Welcome to rugby 2008!
2007 was a memorable year for rugby in only its twelfth year of full professionalism.
It began ignominiously, with tiresome political arguments in both hemispheres. It ended with South Africa lifting the World Cup at the end of the best tournament yet, after a year in which finals everywhere went to the wire and fans were treated to more top-class rugby than ever in both stadium and living room.
The year is nearly at an end, but 2008 promises to bring an interesting mix of change and experimentation to rugby fans, as the game once again goes through a minor revolution.
The laws of the game, often indecipherable to the uninitiated in any case, are about to change once more, potentially leaving even the experienced fan confused for much of the season. The Super 14 will herald the introduction to top-level rugby of some - not all - of the Experimental Law Variations, which are targeted to become standard practice in rugby all over the world by the end of the year. The nations of the south, once again fuelled by the sponsors' money and the need for audience wowing to keep money flowing in, are pioneering a new form of the game and the jury is still out as to whether it is desirable or functional. The nations of the north are looking south with frowns and scowls.
But there is a whole new population of Super Rugby players to wow the fans as well. Established names - think Gregan, Latham, Larkham, Smit, Montgomery, Cronje, Gear, Mauger and Kelleher - have all headed for the pension funds at clubs in the north. New names - Holmes, Cooper, Beale, Ralapelle, Kirchner, Kankowski, Smith, Brett, and Ellis - are lining up to fill the shirts and improve on the benchmarks.
The game in the north is in as healthy a state as has been for some time. Unions and league governing bodies appear to be working well with each other after a decade of petty squabbles, and the fans are flooding through the turnstiles. This year's Heineken Cup, another record-breaker in terms of audience figures, is building towards a mesmerising climax already, and with more than just English and French teams in the mix this time.
Half of the Six Nations have new coaches - watch out for what Nick Mallett could do for Italy and Warren Gatland for Wales especially - while there will be the usual post-World Cup introduction of fresh young faces who could be global stars by the time New Zealand opens her turnstiles in 2011. Names to watch out for include Danny Cipriani, Morgan Stoddart, Loic Jacquet, and John Barclay.
Domestic seasons once again culminate at the end of May, with final after final all over the World.The Magners League's weekend of final drama is that of May 9. The Heineken Cup climaxes in Cardiff on May 24, The Guinness Premiership and Super 14 a week later. Four weeks later the French Top 14, delayed by the World Cup, will finish on June 28 in the sticky heat of the Parisian summer.
By then of course, we could even have the Experimental Law Variations in force in international rugby during the June Tests and/or Tri-Nations, although the November Test series are a more likely turning point. The Tri-Nations will once again consist of nine fixtures rather than just six, taking it from early July to mid-September. By that time, Europe's leagues will once again have kicked off - potentially with the new laws governing their games - just as the Air New Zealand Cup and Currie Cup start to move towards their finales. By November, Test rugby all over the world is likely to have been changed by the new laws, with the tackle/ruck/maul and line-out revolutionised. Rugby may never be the same again.
And then 2009 will shimmer onto the horizon - and with it the Lions in South Africa. But for now, it is set to be a fascinating twelve months for rugby fans everywhere as the beautiful game continues to evolve. A happy 2008 to you all!