All Blacks great Andrew Mehrtens has called for New Zealand to pull out of Super Rugby and push into Asia.
Speaking to ESPN, the 70-test first-five said Super Rugby was on its last legs, and urged decision-makers to reset and create a new competition across New Zealand, Australia and Asia, effectively shunning South Africa and Argentina.
Mehrtens said South Africa should develop its own competition in Dubai while Argentina should head to North America.
"The South African player drain into Europe is killing the competition," Mehrtens said.
"I've said for a long time, we need to drop South Africa. As much as I love South Africa, logistically, it's a pain and the same with Argentina."
"Going forward, if we push into Asia, if we can develop a competition that's in the same time zone, I think it's going to be a better product."
South African-born Mehrtens believes a new, more profitable competition, driven by the growing rugby interests in Asia, will help fend off big-money offers for young talent from European clubs.
"We're up against big northern hemisphere economies in Europe and England, so Australia being strong as a rugby brand is important to New Zealand as well.
"Australia has a bigger economic footprint into Asia and I'm fully of the belief that's our future - getting into that market there and helping develop that.
"If we push into Asia, I think, at that point, New Zealand rugby has got to say, OK, we're going to allow our players to play offshore, so long as they play in our competition'.
"If they don't go to France, they don't to England or Ireland or whatever, so long as they stay in our competition and it brings teams in this new market for rugby, eventually they're going to have to face facts and still select them."
Super Rugby is set for a facelift in 2021, with the Sunwolves due to leave the competition, the scrapping of the conference system and a new six-team playoff series.
