Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Brian Moore reflects on the rugby year and ahead to 2012.
"New Zealand can be proud of the way it ran a high standard Rugby World Cup and the All Black’s win was deserved. Unfortunately, the financial return for the International Rugby Board means it cannot invest the amounts necessary to develop lower ranked nations over the next four years and further close the gap between them and higher ranked Unions.
"The consistent theme of the past year has been the tension between the rich and poor, the professional and the amateur, and without careful stewardship there is every chance that rugby will not make the right decisions for its long term good.
"At international level, the claim of former All Black coach Lauire Mains that as the No 1 in world rugby the Kiwis are entitled to a greater share of the profits from the World Cup is in nobody’s interests but New Zealand.
"A World Cup cannot and should not be run among a few existing top countries and that it is in the longer term interests of rugby to see several of the presently ranked second-tier teams emerge as contenders over the next few tournaments.
"If anything, the split of profits should be disproportionately spent on lower ranked countries to advance rugby in fledgling markets, ones that have the potential to grow and enrich the game in playing, spectating and monetary terms."
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