Rugby Australia has approached the Western Force to join a five-team domestic competition starting next month, joining Super Rugby franchises the Brumbies, Queensland Reds and Melbourne Rebels.

The Super Rugby shutdown and international travel bans forced SANZAAR and Rugby Australia to find a domestic substitute to the trans-continental competition, with the Western Force to replace the Japanese Sunwolves.

The Sunwolves merely exist as a box of jerseys following the Australian government's introduction of a travel plan and strict quarantine measures to combat the spread of coronavirus.

Sunwolves players returned to their respective countries during the Super Rugby shutdown, but now cannot return to play the remaining weeks of their final season.

The Australian-based teams will now play a home-and-away round robin starting on the first weekend of April, with the competition to continue behind closed doors.

SANZAAR and competition broadcasters are discussing the specific on the draw and finals series.

It'll be the first time Australia's five rugby franchises will play together since the Force were brutally axed from the competition due to costs in 2017.

The pandemic forced mining billionaire Andrew Forrest to pull the pin on the first full season of Global Rapid Rugby this week, but the Western Force has now become the rare winners from the crisis.

According to Nine Media, Forrest has approved a plan to enable the Force to rejoin the fold - provided government restrictions and guidelines on travel and gatherings allow it.