Money talks as balance of rugby power shifts again

The bottom line is that Irish rugby will double its income over the next five years as a result of the new European Rugby landscape.

The neatest trick is that it will do so without any major infrastructural change to the season, and in a way that will strengthen the soon-to-be rebranded Pro12 as well.

The alternative to the new structure looked at one point as if it could have seen the sport falling off a cliff, with different factions heading off to play among themselves.