A final decision on the Currie Cup’s new format will be made in Cape Town on Thursday at the SA Rugby Union’s (Saru) general council meeting, Leopards president Andre May confirmed on Wednesday.

“All unions will be voting on the proposed new format of the competition and this will be a very important day for the Currie Cup and rugby in this country,” said May.

There are currently eight teams competing in the competition’s Premier Division, with the bottom two sides at the end of each season involved in promotion/relegation matches against the top two sides in the First Division.

The inevitable change to the format comes as result of the new Super Rugby season that will be split into two phases to accommodate the June inbound Tests and the Tri-Nations series, which will be expanded next year to a Four Nations tournament that includes Argentina.

While this year’s Super Rugby final took place on July 9, the 2012 competition will be concluded only at the end of August — leaving very little time for Currie Cup rugby.

Next year’s domestic competition could therefore start as late as August 18.

One of the recommendations on the table involves the Currie Cup being reduced from eight to six sides, playing each other in a single round.

This would mean that the First Division would consist of eight teams, rather than the current six, with the top two again being up for promotion.

The general consensus, among the smaller unions in particular, is to stick with the current top eight, bottom six format.

“It is not only important for us as a union, but also for the further development of rugby in the country, that it stays at eight teams competing in the Premier division,” said Griquas chief executive Arni van Rooyen.

“Whether this will be the case is uncertain as I do not know what some of the other unions will be suggesting at the general council meeting.”

The demands on players and resources may, however, prompt the Super Rugby unions to vote for a top-six format.