Western Force

The 29-year-old has signed a one-year deal with the Perth team, where he will reunite with Kyle Godwin in a formidable centre combination.

Kuridrani, who has played 61 Tests over the past seven years, was a surprise omission from Dave Rennie’s new-look Wallabies squad for the upcoming Bledisloe Cup series and Rugby Championship.

He started at outside centre for the Brumbies in their grand final victory over Queensland on Saturday night, bringing to a close his 135-game career in Canberra which began in 2012.

The inclusion of Prior, who missed the past two Super Rugby AU matches through injury, is one of seven changes – five to the starting line-up and two on the bench – from the team that faced the Melbourne Rebels two weeks ago.

The match also marks the return of Force legend Pek Cowan to the starting line-up. The 10-time-capped Wallaby prop made his 131st appearance for the club coming off the bench against the Rebels.

WA's professional rugby franchise had been part of discussions with Rugby Australia throughout planning for the competition but earlier this month said they had yet to receive a "formal invitation" to be part of that competition.

The official tick of approval came on Wednesday from Force owner Andrew Forrest and is a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to working towards a rugby resumption.

With the Force involved, Super Rugby AU will certainly involve at least five teams in a 12-week tournament kicking off on July 3 and running until September 19.

The invitational from the Tonga coach Toutai Kefu comes just a week out from the start of the Western Force's National Rugby Championship season.

Western Force coach Tim Sampson says it will be a very special occasion for his team which also features two Tongans.

"Obviously playing a national team is a huge honour for the club and it is something that we are really looking forward to. It doesn't happen often these days where club plays country," Tim Sampson said.

Justice David Hammerschlag dismissed the appeal against an arbitration ruling in favour of the Australian Rugby Union that allowed the governing body to cut the Force from the Super Rugby competition.

Despite the ruling, RugbyWA are likely to continue their fight for the Force to survive with billionaire back Andrew "Twiggy" Forrest prepared to take the matter as far as the High Court.

The ARU had agreed to cut a team in March in a meeting with Sanzaar officials in London where the broader decision was made to reduce the Super Rugby competition from 18 teams to 15.

The fallout from the Western Force's axing from Super Rugby continues with the State Government now flexing their muscles in terms of possible legal action at a potential $1m price tag.

The West Australian are reporting the State Government has told the ARU it is investigating money they have invested under the thought the Force's place in Super Rugby was guaranteed. Particularly the redevelopment costs of the stadium in Perth which the Force uses.

It was understood RugbyWA lodged the appeal on Monday morning and believe they will know within a week whether the matter will come before the Supreme Court.

When the Australian Rugby Union announced on Friday its intention to cut the Force from Super Rugby next year, RugbyWA immediately signalled its intention to fight the decision of the game's governing body. 

Chief executive Mark Sinderberry is hopeful the appeal will be successful. 

"We've been given every encouragement by our legal team that it's certainly possible," Sinderberry told ABC Radio.

"The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) has today resolved to discontinue the Western Force Super Rugby licence," read a statement released on Friday.

"The decision comes after several weeks of consultation with rugby bodies and stakeholders, including government and commercial partners."

The Force agreed to enter arbitration last week with the ARU, who said in April that they would cut either the Force or the Melbourne Rebels from Super Rugby next season as the competition contracts from 18 to 15 teams.

The eight-try romp saw wing Tevita Li, fullback Patrick Osborne and his replacement Rob Thompson (two), flank Dillon Hunt and centre Richard Buckman also cross the line.

The Highlanders have now moved 10 points clear of the Blues in the fourth playoff spot in the New Zealand Conference after 12 matches, significantly boosting their chances of making the knockout stages.

The victory is the eighth in succession for the 2015 Super Rugby champions, who had started the campaign miserably with three defeats in their opening four games.