How it changed for the better Standards at club level are almost unrecognisable. The Heineken Cup has gone from strength to strength, to the point where the knock-out stages are on a par with Test rugby. Sometimes we also forget to remind everyone why watching rugby in 2009 is much more fun than going to football: you can still take your family to a big game, sit with opposing fans and cheer for any team you want. Try doing that at Portsmouth...
How it changed for the worse The lawmakers have to get a grip. The death of rucking has led to a growing number of static pile-ups which make it simpler to kick for territory than pass or run from a team's own half. There is a subtle but important difference between a dynamic contact sport and a game consisting entirely of collisions. Fake blood, gouging and a rising casualty rate have also done self-inflicted damage to the sport's public image.
Decade's top five
1 England 2000-03 They lost the odd grand slam decider in the Woodward era but for a while the White Tornadoes were untouchable.
2 Canterbury Crusaders 2000-2008 Won seven Super 12/14 titles in the space of 11 seasons. Dan Carter and Richie McCaw were the decade's finest players.
3 Ireland 2009 A first Irish grand slam since 1948, built on strong Munster and Leinster foundations.
4 Wasps 2003-05 Three Premiership crowns and a European title. The ultimate big match specialists.
5 South Africa 2009 A Lions series win and a Tri-Nations title to add to their current world champion status constitutes a rare haul.
Match of the decade South Africa v British and Irish Lions, Pretoria, June 2009. The second Test at Loftus Versveld ranked among the best Lions matches in history. Ian McGeechan's touring team had to win to keep the series alive and came heart-breakingly close, undermined by injuries to their Welsh props Gethin Jenkins and Adam Jones. Schalk Burger and Ronan O'Gara would love to rewrite the script but Morne Steyn's huge penalty ultimately clinched a 28-25 home win.
Most memorable moment Sydney, 22 November 2003. Now what if Jonny had sliced that fateful drop-goal attempt..?
2020 vision Sevens - or a tweaked version of it - will grow in prominence as a result of its newly gained Olympic profile.
To read our experts' reviews of the decade in other sports, go here.
