Legal writ: The Western Force are taking their fight for survival to the courts. Credit:Getty Images Perth-based independent director Geoff Stooke was the only one of nine ARU directors to vote against the governing body's proposal to cut a Super Rugby team on Sunday, a move chairman Cameron Clyne said was necessary to stem a $28 million cost blowout over the past four years and ensure the survival of the sport in Australia. With the Brumbies out of danger, Fairfax Media understands it is the strong preference of the ARU that the Force fold over the Rebels. Nevertheless, the ARU has committed to a period of "consultation" with both clubs over the next two to three days, with chief operating officer Rob Clarke and chief financial officer Todd Day flying to Perth on Monday and ARU chief executive Bill Pulver flying to Melbourne on Wednesday to meet Rebels owner Andrew Cox. Arriving at ARU headquarters in St Leonards ahead of a second board meeting on Monday morning, Stooke told Fairfax Media he was "uncomfortable" with the way the ARU was going about choosing which club would go. "I sat in on the board meeting so I have some insights there and in my view I'm not totally comfortable with the process, no," he said.

Rebel with a cause: Melbourne Rebels owner Andrew Cox (right) with England cricket great Ian Botham. Credit:Getty Images "I'm not suggesting a lack of integrity in it but I'm not comfortable. Still, there's no final decision at this point of time so we'll see what comes out of it." Meanwhile, Fairfax Media understands both the Rebels and Force were on Monday examining all options available to them, including legal action to stop the ARU revoking their franchise licences. ARU chairman Cameron Clyne and chief executive Bill Pulver announced the decision on Friday. Credit:AP In the Force's case the matter is complicated by the ARU's friendly takeover of the franchise last year, which cost the governing body $4.8 million. The so-called "alliance agreement" reached last June saw all Force players and professional staff become ARU employees, while RugbyWA continued to run the community game and the Future Force development program. It is understood the terms of the agreement included a clause guaranteeing the Force's Super Rugby participation until the end of 2020, and it is this line the RugbyWA board was examining on Monday afternoon.

In the case of the Rebels, Fairfax Media understands a furious Cox will almost certainly seek compensation for damage done to the business during this month-long period of speculation about the club's future. Under the terms of the private equity deal struck between Cox and the ARU in 2015, which saw Cox take over the club's liabilities, the governing body is paying the Rebels more than $6 million over five years, starting with $2.6 million in 2016 and tapering off to a six-figure sum in 2020. Fairfax Media understands senior ARU executives had given assurances to the Rebels they were not in the firing line as part of the ARU review, which is why Cox was incredulous to learn they were still a 50 per cent chance of being dumped. "The whole process has been incredibly badly managed by SANZAAR and the ARU and this has clearly impacted the Force, the Rebels, and the Brumbies financially," Cox said. "I don't think anyone involved with either of those governing bodies could or should be proud of this whole process or the impact it is having on Australian rugby. "We will reserve all our rights in this matter and await the final decision of the ARU board before we consider any further steps." Force chief executive Mark Sinderberry – technically an ARU employee – put on a brave face but rejected the "48-72-hour" time frame put on the decision by Clyne.

"In my mind there's not an immediate time frame, so I don't think that's realistic at all," Sinderberry said. "I think it's going to be one of those ones that is going to take as long as it's going to take. A quick decision is a better decision but we've also got to make sure the right decision is made." Stooke stressed that his vote for five teams meant he did not believe the Rebels should fold either, but he warned that rugby would never recover in WA should Perth lose its professional team. "Participation is up 25 per cent since we started. At a club level, Western Australia has 2500 more grade players. [The Force] have 12 guys on contract from local rugby, of which 10 have been in the Force's starting 23, which is really what we wanted to achieve when the competition expanded in 2006. We're finally starting to see guys coming through the system, and they're not as reliant as they were on getting guys from the eastern states. "To stop it now to me would be a disaster. The game will never recover if a team goes from the west."