As the dream of a global season quickly turns into a nightmare there is one statistic which shows just how outdated the present structure of the international game is.
The Highlanders have been dealt a blow hours out from their match against the Chiefs tonight as first-five Josh Ioane has been pulled from the game after sustaining an injury during training.
Super Rugby Aotearoa gets back into business on Saturday. But are the Highlanders the ugly duckling in this rather exclusive gathering? Rugby writer Steve Hepburn takes a look.