 Millar played 37 times for Ireland |
The International Rugby Board is hoping that in future World Cups there will be up 10 teams capable of winning the William Webb Ellis trophy. Chairman Syd Millar believes that there is an all-round improvement in teams from the top echelons to the bottom.
He also answered criticism of the way that the IRB were financing the minnows in the game saying that it is not just a simple matter of handing over cash.
Millar told this website that there were three stumbling blocks associated with teams at the lower end of the scale.
"You have the financial problem, but that is compounded by a competition problem, and then there is the player-release problem," said the workaholic Ulsterman who as a player, coach and administrator at the highest level has given 50 years service to the game.
"The IRB can deal with the latter two, but the former is more difficult. It is going to be a long haul.
"We are going to address these problems in November through a working party. Personally, I would like to get in a high-powered economist who can help us decide what way we should apportion finance for the next World Cup.
 |  Some of the established unions are losing money |
"The gap between the wealthy unions and the poorer unions is widening, and the IRB will have to do something about that. We need strategic financing, and to identify the needs. "It's not just a rugby thing; it's a very complex job as you are dealing with different economies.
"The guys living in the islands, Georgia, and throughout Europe can go and play somewhere else and literally earn 40 or 50 times their salary back home.
"For example, I'm told that a Fijian's salary back home is �1,700, but he can go and play for an English club for �60,000. So why should he stay home?
"We will have to come up with answers. We are certainly not in the game of paying players, that's up to the unions.
"This time around we have given unions �150,000 for competing in the tournament, and those that reach the semi-final stage will receive around �350,000. That's new and considerable.
"For some of the smaller unions that is like a gold mine. But it is still not enough.
"At the same time, if you look at some of the balance sheets of some of the established unions, they are losing money. That's another problem, and maybe a touch of realism has to come in."
On the competition front, Millar hinted that the Super 12 and Tri-Nations competitions could be expanded to allow South Sea islanders to be involved.
| The lower teams are getting much better and hopefully they will continue to improve |
"If the islands, say, Tonga, Fiji and Samoa, got together as a Barbarians, the home-based players would get more competition, and hopefully that team will then play in the Super 12. "Maybe one may even look at Japan to come into the equation as well, and if the proper package was set up then the Tri-Nations could be expanded to four teams with Argentina coming in.
"In Europe, Romania and Georgia would benefit if they had a team in the European Cup to give them competition," said Millar who pointed out that teams at the top level were getting closer.
There had been talk that the World Cup would break up into two separate competitions following some one-sided games in the current tournament. The under-21 World Cup has that format, and is proving very successful.
"What we need to do is ensure that in the next few years there will be at least 10 teams capable of winning the World Cup.
"At this present moment, you could say that there are at least five or six nations who could win it. That's a change since the inaugural competition.
"Hopefully if we get things in place, we can see other nations come to the fore.
"The smaller teams like Uruguay want to play against the big guys, and they think it is marvellous to be on the same stage.
"There is no doubt while the gap is getting bigger, those lower teams are also getting much, much better. Hopefully, they will continue to improve."
MMIX
E-mail this to a friend 
Printable version 
England heroes profiled