Billionaire backer Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest is considering all legal avenues and it is believed the Force are willing to exhaust all options available pending appeal rights, which could drag the saga out long enough for them to compete in the 2018 Super Rugby season.
Super Rugby officials are nervously awaiting the outcome of the appeal hearing before finalising a draw for next year.
However, if the Force pursue other avenues and are able to win an injunction against the ARU's decision, the legal process could drag on for months and affect Super Rugby planning for 2018.
