That's a good point, and well said too.
Brian Westlake I've heard of the schoolboy broadcasting in New Zealand before, and it had me thinking recently about the feasibility of such an operation.
Even though most would say that "It's only schoolboy rugby, boys should concentrate on studies and not playing on television" if the 'arms race' (as it's been so aptly named) continues to progress exponentially like it has been recently, with the players sole goal to play Rugby at a high level and not so much of an educational focus, it wouldn't surprise me if a national schoolboy competition like the one in New Zealand was implemented. If rugby ever got to that point in Australia a TV deal would surely come knocking soon.
If it does, will the arms race continue or even grow faster, eventually becoming an intrinsic part of the competition?
Maybe the best way to regulate the arms race and avoid situations like this Player X midyear entry fiasco entirely would be to accept it and move on. Having their college football games on TV hasn't seemed to stop American students from concentrating on their studies if they so choose, and there are methods imposed on the players themselves to make sure they maintain their studies.
What are the forum's thoughts? I'd love to foster some debate on the merits of this with anyone interested.