Is this Scrum.com or FT.com? © Scrum.com

A glance at the Scrum.com homepage on Thursday morning and you could be forgiven for thinking that you had landed on ft.com or even wsj.com such was the financial focus of our leading stories.

Wasps had moved quickly to dismiss reported threats of a winding-up order due to an unpaid tax bill while the New Zealand Rugby Union was also on the defensive after announcing record losses for the previous financial year. But in a classic case of burying bad news, the NZRU along with their SANZAR partners Australia and South Africa announced a bumper windfall courtesy of a new broadcasting rights deal with Sky Television (New Zealand), Supersport (South Africa) and Fox Sports (Australia). With the global economic pinch still wreaking havoc around the world it is perhaps not surprising that your favourite rugby destination would have such a slant, but it didn't stop there.

The most worrying development of the day was that playing out in Melbourne with the ugly word 'cheat' accompanying our other finance-based story of the day. Heralded by some commentators as the most shocking sports story to have ever surfaced in Australia, the Melbourne Storm's blatant and systematic abuse of the salary cap sent a web-based tidal wave across the country and then across the globe.

The fortunes of an Australian rugby league side may not seem that important to an ardent follower of union until you learn that the man accused of being the architect of the deception is Brian Waldron - the Storm's former chief executive who you may remember took the reins at Super Rugby expansion side the Melbourne Rebels earlier this year. I must stress that at present it is still not clear as to what role Waldron may have played, if any, in the scandal but it is hard to imagine the chief executive not being aware of such a set-up having been in charge of the team over the period in question.

John Hartigan, chairman of News Limited who are the owners of the Storm, left little doubt about his feelings having pinpointed Waldron as the orchestrator of his side's downfall. "In my view if we are to be honest as a company and as a sport we should look further than just rugby league," he said. "We don't want people like that in sport in Australia. It is entirely up to the Rebels."

If Waldron is dragged further into the mire of secret payments to players - with a possible criminal investigation pending - then it is safe to assume his days at the fledgling franchise are numbered. These things have a tendency to snowball and you can't help but sense that the figures accompanying the headlines are just the tip of the iceberg and Waldron will have to survive a whole different kind of storm if he is still to be in charge when the first season of Super 15 rugby rolls around.

The Rebels could wait to see how this scenario plays out but they may be better served by acting now in a bid to preserve their efforts to establish the new side in the sports-mad city. They can't afford to see their name sullied as they fight to find a following - this period in the lead up to their competitive bow is all about building bridges with fans, the media and sponsors and this can't be done with a cloud of negativity hanging over the team.

The Australian Rugby Union will also no doubt be taking a close interest in the matter as they look to capitalise on what is set to be a rocky few weeks for the 13-man code and at the same time preserve the integrity of the Rebels who are the only wholly privately-owned Australian Super Rugby franchise.

"It is clear from a Melbourne Storm perspective there will be more details to come and we will follow the situation with interest," said ARU spokesman Peter Jenkins. So will we.

The wait is almost over for rugby fans around the world - general ticket sales for Rugby World Cup 2011 will begin next Tuesday with 750,000 up for grabs in what organisers are calling 'phase 1' of the process.

Tickets will be released through Venue Pool Packs and Team Pool Packs and fans who apply will also have the option of adding a Quarter-final Weekend Pack in Wellington or Christchurch and/or Tickets to the Bronze Final to their application. Initial applications will close on Friday, May 21 but get ahead of the game and pre-register here.

The second phase will see individual tickets for all matches except the semi-finals and the Final released. This is expected to occur in August or September. The third phase will feature a ballot system for tickets to the semi-finals and the Final. Applicants from the first two phases will receive one entry into the ballots for each ticket applied for in earlier phases. Any remaining tickets will go on general sale in 2011.

Tournament organisers will be keen observers from Tuesday onwards as they look to leverage the only revenue-making tool available to them in their bid to cover costs. But there have already been promising signs in terms of ticket sales in the domestic market and travel agents have also reported good business with a further spike guaranteed in the coming weeks as interest intensifies.

The IRB have also launched an ad campaign as part of their quest to protect fans - and their own trademarks - with a TV spot under the title of 'Don't Get Let Down' which urges fans to only buy tickets, hospitality and merchandise from official suppliers. Watch the advert here.

