Three English clubs interested in signing Wales' Taine Basham

Yep, hard to find a way to implement it. Legally it can only happen when they're like 18 of course right, and at that point I think they already do that with the youth today. The problem is that it's only the top echelon that can be targeted (not just financially, how can you support more high performance than what you have capacity for etc) and many quality people and rugby players fall outside that group. So once you've gone outside this HP group, others have to follow the path step by step, that's where it's hard to have a holistic approach, to contracting especially, when it has to be mixed in with Union, Club, SR developemtn squads etc.

I'm really a pro creating a national University league. They could legally require players who want to participate to bind themselves to a draft system once they league the college at around 22, which then means they're bound for the first 2/3 years following the draft etc.

That's not completely reliable and a big investment/change in and of itself of course. One other possible way NZR could get investment back is by saying "if our HP pathway doesn't offer you a future and you go overseas, you can still put your hand up to be eligible for our teams, but you won't be compensated for your time", essentially meaning you can get free All Blacks, perhaps saving a few million to invest in keeping other ABs in the country?

The idea being they'll already likely be on a similar wage to ABs (if NZR can't keep up with rising values), and their own value will increase as well as a result of being selected for the ABs, so they essentially get some compensation on their next contract. "we didn't think you'd turn into a international star in the first place, so where not going to punish you for trying your hand overseas" type deal. If you look at Ed's list above though, most of those players have left after that sort of youth developement of course (precisely after, turning 23), but of course it could have still be their AB dream that was keeping them here to prove they should have been part of the HPP, so maybe when they know they're still eligible from overseas, all of that list would have gone earlier (say after missing u20/21 squads etc). Currently that was partly the dilemma with Crusaders predicament last year, they had so many youth stars comming through at 10, they could invest in just getting one of them performing. Much like how Hotham took 4 or 5 games to hit his straps, maybe Kemara just needed one or two more as well, and Crusaders could have done away with the constant swapping around that followed. What I mean is that teams can easily lose not having so many youth fighting amongst themselves. Highlanders are similar, if there was only one HPP spot for Millar or Faleafaga, both have a better chance of developing with increased game time, one at the Highlanders and the other with say a French clubs development side/Pro Div2 companion club. While all those players remain eligible for the All Blacks.

Obviously not a very effective pathway because most of the players that have played for the ABXV are now playing overseas - its more like a promotional tour for players wanting a better contract