublin HQ).

Then announce that at the end of this year, when Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Samoa, Fiji, Argentina, Tonga, Canada and Argentina are all playing tests in Europe, they will stage a bumper match with proceeds to the charity fund.

The upshot would have been a match when players are there anyway, not flying around the globe for 80 minutes, and with the likelihood of a more fulfilling occasion, rather than one which carries the risk of players glancing at their watches in anticipation of the flight home. 

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Some people are just born lucky.

Next week, Australian Scott Draper will tee up in the New Zealand Open golf championships at Gulf Harbour.

The 30-year-old secured his Australian PGA Tour card a few weeks ago and is now looking forward to a long and happy career as a golf pro.

If the name sounds familiar it's because he's the same Scott Draper who won the Australian Open mixed doubles tennis title at Melbourne last weekend.

It's not quite the same as being a double international, but you get the drift. Draper, like Jeff Wilson, is an uncommonly talented individual.

He has the luxury of being able to pursue success at top level in two individual sports.

Here's Draper on his plans for the coming year.

"I'm playing golf for the next eight weeks. The only thing that might upset it is the [tennis] Davis Cup in March.

"Then there's a month and a half off, then tennis in the middle of the year, the French Open through to Wimbledon.

"Then it's back into golf, then the US Open tennis around August, then back into golf until the end of the year."

Ain't life grand.