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MARSEILLE - Every man has his price says All Blacks hooker Anton Oliver, who can see a day when all of New Zealand's best rugby players will be lured offshore.
Oliver is among seven in the New Zealand World Cup squad who will ply their trade at rich French or English clubs next year.
He said for veterans such as himself, the move was a natural progression.
But he was concerned when he saw young players such as second five-eighth Luke McAlister shifting offshore when they still had plenty to offer.
This could become commonplace, Oliver feared, as the amount of money on offer in Europe continued to outpace the New Zealand market.
"At some stage along the line, money becomes a compelling reason, I don't care who you are," former captain Oliver said.
"Whether it be $1 million, $10 million, $50 million, somewhere along there, a player has to make a decision and say `I'm going to have to think about this'.
"The All Black jersey is holding that gap in at the moment... but the strength of that All Black fabric, literally, can only be stretched so far.
"Once the remuneration from overseas starts to get greater and greater, then that choice for players is more difficult to make."
The uncertainty of international sport meant it was dangerous for top players to rely on it for a steady income, Oliver added.
Selection hung on injuries, form and different coaches, meaning there was an uncertainty that was not as prevalent at a professional club.
The veteran hooker said the World Cup cycle was driving the departure pattern, with players leaving for a couple of seasons between tournaments before returning home.
"The player market's just getting a lot more liquid. This is what happens when a professional sport gets older," Oliver said.
"If you look at America, it's just about moving around. There doesn't seem to be that parochial provincialism attached to teams."
Joining Oliver (Toulon) and McAlister (Sale) in Europe next year will be prop Carl Hayman (Newcastle), winger Doug Howlett (Munster), lock Chris Jack (Saracens), halfback Byron Kelleher (Toulouse) and Aaron Mauger (Leicester)
Oliver, 31, accepted the New Zealand Rugby Union's (NZRU) decrees that only players based in New Zealand can represent the All Blacks. It is designed to prevent a mass exodus and keep the domestic game strong.
However, he wondered if a change to that rule might be a logical step in the future.
"It would mean that the union wouldn't be using up a vast amount of their salary to pay the top players and they could redistribute that money back into the New Zealand infrastructure, grassroots and rebuild it up again."
Oliver believed a global season would resolve many of rugby's problems but said it would be difficult to get buy-in from the private owners of rich northern hemisphere clubs.
- NZPA
