Business of Sport: Munster rugby will undergo a transformation over the next few years with plans announced this week for a €€30 million redevelopment plan. The capacity of Thomond Park will be almost doubled to 26,000 while a new stand at Musgrave Park will accommodate 6,500.

Dressing-room and storage facilities will also be built in Cork for use by clubs and the Munster team. The province are cleverly taking advantage of Sports Capital Tax legislation where individuals make donations of more than €250 and depending on the tax bracket they are in, the revenue will also make a contribution.

Whether Munster's grounds are for sharing is another matter but it is interesting to note that more teams in Britain look to ground share because it makes economic sense.

Leicester's rugby and soccer teams are the latest in England examining this concept with plans to create a new "super stadium'" to house both clubs.

"We have agreed in principle to create a joint company to buy the Walkers Stadium and turn it into a sports super stadium," Leicester Tigers and Leicester City said in a statement.

How much longer, one wonders, can Ireland sustain their three main sports going their own ways and having separate grounds and facilities?

Gone are the days when the captain was the toughest and the ugliest, the one you would lean on when it all kicked off; gone, too, are the days when the captains were the most experienced and the most trusted. Now, instead, what do we have?

Pretty-boys who are the acceptable face of sport as advertisers like to see it and as easy-on-the-eye visages that will lure new consumers into their respective sports. David Beckham, Jonny Wilkinson, Brian O'Driscoll are all three examples of the wave of new-style captains in international sport.

All exceptional talents, it is accepted, but 10 years ago would they have been marked out as leadership material? Sport has moved on and, be it because of commercial considerations or otherwise, we have to recognise that international teams are looking for a new breed to wear the captain's armband.

On the one hand we can say that the captaincy has been given to the likes of Wilkinson, Beckham and O'Driscoll on the basis that they lead by example, that their superior talents stand head-and-shoulders above the pack and this coupled with their admirable work-rate, will mean their team-mates will look up to, respect and ultimately hope to emulate their attitudes and achievements.

Diego Maradona's captaincy of Argentina in the 1986 World Cup could be seen as a case in point but think back to the 80s and 90s and it the abiding image is of Bryan Robson, head bandaged or shoulder popped out, staggering off the pitch with armband still clinging to his arm. Mick McCarthy, Terry Butcher, Mick Galwey all take a bow for fighting in the trenches for the team and for carrying them through so many heroic battles.

Even in this era, Roy Keane, Ferguson's warrior on the pitch, has been leading Manchester United on the pitch for the best part of seven years while Martin Johnson was your typical leader from the front, who got stuck in and asked questions later - and also just happened to lead his country to a World Cup.

For this new breed, though, you can start the blame game with Peter Taylor, England's interim manager for the match against Italy back in November 2000 when he unexpectedly handed the captain's armband to David Beckham.

Martin Keown, Tony Adams and Alan Shearer were the previous incumbents and then suddenly, Manchester United's flop-haired blondie was thrust even more into the spotlight and was given the job of being leader of the English team.

The visibility of Beckham has never been higher, the nation has never been behind the team more and Beckham's status as national icon has been secured.

Press conferences are suddenly events to be covered live and post-match, the guaranteed appearance of Captain Beckham will always ensure plenty of media coverage.

Is Wilkinson set to be the David Beckham of rugby? Probably not, only because he won't shamelessly sell his image as much as Beckham and also because football will always command more attention than rugby, but he does now fit the mould of the modern-day captain: good-looking, supremely talented, articulate and most importantly, a sponsor's dream. Buy into the English rugby team and you also buy into a little bit of Jonny.

Is it any wonder that sponsorship deals are coming thick and fast for the national associations and their respective captains? Adidas even made a TV ad based around it. Remember the one where Wilkinson and Beckham were teaching each other their skills?

Two Adidas signings, two national team captains and one sportswear company with a golden combination. Net result? Net profits most recently announced just three weeks ago were up to €179 million while over the last three years their stock price has risen by 74 per cent.

All of which brings us to our own national captains. In soccer terms, with all respect to Kenny Cunningham, he is no Beckham, and neither is there one in sight.

Damien Duff may be the only flop-haired blondie in the team but one couldn't see Brian Kerr handing him the armband any time soon.

The fact is, at the moment, the Irish soccer team just doesn't have that enigmatic, articulate, easy-on-the-eye player who could easily fit into the mould of 21st century captain. In the meantime we'll have to make do with Kenny.

But for the IRFU, in O'Driscoll they have stumbled upon the man who holds it all: flop of blonde hair. Check. Articulate. Check. Supremely talented. Check. Good with the media. Check. A sponsor's dream.

Having taken over the mantle from Keith Wood, Irish rugby's premier player has seen his star continue to rise and with the captaincy has come increased coverage of O'Driscoll and his team from the media, fans and sponsors.

O'Driscoll and the IRFU are well aware of his commercial potential and aside from his deal with Adidas, here is a player who blatantly plugs his sponsorship deal with Powerade with constant slugs from Powerade bottles during post-match interviews on TV.

Style has become as dominant as substance in modern sport and more and more, who represents your team and association has become an issue that requires nearly as much consideration as the leadership skills you represent.

While the gladiators slug it out for the entertainment of the middle classes, the leading lights who are the face of their sports must now conform to the new ideals of sport, and the sponsors are wishing for the same thing. Who's scratching whose back we may never know but suffice to say they're both happy with the results, on and off the pitch.

50p

Celtic's share price went down after their Champions League dream ended. They still have the UEFA Cup to look forward to.

"To win you must have avoid mistakes with a passion. Treat mistakes with a vengeance."

30 million

The estimated cost of

Munster rugby's redevelopment plan.