Professional rugby has had its ups and downs, its highs and lows.
When professionalism started, people weren't too sure about the money situation and it went from one extreme to the other - sometimes people were getting paid ridiculous amounts.
But I think now after 10 years it's finally come to a plateau where people are getting paid what they are worth.
We're better players now, without a shadow of a doubt. I played in the amateur era and you just couldn''t dedicate as much time to it.
The game has moved on so far now you need to dedicate every day of the week to rugby.
I don't think there's quite the risk of player burnout that some people fear.
With professionalism it means that when you're not playing or training, you're relaxing and your recovery time is good.
We've got great fitness coaches and great advisers who know if you're burning out; in fact many people just say burnout because they're tired.
We've also got agents coming in at the moment who realise how to look after the players' needs.
I've been in the wars in the professional era but nothing serious, touch wood. I've got a broken thumb at the moment, and I've broken my arm before, which kept me out for about three months. But thankfully that's about it.
Professionalism has been immensely successful. You only need to look at the game globally to see how far it has come in 10 years.
It's developed immensely. The physical nature is now so unrelenting and unsympathetic - almost to the point that it's ridiculous.
You look at club games 10 years ago. They were played in tiny stadia with rubbish facilities and a solitary toilet that didn't work with no toilet paper.
It was a very amateur ethos. The pitches were poor, the standard of rugby was subsequently poor, it was slow and it was not a good spectacle.
 |  We are pawns in this game of chess |
Now the majority of players in club games are internationals, putting on a wide open game and a fantastic spectacle.
There are issues with regard to the politics of the game and how it is run, specifically in England where you have the club-v-country debate.
A lot of the other countries don't have that because of central contracts. But the club-v-country issue still needs to be ironed out and sorted.
There is a danger of player burnout if it is not handled properly. We are pawns in this game of chess, we are the players.
It's for the authorities to sort out. It's very difficult for the players because the clubs own our contracts but we are off playing for England a lot of the time. Clubs want their pound of flesh and rightly so - they pay our mortgages.
For the guys playing just club rugby, player burnout is not necessarily a factor if players are managed correctly during the week and don't train too much. Because it's not just the game, it's the training as well. If they train properly it's not an issue.
The issue is for the guys playing international rugby who then come back to club rugby without any break.
The danger there is playing a lot of very hard games and when you do, there is an issue there but that is part and parcel of playing professional sport as is the fact that longevity of careers will inevitably be reduced.
Just as important as the games is the training. We are very lucky at Wasps with Warren Gatland. He sometimes says go away and mentally have a break, still work on your fitness. It's the rugby training that takes it out of you.
You can't put it down to the sheer number of matches, it's the way the players are managed during the week as well.
The change to professionalism has been pretty huge and, so far, very successful. I went to Leicester in 1997 when the club had only been professional for a year and the changes from then to now have been massive.
I think players 10 years ago would be amazed at the sort of things we get up to now.
I'm sure there is a danger of player burnout but I'm not too sure how serious the threat is. I think we are now beginning to come to terms with the amount of games in a season.
| Since the game's turned professional I've had almost every injury imaginable |
Players are happy to play games, it's just that the hits are getting bigger and harder, and the body can only take so much.
From a personal point of view, there are more games being put on the list and I think that's a money-making scheme.
There should be a limit on the number of games a top player should play - it would be good for the game. Maybe about 25, up to a maximum of 30, a year would be good.
Then some of the more seasoned players could take a break near the end of the season and allow younger players to get some welcome experience.
Personally, since the game's turned professional I've had almost every injury imaginable: a broken leg, dislocated shoulder, torn medial knee ligaments, numerous strains and pulls, along with torn tights and split hairs!
MMIX
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