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Melbourne - The Melbourne Rebels may have to wait up to
eight weeks before learning whether they will be axed from a revamped Super
Rugby competition next season, coach Tony McGahan said on Friday.
Last month the Australian Rugby Union announced plans to cut
either the Rebels or the Perth-based Western Force from the 2018 southern
hemisphere tournament.
But McGahan said he was advised not to expect an imminent
resolution on which team would be nixed, with the painful drawn-out process
casting a pall of uncertainty over Australian rugby.
"We've been told it could be another six to eight weeks before a decision is made," McGahan told reporters.
"So, as you can imagine, that puts a lot of unnecessary
stress on everyone in the organisation.
"It's probably in the last couple of weeks where we can
really feel it as it starts to affect people's livelihoods and where they want
to be, with certain (contractual) windows closing both here and also
overseas."
The Rebels have said the national governing body had no
right to "cut or chop" them from Super Rugby.
The team has signalled its intention to seek compensation
from the ARU for the damage caused by its "unnecessary public statements
and action" in the handling of the process.
While no players had sought him out, McGahan said he had
heard of some Rebels and staff exploring other options.
"We all can relate," he said. "They might not
all have wives or kids but with job security, what's on next, what other
options are out there, they affect every single person."
RugbyWA has also launched legal action against the ARU in a bid to keep the Force afloat.
