KEY POINTS:
The International Rugby Board (IRB) hierarchy has swiftly moved on after endorsing Auckland's Eden Park as the 2011 World Cup finals venue -- switching focus to several other pressing issues relating to the future of New Zealand's national sport.
The IRB's executive committee met in Auckland today to
try and work their way through a variety of obstacles, notably the co-ordination of an integrated season between the northern and southern hemispheres and finding an appropriate competition for Argentina's Pumas to play in on an annual basis.
Naturally the game's laws, particularly at the bewildering breakdown, will also be discussed though IRB chairman Dr Syd Millar warned there would be no quick fix to any of the identified stumbling blocks.
There could also be ramifications for New Zealand's hosting of the 2011 World Cup.
Although Dr Millar eased any fears by giving Eden Park the thumbs up yesterday it is possible the tournament will only involve 16 teams in a bid to lessen the prospect of mismatches in the pool stages.
Twenty teams will start the this September's tournament in France where massive wins by powerhouses over the minnows is inevitable.
The All Blacks, for example, can expect to thrash Romania and the final qualifier to their pool -- either Uruguay or Portugal.
"It's not realistic to suggest we have amateur teams playing against professional teams in this day and age," Dr Millar said.
The IRB are also looking at reorganising the selection criteria, an elongated process which involved 86 teams trying to qualify.
An English initiative has previously suggested two World Cups run side by side for top tier nations and the next level though Dr Miller said that was impractical because amateurs would not get sufficient time off work.
The former Irish and Lions forward said agreement over an integrated season was a bigger priority as the IRB try and negotiate with unions in both hemispheres although he admitted it was unlikely there would ever be a situation where team from the north and south would play tests in the same window.
He said an integrated season was designed to ensure competitions such as the Heineken Cup did not overlap with test commitments and therefore lead to a situation where clubs would not release players for international duty.
"What we have is nine options, we're throwing everything on the table," Dr Millar said.
"We've been looking at it for a long time but every time an option is produced there's a reason for not doing it.
'I would hope we would narrow it down to two or three options and concentrate on them," he said.
The future of the Pumas is another hot topic -- following suggestions they could be added to an expanded Tri-Nations -- though Dr Millar said the IRB could exert no pressure on Sanzar to accommodate the South Americans.
"We have to somehow give them a competition. It's all right giving them money but money won't solve their problem," he said.
Argentina, ranked No 6 in the world, have no annual competition and constantly battle to have their stars released from European clubs.
Dr Miller said there was no room for them in the Six Nations because of the congested playing schedule and said ideally a strong competition could be established in Argentina so elite players were not forced to head north.
He also touted the prospect of Argentinian sides competing in the South African provincial competition as a prelude to joining the Tri-Nations.
"We all have to sit down and help them," he said.
The Argentinian Rugby Union made representations at government level in Australia last month to try and get the Pumas included in the Tri-Nations.
Australian Rugby Union chief executive Gary Flowers welcomed the prospect but said entry into the competition next year could be premature as it would require the renegotiation of television contracts signed until 2010.
- NZPA
