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The ARU would allow David Pocock a sabbatical if it meant he remained with them through to the next World Cup.
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The ARU is "open to any option" in its bid to keep David Pocock in a Wallabies jersey for the 2019 World Cup, with chief executive Bill Pulver declaring they will pursue every opportunity in the re-signing quest.
The ARU has ramped up negotiations with Pocock, tabling an offer that would allow him to study in Britain in 2017 before returning to Australia for the two years leading into the World Cup.
It leaves the Brumbies placed in the unusual situation of losing a marquee player for 12 months before having him back on the books for the following two seasons.
REUTERS
David Pocock constantly puts his body on the line for the Wallabies.
Pocock is weighing up his future and the Queensland Reds lead a list of rivals ready to strike should the star flanker have any desire to return to his formative state before the next Rugby World Cup.
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The Brumbies will back an emerging crop of back-rowers to fill the void if Pocock takes a sabbatical, while Australian great George Smith could loom as a surprise man to return to Canberra if needed.
The ARU and Brumbies are working overtime to come up with a flexible deal to offer Pocock to ensure he is not lost to the ACT club and the Wallabies. It is hoped Pocock will be able to finalise his next contract within the next two weeks in a bid to start the Brumbies' campaign without any distractions.
Pulver said every effort would be made to keep Pocock in Australian rugby and no arrangement would be ruled out, providing it was a 'balanced' outcome for all parties.
"Clearly David Pocock is one of the world's best players, if not the world's best player, so suffice to say we are very eager to keep him in Australian rugby. We believe he wants to stay in Australian rugby, so those discussions are ongoing," Pulver said.
"Sadly we operate in a sport where markets like France and the UK and Japan have the capacity to pay players and coaches substantially more than we can. We combat that by trying to create an environment here which is such a wonderful environment they want to be a part of it.
"We are open to any option but it's got to be a balanced outcome. We don't rule anything out and we keep an open mind."
Wallabies coach Michael Cheika has been to Canberra to work with Pocock and the Brumbies on finalising an offer that all parties are happy with.
The Brumbies are waiting for Pocock to make a call before plotting any contingency plans for the coming seasons.
The club is confident it has strong depth in the back row with Jarrad Butler, Jordan Smiler and Australian sevens convert Michael Wells all pushing for more game time.
But Smith could emerge as an attractive option to fill the void if the 111-Test Wallabies veteran is keen for another crack in the competition he dominated for a decade.
The Brumbies want to keep Pocock in Canberra for the entirety of his contract, but also understand losing the superstar flanker for one year is better than losing him for good.
Smith would be 36 by the time the 2017 Super Rugby campaign starts and is currently playing with Wasps in Britain.
He showed age was no barrier when he made a surprise return for the 2013 season when he stepped up to place an injured Pocock and helped guide the club into the Super Rugby final.
However, Smith – a 10-time Brumbies best and fairest winner – ruled out a cameo in 2014 when Pocock was injured again and his future in either Europe or Japan is unknown.
The Brumbies are giving Pocock space to make up his mind on his future as he weighs up time away from rugby or continuing a career that started with the Western Force 10 years ago.
Pocock has family in Queensland – his parents still live in Brisbane – and played his school rugby at the city's Anglican Church Grammar School. To sweeten the deal, the Reds have already poached Brumbies skipper and Brisbane native Stephen Moore back to Ballymore for 2017.
With Will Genia, Quade Cooper and James Horwill all having departed at the end of last season, Pocock would give the Reds another bankable face as well as his obvious talents on the field.
And with Liam Gill departing at the end of the 2016 season, the stars could yet be aligning for Pocock to join Moore in making a late-career homecoming to where it all began.
Pocock will clash with Gill when the Brumbies play against the Reds in a pre-season trial at Ballymore on Friday night.
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