Elite international sport is a product in its own right

A YEAR after plans for the European Super League triggered mass pearl-clutching, the realities of modern sport continue to be felt.

The Super League idea withered in the face of fan outrage in England but the idea, or one close to it, will materialise soon.

UEFA started to shape that way with their new Champions League proposals and, while they were diluted, the move towards a competition based on power and prestige rather than achievement will not be stopped.

It is possible and maybe correct to lament this, but the way these plans are treated with shock, as if money only started influencing decisions in the last fortnight, is pathetic.

The spectacle of modern elite sport is largely reliant on money. And moves to change rugby’s international calendar illustrate that, too.

The game has stirred passions in parts of the world for a century and a half, but the top end is now a product.

That is reflected in these new plans, which are about packaging the Test game, outside of the Six Nations and the Rugby Championship, in a way that is most attractive to broadcasters.

Bemoan it if you must, but what do you expect? Rugby has been transformed since turning professional, with the European Cup a good example of what TV money can help create.

Greed isn’t good, but it cannot be resisted.