Friday stands as D-Day for Victoria's Super 15 bidding rivals, with both major syndicates presenting their cases to the Australian Rugby Union board.

After an ugly bid process, a reduced eight-man ARU board will hear 40-minute presentations from the Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) and the VicSuper15 syndicates in Sydney.

The ARU on Thursday declined to shed any further light on the final stage of a process which has been heavily criticised by the VRU and Melbourne club officials for a lack of accountability.

It's unclear whether a decision will be handed down immediately but with Australia's official nominee to be finalised by September 25 it is expected to be imminent.

The successful Victorian bid team will then go head-to-head with South Africa's Southern Kings, from the heavily-populated Eastern Cape region, for the new 15th licence, playing out of the five-team Australian conference in the expanded 2011 competition.

Governing body SANZAR, currently negotiating with News Corporation for a new broadcast rights deal, are due to hand down their decision on October 31.

It appears ARU management strongly supports the VicSuper15 bid after The Australian newspaper revealed the VRU consortium, supported by media buyer Harold Mitchell and former Wallabies coach Rod Macqueen, were originally spurned late last month.

Geoff Lord, the head of Belgravia Group, the third bidding syndicate which also owns A-League soccer club Melbourne Victory, confirmed to AAP they were to combine with VicSuper15 to assist with marketing, ticketing and promotion.

Former Brumbies chief Rob Clarke called on ARU board members to show courage and properly monitor the selection process last week before the official decision was deferred.

ARU chief executive John O'Neill met with VRU officials on Monday amid heavy criticism from the grass-roots in Melbourne who believe they have been unfairly ignored.

The VicSuper15 syndicate, which includes three dissident former VRU board members, has been backed financially by Sydney-based mining magnate Kevin Maloney and supported by former Wallabies skipper Mark Ella and former ARU director Bob Dalziel.

The ARU's board numbers are currently down from nine to eight, with former Wallabies second-rower Rod McCall resigning as a director after being appointed Queensland chairman.

The Queensland Rugby Union have nominated Dick McGruther as his replacement but the appointment won't be ratified until he is voted on at the next ARU general meeting next month.

The Australian also reports ARU chairman Peter McGrath's position is vulnerable and could face the same fate McGruther did in 1998 when he was voted out as chairman.

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