James Haskell has highlighted Marcus Smith's profile as a mark of how far rugby has to grow and urged the game to follow the NFL model.
The Harlequins fly-half is currently the darling of English rugby having been earmarked as a future star back when he was a student at Brighton College.
Smith has started in the 10 shirt for the first two matches of the Six Nations and looks set to be a fixture for the next decade with the Red Rose.
He is likely to be a poster boy for the sport should rugby grow its profile like many of the game's chiefs hope they can.
Haskell though believes any expansive plans are being held back by senior figures who are struggling to progress the game in the modern era.
He said: "Look at Marcus Smith - he is probably the biggest name in rugby at the moment.
"Marcus Smith is the guy you'd earmark as the best thing since sliced break and he's got 170,000 followers on Instagram.
"Now I know that's not everything, but it is a barometer. Would he walk down the street and get recognised? Probably not.
"I think rugby is held back by a lot of old heads who don't understand how to commercialise the game, don't understand how to promote it. We could do something amazing with this game.
"The values are bought in when it suits people - but we're a business.
"At the moment we're probably a third tier sport. I think cricket is bigger than us - you look at the Instagram followers, the size of these things. Cricketers have more than a million followers - same with the ECB page."
He went on to say: "I think we need to look at the NFL as a model. It is an entertainment business - we need to allow people to have profiles, we need to champion people being different. We want to have that kind of thing.
"We want the rest of grassroots to do what it's doing - separate the two, but promote both of them.
"The problem with the game is that it is divided. No one can make a decision, there's too many different power brokers.
"I think it is being held back by a lot of old heads who don't see that the model of the NFL, the NBA is the way we need to go.
"There are people who think if you don't have grassroots you don't have rugby - the NFL has proven that you don't need a good amateur leave - what you need is a great product."
Haskell also believes it has taken far too long for players to be allowed to switch allegiences.
Several countries, including England and New Zealand, do not allow players to be selected for the national side if they player their rugby overseas.
That has meant the likes of Charles Piutau, Fritz Lee and Steven Luatua haven't won All Blacks caps for years.
A new rule has come in that allows them to switch countries if their heritage allows them to do so.
Haskell added: "At the moment you've got people at the top of the game messing about for 12 years to let players who've had a couple of caps for one country, who haven't played for five years, to then go and get caps for another country because they were afraid it would ruin the game.
"Like are you telling me the game is worse off not having Charles Piutau playing for Tonga? It is b*******.
"If these guys aren't being selected give them an opportunity - grow the game."
Haskell was speaking in association with Greene King who've partnered with Red Bull to activate their Best Seat in the House viewing experience
