The future of the ACT Brumbies is safe after a meeting of Super Rugby powerbrokers considered which Australian teams will be axed from the competition.
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SANZAAR - Super Rugby's governing body - announced on Sunday night a major overhaul to the competition next year, with one of Australia's five teams and two South African clubs to be jettisoned in a new 15-team format.
ARU chairman Cameron Clyne and chief executive Bill Pulver faced media on Monday morning and confirmed the Brumbies are no longer in the discussion.
With the Brumbies' future in safe hands, the decision is now whether to cut the Melbourne Rebels or the Western Force.
The drawn out off-field saga has been a black eye on the game and left the Brumbies, Force and Melbourne Rebels in limbo for more than two months.
Brumbies coach Stephen Larkham passionately defended his club on Sunday night, telling Fairfax Media: "The Brumbies should never have been in the conversation for teams to be cut".
"I'm still confident we will be safe, my view hasn't changed that I don't think the Brumbies should have ever been mentioned as a team that could potentially be taken out of the competition," Larkham said.
"The teams affected, it is starting to become quite a distraction. It's starting to filter into the players now.
"We need to make the right decision so I can understand the due process that they're going through. But like any decision, you have to make sure you do it in a manner that doesn't adversely affect people."
Tearful Force captain Matt Hodgson spoke of his passion for keeping rugby in Perth after his team played on Sunday afternoon and the Rugby Union Players' Association was stinging in its reaction to the news.
Force coach Dave Wessels said: "Our name is there with two other teams [the Brumbies and Rebels], that's my understanding.
"Obviously I want the Western Force to stay, this is where my family lives, my home and the team we love.
"But it's just a sad day for Australian rugby with the fact we've lost a team. Whichever one of us goes, I'm never going to celebrate that decision."
The Brumbies have let their on-field performances do the talking for them, winning their past 10 Australian derbies.
The Brumbies thrashed the Queensland Reds 43-10 on Saturday to confirm their standing as Australia's best team and fire another reminder of why they belong in Super Rugby.
There are currently 18 teams competing in four conferences with teams from five countries in a format which has proved complicated for fans and incurred expensive travel bills for national governing bodies.
The new three-conference 18-round tournament will see teams play eight matches within their conference and eight cross-conference matches, plus two byes.
The ARU board met on Sunday afternoon to give the changes the green light.
The remaining four Australian teams will be placed in a conference with the Japanese-based Sunwolves, while the surviving South Africa teams will play with Argentina's Jaguars.
SANZAAR has been left red faced after bailing on its competition format which is only 18 months old and chief executive Andy Marinos conceded mistakes were made.
RUPA boss Ross Xenos said Australia's player base was "incredibly frustrated and deeply disappointed".
"Having signed Australian rugby up to a competition which reduced local content, diluted tribalism and disrespected fans with its lack of integrity, ARU have now agreed to a new model which has protected the expansion teams in Argentina and Japan at the cost of one of our own," Xenos said.
"It is the players, coaches and fans who will now pay the price for this strategic mismanagement."
