Australia’s Super Rugby limbo is set to drag on, with the Force unlikely to be meeting with the ARU on Thursday, despite the club earmarking a request last week.
The Force requested a meeting with the ARU, announcing their move on a statement last Friday night, slating Thursday April 27 as the date for the two parties to 'discuss a possible resolution' but it seems the two couldn’t agree on the details.
There is still the possibility of a phone hookup, but with no developments late on Wednesday night, even that seems unlikely.
With possible legal threats on the horizon from both the Force and the Rebels, the decision doesn’t look to be coming any time soon.
The sticking point with the WA franchise, according to that statement, is that under ‘current arrangements’ the Force is entitled to a Super Rugby spot until December 30 2020.
SANZAAR has an executive meeting on May 10 but it is believed there is no deadline for the ARU to bring a final decision to that meeting, after agreeing in principle to a 15-team competition earlier this year.
South Africa is far off making a call on which of its two teams will be set for the axe, with its process believed to be working towards a resolution around the end of June.
Rebels owner Andrew Cox reportedly visited the club in recent weeks, telling players that he had no plans to sell the club, which would be the swiftest solution to the ongoing uncertainty.
Rumours of a Rebels-Brumbies merger have been dismissed by the ARU, who are adamant the Brumbies remain in the clear, and any move to join the two clubs would need to be cleared by ACT's clubs.
