It's official - you may have just witnessed the last Tri-Nations ever!

The SA Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) eNews channel this week aired an interview with Oregan Hoskins in which the head of Springbok rugby calmly and confidently discussed strategies to possibly integrate South Africa into the Six Nations tournament rather than continue as a third wheel with our South Sea friends, Australia and New Zealand.

Ink hasn't hit paper but many Springbok fans are stuck between damage control and delight about the possibilities surrounding what they regard either as a long-overdue step in the right direction or a sign of how weak South Africa's standing is within the international rugby union sphere.

Many Bok fans believe the Springboks' association with 'the Trans-Tasmanian twins' of rugby union, Australia and New Zealand, has done the South African team nothing but harm; others believe we cannot go back to being cast adrift like during the isolation years. A rugby conundrum!

The tight-knit South Sea duo have their Bledisloe Cup tradition ingrained and the economic set-up is also ALL about the Aussies and New Zealand.

When I look back to 1981, to a time when South Africa enjoyed years of rugby union dominance, the reality of what has transpired is alarmingly self-evident.

By contrast, since 1981 the All Blacks and Wallabies have stamped their collective foot on the gas in terms of professionalism and if the Boks were their supremos back, then they've been downed, and downed, and downed by these professional South Sea twins.

Aussies and Kiwis will tell you it's all about hard work and winning on the day, on the field, fair and square. But is it? I'm not so easily fooled into being told the Springboks didn't work hard enough or we didn't have the players. That's rubbish and the stats ironically point to something more sinister.

Scanning the international rugby union horizon, any fan will rapidly realise there is a vast divide between the international rugby spheres 'owned' by South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

How the spoils were divided is a long story but today a 3:2:1 ratio represents the All Blacks, Australia and South Africa's reach and economic interest in international rugby.

In just 25 years, South Africa has gone from being a powerful force in amateur rugby union to being a butt freckle bounced about each time these professional rugby mega-twins flex their gluts.

To make matters worse for the Springboks, these guys are not playing games with their investment interests and have little financial desire to ever allow the Springboks to reign over them again.

International coaching jobs, player-coaches, administrators, foreign player contracts, commentators, journalists and such and such all the way down to your simple school PE master are at stake. The 3:2:1 ratio runs deep, without talking about television revenues, endorsements or the loot and lolly of the game.

I doubt this monopoly can ever be downed but think this move towards the Six-Nations by South Africa might be one positive step on the road of 1,000 miles to a New World Order in rugby union.

Argentina's inclusion could witness a fierce new Eight Nations tournament and the All Blacks and Australia could happily continue their relationship.

This 'piggy-in-the-middle' Tri-Nations experience was a painful one for the Springboks while the All Blacks and Wallabies flourished. 

The 'big money' behind the game will benefit both ways. But maybe, just maybe, the Springboks will have a shot at a more equitable 2:2:2:2 relationship within the Eight Nations, even if it means more regular losses on the field.

For now, I'm celebrating like it's 1981 and reviving the now almost absurd notion that the Springboks have a stronger position than a 1:5 stacked-deck gamble against Australia and New Zealand.

Who knows, maybe one day the Warren Gatlands, the Robbie Deanses, the John Kirwans, the Eddie Joneses, the Michael Joneses, the Illie Tabuas and Carlos Spencers etc, etc will be replaced by Eight-Nations stars in a world of rugby union equity kick-started by the death of the Tri-Nations.

Happy days!