FURTHER evidence has emerged that Rugby Australia helped orchestrate the sale of the Melbourne Rebels to the Victorian Rugby Union, effectively signing the Western Force’s Super Rugby death warrant.

Details have surfaced in an email, obtained by The Sunday Times, that was sent from RA’s former legal counsel Richard Hawkins to VRU chairman Tim North.

It was sent on July 11, less than a month before RA closed the Force.

It was also addressed to RA chief executive Bill Pulver and head of professional rugby Anthony French.

Hawkins said a Deed of Amendment was needed for the put option for transferring ownership of the Rebels to the VRU because it “doesn’t quite work for what we are all contemplating here”.

The initial clause stated the date of completion must be no less than six months and no more than seven months after the date of the Exercise Notice.

But a letter to the VRU from Rebels owner, New Zealand businessman Andrew Cox’s Imperium Sports Management says: “We irrevocably exercise the put option granted to us under the Put Option Deed and require you to purchase the option shares from us on the terms and conditions set out in the Put Option Deed. In accordance with clause 2.3(a) of the Deed we specify (insert date) as the Completion Date.”

Cox used the put option and sold 11,625,000 Rebels shares to the VRU on August 4 for $1 – less than a month after the email was sent.

It says: “In terms of other documents, our view is that we will need a Deed of Amendment for the put option as the mechanism it currently contains for transferring ownership of the Rebels to the VRU doesn’t work for what we are all contemplating here — see clause 2.3(a) of the put option for example.

“We can instruct (legal firm) Clayon Utz to draft the Deed of Amendment if you are happy with this?

“Otherwise, there is the Deed of Release between the Rebels, AC (Cox), PS (Peter Sidwell a member of Cox’s consortium) and the other unitholders which it looks like you have in hand.”

Pulver, Hawkins and North did not reply when asked for a comment.

The latest revelation comes after The Sunday Times revealed last week that RA was brokering a deal to save the Rebels two months before the decision to axe the Force was announced.

Another email shows Pulver was discussing the deal to transfer the Rebels licence from Cox to the VRU in June this year. Pulver denied any involvement in the subsequent transfer of the Rebels licence.