New Zealand rugby officials have been given until Friday to reach a compromise with the International Rugby Board (IRB) over staging matches in next year's World Cup.
The Australian Rugby Union (ARU) said today the New Zealand Rugby Football Union (NZRFU) had asked for more time to finalise their side of the World Cup deal.
They have been given until Friday evening (5 p.m. local time). The ARU said it would make no further statement until then.
New Zealand failed to sign a co-host agreement with the Australian Rugby Union by yesterday’s original deadline, prompting speculation the Kiwis would be stripped of the right to host 23 World Cup games.
Australia was scheduled to stage the 25 other games next year, including one semi-final and the final.
The IRB and the NZRFU were at odds over the scheduling of the tournament which currently clashes with the country's National Provincial Championship.
Organisers have suggested a compromise that would allow New Zealand's domestic championship's semi-finals and final to be played during the World Cup - an overlap of 10 days - as long as the matches were not played at World Cup venues.
NZRFU chief executive David Rutherford said earlier today they hoped to strike a deal.
"The NPC in any one year will make more money than New Zealand rugby can contemplate making from holding the Rugby World Cup," Rutherford told New Zealand radio.
"So the decision from a rugby perspective and a monetary perspective is very simple."
"We have made that very clear and the IRB have accepted that by offering the 10-day overlap. We're trying to make sure we understand all the terms and conditions of the 10-day overlap and that's one of the discussion points still going on."
Another issue was the standard of New Zealand's facilities and their commercial requirements, which were still being evaluated by IRB staff.
"The inspections going on now are the first detailed inspections done on those venues," Rutherford said.
"There has been no delay at all from the NZRFU in relation to that issue. When the announcement of the World Cup was made it was well-known to everyone that these inspections were scheduled for last week and this week.
"We believe it would be extremely unwise to sign an agreement which we knew we could not perform.
"With a bit of good will and common sense, we'll get there," he added.