Next Tuesday also marks 500 days until the start of the tournament and if you need your interest sparked even further check out the promotional clip below along with the Feelers' cover of a Jesus Jones classic as the soundtrack.

Ma'a Nonu's secret is out - he is a massive fan of The Wiggles! © Twitpic

It was not too surprising to read this week that the billions of tweets being written and more importantly read have got the dollar signs rolling in the eyes of some of the web's leading players. Let's hope that Twitter remains ad-free, as that is surely one of its strengths, but I'm not quite sure how long it can hold out on that in the face of its growing popularity.

Anyway - enough series stuff - back to the joys of the latest micro-blogs of the rugby world's rich and moderately famous.

"I feel like Cilla Black with the amount of questions I'm getting wondering whether Tommy Bowe is single or not."
Leinster centre Brian O'Driscoll insists he is not Irish team-mate Tommy Bowe's publicist or dating agent.

"Stena Line was impressive, so much better than lining up like cattle @ the airport, not looking forward to the 2hr bus ride though!"
Ulster prop BJ Botha delights in experiencing a ferry as volcanic fallout at the heart of the Magners League.

"I do love it when people take my tweets and spend hours commenting and mocking me. while your doing that i'm actually living a life."
Stade Francais star James Haskell bites back at his social-networking critics.

"Can't wait to play at Wembley today!! Gotta be every lads dream to play there...gonna sneak a football out there and have a kick around!"
Harlequins Danny Care looks forward to gracing the much-maligned Wembley turf in his side's Premiership clash with Saracens.

"Cutting and watering the lawn after a game then settling down to watch Britian's Got Talent. Have a word with yourself Oliver."
An insight into the domestic bliss of Bath fly-half Olly Barkley.

"@Bryan_Habana how bout you boys!! One of the best tries ever!! Finished by the man himself!! Well done bro look fwd to seeing you Friday :)"
Reds play-maker Quade Cooper is full of respect for Stormers speedster Bryan Habana ahead of their Super 14 showdown next week.

"Great result....magners o clock!"
Cardiff Blues centre Jamie Roberts looks forward to some liquid refreshment after his two tries helped see off the Scarlets.

"When I stand in my current kitchen, I can touch all 4 walls without moving my feet. The new one is much bigger."
London Irish lock Nick Kennedy looks forward to moving on to bigger and better things.

"@neyza3 bro lost last night! Should have one! Need yiu to show mw around In the summer!!!!!"
Ospreys and Wales prop Adam Jones sets up a play date with All Blacks prop Neemia Tialata for this summer when the two should clash on the international stage.

"Is well happy about Bath moving their headquarters to Wayne manor. I wonder if Brucey keeps bats underneath....."
Bath fly-half Olly Barkley again - reflecting on his side's new training base Farleigh House courtesy of the club's new owner Bruce Craig.

See you next time and don't forget you can follow my updates by clicking here.

© Sean TW Cartoons

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Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata enjoys a game of All Blacks Monopoly during his Easter break © Twitpic

Back after a short break - Tweet Treats returns to offer you an insight into the lives of rugby's rich and famous (ok, not in all cases).

Twitter continues to hit the headlines with the micro-blogging service at the heart of a story about Jonah Lomu this week. Rumours surfaced on the web that the All Blacks great had died of a heart attack in France. The hoax was swiftly denied by his club Marseille-Vitrolles but not before one fan called Amemait had lamented the loss with this priceless Tweet - "All my childhood idols are dying. Steve Irwin, Edmund Hillary, Jonah Lomu, that guy from Jaws."

Here's what the rest of the rugby world have been talking about on Twitter of late:

"The wire is over. I now have my life back!"
Ireland and Munster lock Paul O'Connell admits to a high-quality TV addiction.

"Loving Easter, psyched for Jonathan creek tonight."
Newcastle's Tom Biggs admits to a crap TV addiction.

"Feels like he's been in a train collision, only without his own train"
Bath centre Olly Barkley reflects on his side's crushing Premiership loss to Leicester.

Sending my first tweet from my #iPad. Wow there is no way anyone can slate this thing once they have played with it. Amazing!! Photos soon"
Gloucester's Andy Hazell is in love with his latest techy toy.

