SOUTHERN hemisphere rugby administrators, eager to stop their stars heading north, are closely watching moves by the world's soccer governing bodies to restrict the number of foreign players involved with European clubs.

Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill yesterday said that if FIFA president Sepp Blatter succeeded in his bid to have quotas on foreign players, it would have a flow-on effect in rugby. "There's some things happening in Europe around football that could well impact on rugby," O'Neill said. "This involves FIFA and UEFA moving to restrict the number of foreign players that each Premier League club can have. If that comes in, it will affect UK and European rugby as well … it will be European law."

O'Neill said International Rugby Board chairman Bernard Lapasset "had said quite openly that he and Michel Platini, the UEFA president, are working with FIFA on trying to restrict UK and European clubs on how many foreign players they can have".

"I think also Australian, South African and New Zealand Rugby Unions would be saying, 'So say all of us'."

While Australia have succeeded in holding on to the bulk of their key players, despite several receiving massive offers from Europe, New Zealand has suffered appreciably this year from a player exodus. The All Blacks have recently lost several leading performers, with the latest threat being that their outstanding five-eighth Daniel Carter may shortly be leaving to play for Toulon in France.

O'Neill said it was imperative that SANZAR expanded its competitions and improved the local rugby economy so players were not tempted to look elsewhere. It was one of the reasons O'Neill has been pushing for a revamped Super 14 competition with a longer finals series, more teams and more games.

"After a slow start, the English and French clubs have got their act together and are now generating very big economies," O'Neill said. "We're got to respond in ensuring we build to a bigger scale. SANZAR must create a counterbalance to Europe, otherwise we will be confronted by the same situation as football in this country where our very best play overseas.

"We shouldn't kid ourselves. The players will go where the money is. If we create an economy in our backyard which provides them with a very good salary level, and a better lifestyle, they will stay. Doing nothing is not an option for us.

"The northern hemisphere has Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in its sights, and they make no secret about that. Unless we respond by taking control of our destiny, in 10 to 15 years' time, we will be in a pretty ordinary state."

O'Neill, who spent three years at Football Federation Australia, also stressed that Australia's top players could not complain about being under-valued.

"Our top 40 players are paid very, very good money, particularly given the number of games they play," O' Neill said. "We also haven't lost anyone to rugby league lately, so we are clearly paying players pretty well.

"The odd one we lose to the UK is in the Chris Latham category - a lot of money for someone at the end of his career - or a lifestyle issue, such as with Dan Vickerman, or an unusual circumstance such as with Rocky Elsom."