With the new Perth Super 14 franchise making offers to rugby players from the existing clubs, the competition is heating up between the clubs to secure their valued players for next season and beyond.

The Waratahs' Lachlan Mackay will play this weekend's round against the Brumbies before deciding whether he'll head west or stay put. The Tahs are also targetting Brumbie Clyde Rathbone.

Brumbies' Mark Gerrard has decided to stay with the Canberra club and re-signed for another two years, and the Reds were delighted this week to announce that their prop Greg Holmes has decided to stay a Red as well.

And so it goes on... and will no doubt go on until the four franchises have their players locked into contracts. One thing seems certain, the Perth franchise will enter the 2006 comp with a Bang rather than a whimper! (My apologies to T.S.Eliot for totally butchering 'The Hollow Men' - but since he's long dead... )

I certainly look forward to next year's Super 14 comp. The extra team can only serve to benefit the game of rugby. Players swapping teams and clubs jostling for players is hardly new - happens all the time. These guys are professional players, who can blame any of them if they take up a better contract? We should congratulate players who've been offered lucrative contracts, they've clearly earnt them one way or another. And in the end, each player has to do what 'he' thinks will serve him the best way.

Spare a thought for the Australian Under 19s who went down to NZ's Under 19s in the U19 World Cup in South Africa overnight. The match was 25 a piece at full time and was decided by penalty kicks from the 22 metre line. The NZ boys kicked 4-2 to take the match and head into the final against South Africa who beat England to earn their spot in the final. Wowee - I'll have to check if there's a replay of that on Fox, what a nailbiter! Congratz to the Kiwis and the SA's for getting through to the final.

Later!