Money and power are at the core of the current ructions in European rugby which has seen the Heineken Cup dismantled and set the Celts at war with France and England.
But this caustic tale of greed and control on the other side of the world may yet have implications for New Zealand.
The Heineken Cup has been obliterated just as New Zealand and its Sanzar partners enter the business end of their own negotiations to restructure Super Rugby.
Such talks have never run smoothly in the past and privately all parties round the table this time are convinced there will be another fall-out of some sort.
Usual form on this is for the South Africans - who generate almost half of the total broadcast income attached to the existing deal - to threaten a withdrawal: make noises about running off to hook up with Europe.
No one ever took it seriously. New Zealand and Australia knew the threat wasn't real: the Heineken Cup was locked into is own broadcast and sponsorship commitments and doing fantastically well without South Africa.
All that has changed following the decision by the English and French clubs to resign from the Heineken Cup and create a new competition which they have already named the Rugby Champions Cup.
Invitations to join this new competition - which will run alongside not instead of respective domestic leagues - have been extended to clubs from the Aviva Premiership in England, Top 14 in France and Rabodirect12 competition which is made up of Irish, Welsh, Scottish and Italian clubs.
The Celts and Italians have indicated they don't want in and because this is a tale of greed, it's hardly fanciful that the French and English clubs may ask the South Africans if they fancy getting involved.
Already, those behind the Rugby Champions Cup are forecasting revenues in excess of $150m a season - and that may be the tip of the iceberg. If the South Africans were to be involved - and they are in the same time zone as Western Europe - the value could double.
Sanzar chief executive Greg Peters says the situation in Europe has been noted and is being monitored.
"It hasn't changed the focus, however," he said.
Sanzar are ploughing on, hopeful they can reach agreement about what format Super Rugby will take from 2016. The favoured scenario is that the competition will split into two conferences - a trans-Tasman grouping and the other made up of South African provinces and two teams from Argentina.
That may only hold limited appeal for the South Africans if the Rugby Champions Cup becomes a viable and legitimate alternative. A cross border competition with two fledgling Argentinian sides or one where the best provinces in South Africa play against the likes of Toulon, Toulouse, Racing Metro, Northampton, Saracens and Harlequins?
The latter would entail less travel and more money. They can keep the hugely popular and lucrative Currie Cup as is and also their place in the Rugby Champions Cup The reality is that South Africa don't crave provincial contact with New Zealand - they just want certainty of regular tests against the All Blacks.
- By Gregor Paul
