The problem lies less with the structure than the very simple fact that I do not think any of Wales, Italy, Scotland or Ireland - dissolving the Pro12 gives them little choice but to follow a similar model - has the finance or player resources to have a domestic professional competition that will do most of the work in providing internationals and provide a decent career to rugby players produced at home. I just don't think it's a goer. Particularly as only 2 HEC teams would mean less HEC money.
Maybe the Pro 12 will have to be dissolved or heavily remodelled. I don't know, although I would not be at all surprised if it has the same teams next year. But I don't think there's any going back to primarily domestic rugby for these countries. They're too small, rugby's too small. Maybe if we completely adopted the Super Rugby model, maybe - maybe that would produce enough money to subsidise a secondary domestic level of pro rugby. But that would require a huge change from everyone.
