Western Force's days in Super Rugby are numbered

The Daily Telegraph report that the Force will be the Australian franchise to be cut from the competition as part of a proposed SANZAAR move to reduce the number of teams from 18 to 15.

As a result the majority of contracted Force players, aside from senior Wallabies in Dane Haylett-Petty and Adam Coleman, will be automatically moved to new franchises by the ARU according to the Telegraph.

Where the move to cut three teams from the competition is stalling comes down to the wait for a decision by South Africa over axing two of their six sides from Super Rugby.

A key SANZAAR meeting is scheduled for April 6, and while there is a general agreement that Super Rugby must be slimmed down to 15 sides, a current stumbling block is reportedly the South African government's backing to keep the Southern Kings involved in the competition, despite low crowds and poor performances on the field.