Two significant things happened this week which should deepen the concerns of those in charge of our two biggest sports.
One was the departure of Aaron Cruden. The other was Stephen Fleming's suggestion that New Zealand Cricket should focus on the short forms of the game.
Let's start with Cruden. Sure he's dropped behind Beauden Barrett in the pecking order, but he's still a world-class first five-eighth. In the All Blacks environment where rugby is a 23-man game, Cruden remains an important player. He's not the first player to say au revoir to the black jersey, and he certainly won't be the last. Those who've been tempted by the euro, the pound or the yen have either been elder statesmen, or those on the fringes of Steve Hansen's squad.
What's concerning about Cruden is that he is neither. He's just turned 28, is firmly entrenched in Hansen's plans, and theoretically still has much to offer in the black jersey.
The pull of the All Black jersey has been like gravity to the very best, but with foreign contracts moving into another stratosphere it will become increasingly difficult for NZ Rugby bosses to keep players' feet on home soil. Ben Smith is expected to head to France too, but his situation is different. An A-list star for sure, but approaching his 31st birthday and with a family to consider, his departure would be entirely understandable.
Cruden's departure though, suggests we are edging ever closer to seeing premium All Black talent - a first-team player in their prime - choose security over sentiment. When that day inevitably comes, All Black rugby will need to be stronger than ever, and the player pool deeper than ever.
Likewise, Fleming's comments suggest a shift in attitude is coming for cricket, if it hasn't already happened. Twenty20 cricket isn't the future - it's here right now.
Most of the current crop of Blackcaps will tell you Test cricket remains the pinnacle, and the format needs that attitude to remain as it desperately clings to relevance. The reality however is that T20 pays the bills, and just like French rugby clubs, it's foreign franchises that offer financial security for our leading cricketers.
As one of our finest Test captains, you might expect Fleming to sell the five-day dream, but given he's coaching in the Indian Premier League and the Big Bash, he knows the dream is dying.
The problem with Fleming's suggestion is while the skillset of New Zealand players may well suit the shorter formats, it also increases the possibility that our leading players will choose T20 cash over the black cap at a much earlier stage of their career. Like their rugby counterparts, New Zealand Cricket bosses must know that within the next five to 10 years, a burgeoning Kiwi cricketing talent in all three formats of the game will probably make the call to sell their skills on a T20 circuit that is becoming more lucrative and appealing by the year.
