The Brumbies will play an exhibition game in Singapore. Credit:Getty Images Chief executives went into the conference call wanting answers on where their club stood but weren't given anything more than reassurance they would be informed and kept in the loop. On a day when certainty was sought, speculation has become even more rife after a report out of South Africa quoted Free State Cheetahs boss Harold Verster saying he had heard Super Rugby would be reduced to a 16-team competition. In the wake of speculation the Cheetahs, Kings and an Australian team would be punted – given New Zealand went into the SANZAAR meeting with a 15-team preference – Verster spoke confidently that his franchise would be safe from the chopping block. "All I can say is that we are safe. I keep my ear to the ground," Verster told Netwerk24. "There is much discussion about the current series and the format and two teams of South Africa will fall out and a team of Australia.

"There was even speculation that we would return to a Super 12, but my information is that we are going to be reduced from the current 18 to 16 teams, which means the Cheetahs are safe." Verster may well be correct but Fairfax Media understands no such decision had been communicated on Tuesday. And South Africa may well represent the wild card in negotiations, with some reservations over whether SARU, a Union that operates across a complicated political landscape, would sign off on a reduction of teams in a nation where the code remains highly popular. The Queensland Reds are one team assured of a place in any competition and had no comment when contacted on Tuesday, deferring their stance to the ARU, who also declined to comment. Either a 15-team model or a 18-team model was seen as the two most workable solutions but if these reports are true that a 16-team proposal will get the green light, the make-up of the competition could be equally as confusing.

"Until such a time as a definite decision is announced, such speculation and uncertainty will continue," said RUPA chief executive Ross Xenos. "A 16-team model was not favoured in advance of the Ex-co meetings and raising it now is the most recent example of very inconsistent rumours across each nation." While 16 teams would appear to divide equally into four conferences, this is not possible because there are five New Zealand teams who are in no danger of being cut. 16 teams would create the potential for a competition-wide round robin, with each team playing each other once. However, such an option is very expensive from a travel perspective and would reduce the number of Australian home derbies. It would also create the potential for longer tours which creates a lack of local content.