Returning Australian Rugby Union chief executive John O'Neill has warned understrength teams threaten to devalue the currency of Test rugby and could reduce internationals to near meaningless friendlies.

The debate about depleted teams resurfaced recently, with Wales, England and France all fielding drastically weakened teams for their respective tours of Australia, South Africa and New Zealand.

The topic was also raised back in 1998 during O'Neill's first tenure, when a vastly understrength England team was caned 76-0 by the Wallabies in Brisbane.

The Welsh left at least 17 players back home for conditioning prior to this year's World Cup, while club commitments meant many England stars weren't available for the start of their tour.

While the ARU hardly uttered a critical word about the Welsh touring squad, O'Neill made it clear he would have raised objections about it had he been in office at the time.

"Yes, of course I would have, on the basis that it's in breach of the IRB regulations," O'Neill said after it was announced he would resume at the ARU on June 28.

"I've seen the club versus country debate in football at its sharpest, but the international contest in rugby is absolutely sacrosanct and you've got to have complete priority given to a player's availability to play for his nation above club.

"We can't devalue the currency, we have to ensure that the Wallabies are at full strength and everyone else reciprocates, otherwise we will have a less than attractive product."

O'Neill was looking forward to putting across Australia's point of view as one of its delegates to the International Rugby Board.

He endorsed the concept of a global season recently aired by the IRB, though it had been around for ten years, but he couldn't ever see the northern and southern hemisphere campaigns fully aligned.

"I think there are ways of facilitating some better outcomes but I need to get my feet under the desk and understand where life is at the moment," O'Neill said.

"But you run the risk of drifting into where football is, which is a lot of friendlies which aren't that meaningful."

Asked about the new Australian Rugby Championship due to start in August, O'Neill said he applauded the concept and promoted something similar 11 years ago.

"I look forward to getting a better understanding as to how it works in practical terms, financial terms, and the ARU's role in that," O'Neill said.

"I am committed to fulfilling all of the ARU's obligations in terms of the ARC."

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