The Australian Rugby Union paused on Tuesday "in its quest to cull one of its five Super Rugby sides to survey the landscape -- and then decided to proceed full steam ahead," according to Wayne Smith of THE AUSTRALIAN. The emergency general meeting, called by the Victorian Rugby Union and the Rugby Union Players' Association, reaffirmed the ARU's "long-held position that the game cannot sustain five teams, and effectively voted to continue" with the process of removing either the Western Force or the Melbourne Rebels. The "only one" of the three VRU-RUPA resolutions that passed was the one calling for the establishment of an Australian Super Rugby Commission to "act as an advisory body to the ARU on all matters to do with the competition." ARU Chair Cameron Clyne said, "We were quite supportive of that in the past and we will happily have a meeting to discuss what role it will play." There was, however, "no mention of a leadership challenge," with Clyne, the ARU board and CEO Bill Pulver "all coming through the EGM with their positions intact." Clyne: "It was not raised at all." Pulver's contract "comes up for renewal in February and the widespread belief is that the ARU will ask him to continue in the job until then" so as not to "contaminate" a new CEO (THE AUSTRALIAN, 6/21). In Sydney, Tom Decent reported given that NSW and Queensland "have quietly supported the reduction for some time, it was no surprise a majority of members voted that way" during the three-hour meeting. The Western Force "are in serious danger of being axed" given Melbourne Rebels Owner Andrew Cox is "refusing to sell" his Super Rugby license to the ARU. Asked which members voted against cutting a team, Clyne said, "It was a secret ballot so it wasn't discussed. The majority of the members supported it. We didn't conduct it in an open forum." A final decision on which Super Rugby team is removed "is not expected to be made until August" and while Clyne "accepted some of the blame," he said that the last few months "had been particularly tough because of legal action complications" (SYDNEY MORNING HERALD, 6/20). REUTERS' David B. Gray reported South Africa "agreed to cut two teams" from Super Rugby and is expected to announce that the Southern Kings and Bloemfontein-based Cheetahs will be axed at a meeting on July 7. The ARU has "set no timeframe" and is "battling legal challenges" from both the Rebels and the Force over the cull (REUTERS, 6/20).
