From farcical citings, rugby scandals and questions raised over the popularity of the game there's been more than enough on-and-off the filed issues that kept the rugby world buzzing and we took a closer look at some of these issues and what we'd like to see in 2010.

The 2009 rugby season has been a rollercoaster ride and there's been plenty of contentious issues arising from the game throughout the year and the rugby365 team has decided to put together a "wishlist" for the blockbuster year ahead.

Move toward a global season

In the wake of SANZAR's announcement of the expanded Super 15 series along with the expanded Tri-Nations it will be hard to find a place on the rugby calendar for any new tournament in any part of the world. Rugby, unofficially, is already on a global time-table with non-stop action taking place all over the world at any time.

So, why not officially make it a global season and avoid the annual issue of player-burnout? SANZAR's (South Africa, New Zealand and Australia Rugby) top players are exposed to the rigours and intensity of the Super 14 and Test rugby all-year long. And this explains why so many franchises were heavily hit with injuries during the opening rounds of this year's Super 14 tournament and is why there could a similar situation in 2010.

A global system would allow teams to manage players better and would most certainly make it easier keep track of what's happening all around the rugby world.

Clarity on rugby contract loopholes

The Jaque Fourie contract saga put South Africa's contracting system under the spotlight and the player's subsequent victory at the arbitration hearing has further questioned the clout of the current system.

Willem Alberts and Louis Ludik have since left the Lions after their respective legal teams found similar "loopholes" in their contracts while the Cheetahs and Lions are also currently embroiled in a tug-o-war over the services of scrumhalf JP Joubert.

SARPA (SA Players Association) CEO, Peet Haymans has even admitted that the Association's "Standard Player Contract" is not watertight and we hope that these silly contractual issues won't be commonplace in 2010.

Clarity on the Boks' overseas "policy"

Springbok coach Peter de Villiers made an about-turn on his so-called overseas "policy" when he called up CJ van der Linde, BJ Botha and Jean de Villiers for the year-end tour after stressing at the beginning of the year that you can only play for the Boks if you ply your trade locally.

According to De Villiers, SA Rugby never had a policy on foreign-based players and it was a "Peter de Villiers" policy not to select foreign Boks. He is yet to come out and admit to changing his views and we all hope 2010 will be a year in which the best will play for the Boks, no matter where they currently ply their trade.

The return of proper tours including midweek games.

When the British and Irish Lions left South Africa, rugby returned to its predictable self and while the international playing calendar remains a complex issue, the series illustrated the true value of old-fashioned rugby tours and is why we feel it's time to re-introduce this lost tradition.

Tours ceased in the professional era and the only way it can be revived is in the established June Test window.

The Tri-Nations, much like the Super Rugby format has lost its aura and implementing tours will cause a revival in Test rugby and it would also decrease the workload on players. The International Rugby Board are consideringh a return to traditional international tours however, logistically it could become a nightmare. Rugby remains a game deeply rooted in tradition and officials will have to revisit this to avoid the rumblings of a "rugby recession" become reality.

Breakdown law review

The breakdown still remains the most contentious issue in world rugby and often has fans and players up in arms whenever a referee awards a penalty at the contact area.

Former All Black scrumhalf Justin Marshall recently propagated a law in which the tackler has no rights to the ball and that the tackler just has to roll away. It would be worth just experimenting where the tackler had no rights to give some advantage to attacking teams and encouragement for teams to attack. By allowing the tackler on his feet to hang on to the ball has definitely aided defences and the laws at the moment certainly doesn't need to aid defence.

  • On page two, we list five more ways to improve the game...

  • What do you think of these suggestions? Leave your comments below!