While there is no doubt that the decision of the President's Council, to ask White to explain himself, has pushed the Bok coach to the top of the agenda, an equally important matter is the format of the Currie Cup competition for next year.

If there is one "invariable" in South African rugby then it is that officials will tamper with the Currie Cup format.

And there are enough "proposals" on the table to suggest that even at this late stage officials have not yet made up their minds about what they want for the country's premier domestic competition.

At last count there were at least six different proposed Currie Cup formats for 2007 bandied about.

The most unlikely one, but still on the table, is that the 2006 format is retained - the big five (Blue Bulls, Cheetahs, Lions, Sharks and Western Province) are entrenched in the Premier Division and the other nine provinces play a qualifying tournament for three places in an eight-team top flight. The other six teams will then again play in a First Division.

The format which is supported by the big guns, and also the sponsor ABSA, is a strength-versus-strength format - with the big five and one other team in the Premier Division and the other eight in the First Division. This, it is said, will eliminate the lob-sided scores whereby a team like the Pumas lost the majority of their games by more than 50 points and a number by 70 points.

But this proposal will certainly cause a backlash by the minnows, who are determined to get a slice of the Currie Cup pie. Despite poor crowd attendance records at their home games, the smaller unions still feel there is a benefit in playing against the big guns.

Another format on the table is a 14-team tournament, with some variables. One includes a first round in which the top six then advance to a Premier Division and another is the suggestion that the 14 teams play in two sections and the top teams in each section advance to the play-offs.

The most interesting of the more recent proposals to have been put forward by officials is a top-nine format. This entails Boland, winners of the First Division this year, joining the eight teams from the 2006 tournament in the Premier Division. The remaining five teams will play in the lower division. The proposal is that at the end of the season the team finishing ninth will drop down to the lower division automatically and team No.8 will play a promotion-relegation game against the top team in the lower division - thus reducing it to an eight-team tournament in 2008.

But, like most of the proposals - other than the 14-team formats - this leaves the minnows in a precarious position - no gate takings to speak of and a struggle to attract quality players, who all want to play in the Premier Division.

As has so often been the case, the minnows are likely to vote as a unit, unless the big five can come up with some (financial or otherwise) compromise that will suit the smaller unions.

The President's Council will not confirm the format at Wednesday's meeting, but will only put forward a proposal to the board of SA Rugby (Pty) Ltd, the commercial arm of SARU.

The board will eventually make a final call, based on the President's Council's recommendation.

By Jan de Koning