The Australian Rugby Union’s board will hold a special general meeting within seven days after the Rugby Union Players Association joined with the Victoria Rugby Union to get answers on the ongoing Super Rugby saga.

The RUPA board, which includes Wallabies captain Stephen Moore and leading Australian Test stars, voted with the VRU in requesting the meeting of the ARU voting members.

RUPA said it wanted the ARU board to give “a transparent, comprehensive update on the ARU’s review process to date along with the financial implications of various rationalisation models.”

ARU chairman Cameron Clyne said while the ARU is required to give 21 days notice to all voting members, it would expedite the meeting.

“We must provide 21 days notice to voting members to convene a general meeting, however in order to prevent further delays the board is willing to meet with the major stakeholders within a shorter time-frame to detail as much information as we are able on the current process regarding Super Rugby,” Clyne said in a statement.

“We will aim to hold this meeting within the next seven days.”

RUPA’s support of the VRU comes after months of speculation following the ARU’s announcement that either the Melbourne Rebels or Western Force would be cut from the Super Rugby competition ahead of the rationalised 2018 format.

“The ARU’s intent to axe an Australian Super Rugby team has lacked transparency and consultation with key stakeholders,” RUPA chief executive Ross Xenos said in a statement.

“The ongoing uncertainty and secrecy of this process continues to do unprecedented damage to the reputation of the game and has placed unacceptable distress on players and their families.”

RUPA said the ARU needed to focus on fighting its real enemies if there was no justifiable cost-saving in cutting a team.

“It’s about time we stopped uppercutting ourselves, backed the retention of five Super Rugby teams and got on with fighting our common enemies outside the tent,” Xenos said.

Xenos questioned the financial management of the ARU’s rumoured plan to buy back the Rebels’ licence from owner Andrew Cox, with those millions better spent on grass-roots rugby.

“Why are we cutting a team at all and limiting Australian Rugby’s future if there are such discretionary funds within the game that the ARU can afford to buy a licence, only to scrunch it up and throw it away?”, Xenos asked.