By Ian Ransom
MELBOURNE (Reuters) - The Western Force have won an injunction order against a decision to axe the team from Super Rugby and lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court, setting up a costly legal battle the cash-strapped Australian Rugby Union (ARU) can ill afford.
The ARU announced its intention to axe the Perth-based Force on Friday after committing to fielding only four sides from next season as Super Rugby contracts to 15 teams from 18.
The ARU had said in April they would cut either the Force or the Melbourne Rebels because of falling revenues and dwindling fan interest.
However, the governing body for rugby in Western Australia, Rugby WA, wasted little time in appealing, winning the injunction from the Supreme Court of New South Wales on Monday and plunging Australian rugby into a new period of uncertainty.
The appeal hearing is set for Aug. 23, a court spokesman said.
"This will give us a bit of time to prepare," a spokesman for the Western Force and RugbyWA said.
Billionaire mining magnate Andrew Forrest, who has publicly backed the Force and warned the ARU he would be first in line to fight any decision to axe the side, was named in the court order seen by Reuters.
The battle over the Force's future threatens to disrupt the governing SANZAAR's plans for the new Super Rugby season and overshadow the Wallabies' Rugby Championship campaign.
The Force went into arbitration with the ARU two weeks ago, seeking to stave off their axing by arguing that they had signed an alliance agreement that guaranteed them Super Rugby until the end of the current broadcasting deal in 2020.
But the arbitrator found in favour of the ARU, who contended that with the competition contracting by three teams a new broadcast agreement would be in place for 2018.
Against a background of widespread dissatisfaction with the 18-team format, SANZAAR earlier this year agreed to remove three sides from the competition. South Africa have already culled the Cheetahs and Kings, who will move to play in the European Pro league.
The ARU quickly ruled out cutting previous champions the New South Wales Waratahs, ACT Brumbies and Queensland Reds, leaving it a straight choice between the Force and Rebels.
Rebels owner Andrew Cox transferred ownership to state governing body Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) earlier this month, declaring the move had "secured" the team's future.
The Force joined the competition in 2006, aimed at expanding rugby's imprint to Australia's west coast, but they have never reached the playoffs and have proved a heavy financial burden for the ARU to carry.