KEY POINTS:
Hong Kong, Denver, Dubai, Shanghai, Miami, New York, Tokyo - the New Zealand Rugby Union has no shortage of exotic venues in which to play All Black tests.
In time, it is likely the All Blacks will play them all, starting with Hong Kong in November and Denver,
either November next year or in 2010.
And they will play them all for no reason other than naked greed - throwing up questions about whether the All Black brand will survive the next few years untainted.
There is something truly unbecoming about seeing a sports team paraded around the world like dogs at a show performing for treats.
NZRU chief executive Steve Tew says playing tests on neutral soil is not just about money. "We have an obligation to grow the game," he says. "We have a strategy to help achieve growth in the game and to play meaningful games in new markets."
Roughly translated that means there is this belief that seeing an All Black test in Hong Kong will inspire thousands of youngsters in that region to pick up a rugby ball. That interest will increase after seeing how the game can be played.
It is not clear what area the NZRU thinks it is going to inspire. The expat communities of Hong Kong who will make up the majority of the crowd and who are familiar with the sport?
Or is mainland China the real target - and if so, why not play in Shanghai or at an empty and underused Olympic stadium in Beijing?
Detail is vague because the match is not to showcase the sport - it is to make money and expose the All Black sponsors in different, bigger markets.
Any growth of the game in new markets will be welcome - as that will create bigger commercial opportunities further down the track.
Tew says Hong Kong came about because both New Zealand and Australia felt there was a commercial opportunity there so they chased it.
The Denver proposal is different - the Americans came forward with the plan. Denver is on a mission to become the sporting capital of the world and thought staging an All Black test at the Mile High Stadium would help it achieve its goal.
The proposition carries no financial risk for the NZRU. They will simply name a fee which, even if ticket sales bomb or no broadcaster jumps on board, means they still get paid.
The proposal is not without risk as it won't look good for the All Black brand to play in a half-empty stadium.
The bigger picture must also be considered - how many tests can the All Blacks play in a year and what does it do for their image if they continually agree to play for money?
"We have to be careful about overplaying tests," says Tew.
"There is also the question of how many times we can play Australia for the Bledisloe Cup.
"Some people say playing extra tests is the easy option but the All Blacks are the highest priced commodity we have and we have to get exposure for our sponsors."
If the Denver proposal doesn't come off, there are other options in the US. A game against Ireland in either Boston or New York is a possibility in 2010 and USA Rugby are interested in seeing the sport grow in Miami.
Dubai has made several offers to stage tests and Super 14 games and would love to host the All Blacks. The Gulf State is not short of money.
Tew says they have to be careful about the number of tests they play so as they don't saturate the market.
As the All Blacks are to play 15 tests this year, it could well be argued they have already gone well beyond saturation point.
