BRACE yourselves for a brave new world. Rugby is set to be revolutionised in the next five years if we are to believe the voices from various figures in union and league.

Once again, the talk is of merger. Not of course because the supporters want it but because the chairmen are crying out for more dosh.

First, Leicester Tigers head coach Dean Richards bounced the idea about last week, declaring: "The two sports are getting closer and closer and there is every possibility that a merger may happen."

This view was soon followed up enthusiastically by Leicester chairman Peter Tom.

"I believe the two codes will merge and that could happen in five years," he said.

"People in both codes will be saying 'Sacrilege, never, never, never! But we recognise that, commercially, we are all in the entertainment business, be it union or league."

The description entertainment is the interesting bit here. I've always thought that market forces dictate what we see as entertainment. The industry is surely driven by what the 'customers' want.

You can accuse me of being negative towards the idea of merging rugby union and league but I don't know anyone who is in favour of it. Ask anybody if they would like to see the traditions of both codes ripped up and they will shudder at the thought. The whole argument for the creation of this hybrid form of rugby is not of course for the supporters' benefit, it is for the on-going commercial viability of both sports.

This season each Premiership club is set to bank £1.8 million from the new BSkyB television deal while, in comparison, Super League clubs will receive £900,000 and £600,000 next year. However, with desperate crowds in union and a decreasing pay packet in league, the argument for change has come from the business world.

According to one sports finance analyst, the urge to merge is irresistible.

Television

He said: "Both codes have realised that it's players wages that are the key area and both have introduced are operating salary caps. But the loss of Jason Robinson to union shows the problem that league could have with that. The money they are getting from the News Corporation television deal is being reduced in £50,000 slugs."

The merger plan has also been given powerful support from Chris Anderson, Australia's former World Cup coach and a highly respected figure with league followers in both hemispheres after success with Halifax, Canterbury and Melbourne.

He said: "If I was a businessman, I think the two codes would be smart if they got together instead of splitting the money.

"If Australia had a population of 250 million, there would be probably be enough for both codes. But I think we (league) are limited in our resources and probably our strengths are our weaknesses. We could then have a truly national club competition."

So, despite the calls from the terraces that nobody wants the new sport, the industry might well just go ahead and implement it anyway. However, it would be a dangerous move. The supporter base, already stretched, would be completely pulled apart at the seams. The organisation of clubs throughout the world would be thrown into complete disarray not to mention the league systems.

Instead of trying to look of ways around it, why doesn't rugby examine itself and think of how to improve things. Market it more aggressively, get youngsters involved and stop dreaming up players' budgets which cannot possibly be met through gate receipts. Don't just take your ball away and start another game.

The supporters are quite happy with the separate codes. The trouble is, the people in charge just want to squeeze every penny possible out of the sport. If that means tearing up hundreds of years of history and tradition, then so be it.

The worrying thing for the 'traditionalists' is that the people with the real power to implement change have no real loyalty to anything other than the pound or dollar sign.

If Rupert Murdoch's News Corpor-ation decides the time to change is upon us, then it will happen and it does not matter how loud the supporters scream, their cries will fall on deaf ears.

So while the chairman check their balances and the latest cash offer from satellite TV, the supporters -- the base for any sport -- are being ignored once again.

Just when rugby needed them most to survive the financially back-breaking influence of professionalism, fans' views are being consigned to the dustbin.

Read Mark Dobson's In Touch every Thursday in the Evening News.