An era where the strong grow stronger...

WHEN Francois Pienaar accepted the William Webb Ellis trophy from Nelson Mandela in the emotionally charged atmosphere of Ellis Park in July 1995, few appreciated that the last official amateur rugby international of any consequence had just taken place.

On the eve of what promises to be another action packed rugby season, the tenth anniversary of the decision to convert to professional status offers a time for reflection. When the International Rugby Board announced its decision in Paris ten years ago this weekend, the nature of the game changed utterly.

Inevitably, the final catalyst for change was forced upon the sport’s governing body by outside commercial interests. When Australian media mogul Kerry Packer lost the television rights to Rupert Murdoch for Australian rugby league, he looked to rugby union as a means of compensation. A group known as the Rugby World Corporation, with substantial financial backing from Packer, approached all the top international rugby squads during the world cup, with a blueprint for a professional game. The frame-work for a professional league of rugby union on a global basis had been established and was within weeks of happening.