By Steve Mascord

Your correspondent has been speculating about the possibility of British teams one day entering the NRL since the beginning of the 21st century. Enough about that for now.

Let’s reverse the discussion. There’s a big programme of Challenge Cup games this weekend – with Toulouse Olympique playing Leigh on Saturday. We've had Russian teams in the Cup before and soon, apparently, a Canadian franchise will play a full season of Championship rugby.

In these days of affordable and fast air travel, and the focus on adding to the value of TV rights, why couldn’t Australian teams enter the Challenge Cup?

Let’s look at it from two angles: one, semi-professional teams from Down Under and two, big name NRL sides.

Why would a Souths Logan, a Wentworthville Magpies or a Thirroul Butchers want to play in the Challenge Cup?

In a crowded sponsorship and media market, it would certainly be a way of rising above the pack. It would raise the profiles of their respective competitions and the first side to actually pull it off would make Rugby League history. There would definitely be acres of mainstream media coverage in a country where lower leagues are often ignored.

What would the hurdles for these sides be?

The cost would involve a lot of fund-raising on the part of the clubs, sponsors and players. Their governing bodies would have to support them financially and suspend their host competitions so they could travel to the UK.

Then, if they won their first tie, they’d have to raise money again – and so-on. Or perhaps they could fly an opponent out and we could have a Challenge Cup game played in the southern hemisphere for the first time ever – surely an occasion to cherish.

The other hurdle would be having the Rugby Football League approve such a radical departure from tradition. If an application from the Newcastle Knights Intrust Super Premiership (NSW Cup) side landed on a desk at Red Hall one day, how would it be received? Would there be concerns a second tier team from Australia could embarrass Super League sides?

Now let’s move onto something that is perhaps not just pie in the sky but a whole levitating bakery: an NRL team entering the Challenge Cup.

The main attraction would be to grow the brand of the club globally. Sides who visited in February for the World Club Series were working on membership sales and merchandise. Talks have already taken place about an NRL game in London and an Origin at Wembley.

Imagine South Sydney or Brisbane winning the Challenge Cup. It would turn the sport’s history on its head. It’s a way for a team brand to completely step out of the traditional constraints of its market and try to match the biggest names in world sport.

The biggest hurdle, of course, the absolutely obsessive focus on the domestic competition. There is no question of a full-strength team taking part in the early rounds. Reserve grade teams would be sent for these ties and perhaps – just perhaps – two NRL points would be sacrificed in August for the final.

But here’s the thing – because the Challenge Cup is not governed by the NRL there is no salary cap. Souths, as an example, could bring Lote Tuqiri and Braith Anasta out of retirement to play in it, with impunity. They could have a completely different squad to their NRL team.

We talk about nations having separate Nines squads. If our clubs want to spread their brands to other markets, why could they not have ‘festival’ squads made up of promising youngsters and recently retired stars, too?

Perhaps this would all be a bit too fake and trivial for the authorities to stomach. Perhaps fans would see it as demeaning a venerable and history-steeped competition.

But all sports are looking for ways to polish up their properties for broadcaster, new fans and sponsors. As a small sport, Rugby League can make seismic changes more easily than most of its competitors.

This column is just intended to get you thinking in different way. Nothing should be completely off the table until we’ve had a good look at it.