Tough battle: ARU chairman Cameron Clyne. Credit:Brendon Thorne "We've made the tough decision and it is going to be difficult but the good thing is when we get through the process," he said. "If we end up with five teams, it'll be someone else's problem because I won't be around. If we get to four teams, of course, I think we'll have a really strong Super Rugby next year." Fairfax Media approached Clyne afterwards to clarify what he had said. "I just don't believe Australian rugby can support five teams," Clyne said. "At that point in time [if the ARU could not cut a team], I'd address it [my position] then." Asked whether he could confirm speculation out of Melbourne that owner Andrew Cox had handed over his licence to the VRU, Clyne said he was "not aware that it's happened".

"I don't think it's happened because I don't know about it," he said. Fairfax Media understands Cox has not addressed Rebels players yet, but some at the club are under the impression he has sold the licence. Pressed on whether the Rebels' chances of survival would increase if the VRU acquired the licence, Clyne said: "It's hypothetical, so I don't know." The ARU has said it will take no action before arbitration begins on July 31 between themselves and the Force to find out whether they have legal grounds to remove the West Australian franchise from the 2018 competition. It has now been more than 100 days since Clyne famously said the ARU would make their minds up "within 48 to 72 hours", but the incumbent chairman has explained why that statement was made.

"We said we'd only cut a team if we could have the same broadcast revenue," Clyne said. "Up until that the teams had said, 'if you make the decision to cut a team, can you make the decisions very quickly?' "We said, 'absolutely, we can do it within 48 to 72 hours'. Then we got the go-ahead we would get the same broadcast revenue. We said we'd do it quickly. "Then the teams changed their mind and said, 'We'd like to take you to court'. I can understand that, but we're operating under the assumption that we can make a quick decision. "It's out of our hands once it goes to the lawyers. We're happy to make a decision, but when you're bound up in a legal process, it's very difficult. "I don't think they [clubs] actually believed we'd cut a team."