"Going on my 2nd ever stag do on saturday. All I'm allowed to bring is a tux, musical instrument and a fold out garden chair."
London Irish lock Nick Kennedy admits to some nerves ahead of a trip to Bournemouth - did he return in one piece?

"Chocolate seems so much nicer in egg format."
Leinster stalwart Brian O'Driscoll admits to a chocolate fix over the Easter weekend.

"Just finished putting two bedside tables together!! Feeling very proud of myself!!"
A small victory for Wales and Ospreys prop Adam Jones.

"I suck! I own 2stadiums & most expensive players/street Milz $350 and Richie $400.I have $382 &eggs 2spend:) Help!"
Hurricanes prop Neemia Tialata enjoys a game of All Blacks monopoly during his Easter celebrations.

"Having a quick expresso before our psychotic fitness trainer gets stuck into us this morning! If you dont hear from me,he has done me in!"
Sharks skipper John Smit braces himself for training.

"Happy Easter 2 everyone!! Isn't it amazing that JC died for all our sins just so that we can have relationship with God. Be blessed"
Stormers speedster Bryan Habana issues a reminder to his followers that Easter is not all about stuffing your face.

"I like pizza."
Blues and All Blacks lock Ali Williams continues his re-hab from a season-ending Achilles injury.

Could a clash between the winners of the Heineken Cup and Super Rugby competition be staged every year? © Getty Images

It must have been about a year since the last attempts to stir up the prospect of a 'north v south' showdown so it was no surprise to see the subject hit the headlines once again this week. But surprisingly the latest call came from Premier Rugby chief Mark McCafferty who, not content with tinkering with how the game is played in England's top flight, revealed that an annual clash between the Heineken Cup winners and the Super Rugby champions is in the pipeline. Surely if anyone should be leading the debate it should be the European Rugby Cup suits?

The potential financial windfall for those clubs involved is no doubt the driving force behind the latest attempts to get this idea off the ground but it was interesting to see McCafferty go public with the plans in the shadow of the Heineken Cup quarter-finals where Northampton are the only English side still in the mix - England's worst performance in the competition since 1999 - the year they boycotted the tournament.

The push for an official Six Nations v Tri-Nations showdown has run out of steam with the southern hemisphere's finest now annual visitors to these shores and it is that same November window that McCafferty appears to have set his sights on for a club v franchise clash with an early December clash put forward for consideration.

The problem is that any fixture staged then would lack any real credibility due to the fact that the new European season would be in its infancy while the leading players from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa would be coming to the end of a gruelling 11-month season. For fans in the north, the focus will be on the new season and representing the Heineken Cup would mean little considering the fact that the latest battle for European supremacy will have already kicked off the previous month. These one-off games have previously done little for the game and held little attraction - anyone remember the Orange Cup play-off between the Premiership and Top 14 champions? Admittedly the World Club Challenge in rugby league continues to thrive but the rugby union calendar is not nearly as accomodating.

The international matches at that time of year do well to retain significant interest considering the same factors while the problems for a side like the Waratahs for example, of re-grouping for one game months after the end of their domestic campaign would be numerous. The players would have long since returned to club duty or been busy on international duty. But we can at least assume that the majority of the leading southern hemisphere players will be in Europe on tour with their respective countries.

Some suggest a more sensible option would be to schedule a game in early June ahead of the international season but as of next year with a new-look structure to the southern hemisphere season the Super 15 season will only just be warming up - the expanded competition will start in late February and take a break for the June internationals before resuming to a finish in early August.

An August date for a world club challenge will have its own problems - a fixture clash with the Tri-Nations, Air NZ Cup and Currie Cup plus the fact that the northern hemisphere players will have just returned from their already limited off-season - but the idea in general has its attractions. Just think, Heineken Cup winner and Super 15 champion are crowned in May and August respectively with a showpiece clash taking place later in the year to a guaranteed packed house in either hemisphere - or even on the road to Japan, Russia or the USA? But would concerns over player welfare trump any financial incentive?

SANZAR may have poured cold water on this idea but crucially admitted some interest in the concept. In other words, cut us a big enough slice of the pie and then we can make it happen.

The apparent pipe dream that is a global season may be a long way off but World Club Challenge match each year could really be a big plus for the sport, for fans, broadcasters and sponsors. But sadly it would appear until the north and south are aligned this is not going to get off the ground - and as the chances of that are remote then the proposal is doomed.