SADLY a sizeable chunk of the 66,490 crowd at the Millennium Stadium last weekend won't have cared a jot that Northampton was next to the name of George North in their £5 programme or that Paul James plies his trade at the Rec rather than the Liberty Stadium.

The number of Warren Gatland's squad that play their rugby outside of Wales is steadily on the increase; a hammer blow to the fortunes of the already struggling regions.

And the biggest threat to the sport in the country is apathy.

The shock contract news of the summer was when Toby Faletau penned a fresh deal at Newport Gwent Dragons.

The number eight, Cardiff Blues wing Alex Cuthbert and Ospreys fly-half Dan Biggar are in a minority when it comes to staying in Wales.

Not too many jaws will have dropped when it emerged that Scarlets centre Jonathan Davies is off to Clermont Auvergne, following international teammates North, Dan Lydiate, Jamie Roberts, James Hook and Luke Charteris in 'seeking a fresh challenge'.

Leigh Halfpenny, Alun Wyn Jones, Ian Evans and Sam Warburton could soon be extolling the virtues of a change in lifestyle and relishing the chance to experience a new rugby culture outside of the Welsh goldfish bowl.

Nobody blames them, they are being offering big sums and irresistible contracts to play an increasingly physical game where the next big hit could jeopardise their earning power.

This is not a fresh situation and little has been done to find a solution apart from the Welsh Rugby Union and the regions pledging to work together.

There has been plenty of hot air, gallons of coffee drunk and mountains of biscuits eaten but precious little action.

Chief executive Roger Lewis has gone on record as saying the WRU want more control and the regions don't want to give it. Nobody is blinking and the status quo is killing the game.

And little is more dangerous than a short-term view that is often trotted out – 'we've had this problem before with rugby league, at least they can still play for Wales'.

That opinion is often combined with extolling the positives of the next generation getting to play regular rugby.

Forget that. Young talent on the region's books will suffer.

Newport Gwent Dragons locks Cory Hill and Matthew Screech do not have the chance to learn their trade alongside Charteris, teenage flankers Scott Matthews, James Benjamin and Ollie Griffiths are not watching how hard Lydiate grafts in training while Jack Dixon, Hallam Amos and Tyler Morgan are not honing their skills in a backline that features Aled Brew.

And the Rodney Parade region has not suffered as badly as the Scarlets, Cardiff Blues and Ospreys in terms of big name departures.

At the moment the bean counters at the Millennium Stadium won't care as long as the fans keep coming through the turnstyles for autumn internationals and Six Nations.

Twickenham may still be the home of the prawn sandwich brigade but the wax jacket count is on the up in Cardiff.

Folk that don't head to Rodney Parade, the Liberty, Parc y Scarlets or the Arms Park won't care that the Welsh squad are being paid in Euros as long as they have a release in their contract for the entire autumn series.

Maybe they will be bothered when the current crop is flogged by the French or when the next batch of internationals fail to fulfil their potential.

Wales frequently fail against southern hemisphere big guns but their success against European rivals has prevented the bubble from bursting. However, those that care about regional and club rugby can see major trouble ahead.