Ma'a Nonu was always expected to head overseas after this year's World Cup © Getty Images

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New Zealand Rugby has no plans to alter its foreign player selection policy despite the growing threat of French and Japanese rugby.

That's the message from chief executive Steve Tew as New Zealand, along with South Africa and Australia, fight to keep their best players on home soil and, as a result, ensure the national side remains strong. The likes of Dan Carter, Ma'a Nonu, Ben Franks and Jeremy Thrush have already signed post-World Cup European deals but Tew, speaking at New Zealand's Super Rugby launch, insisted there were no plans to change the governing body's selection policy and allow players based overseas to represent the All Blacks.

"It's not currently on the table," Tew told reporters when asked whether the selection criteria needed to be relaxed. "We've got another negotiation with the players later this year, and that's always a topic we explore.

"My personal view is we've got this policy right, and I don't think anybody thinks we should start picking All Blacks from other competitions. One comprise might be to look inside SANZAR, but I don't think our fans are going to thank us if we have a half-dozen top All Blacks playing for the Waratahs."

While the loss of veterans Carter and Nonu was no surprise, the departures of Franks and Thrush highlight the fact a European move is no longer just a healthy retirement package. And while the All Blacks have the carrot of a British & Irish Lions series in 2017, it's the long-term future and quality of Super Rugby that could be at most risk.

The lure of the All Blacks jersey, and that of the Wallabies and Springboks, will always be a key consideration for a player on the cusp of Test rugby. But for those slightly further down the pecking order who've helped earn Super Rugby's reputation as the world's toughest provincial competition, a big-money move overseas is likely to prove increasingly harder to resist. Still, Tew said SANZAR's new broadcast deal, which includes Super Rugby's 2016 expansion to Argentina and Japan, would help New Zealand keep its top talent at home.

"Numbers won't be published because they're quite confidential but we're in good nick," Tew said. "We have benefited from the current market, and that's helpful. It means we can approach negotiations with our players and work we're doing for future planning, knowing the business is in good shape if you've secured a decent chunk of your income."