The ongoing discussions between USA Rugby and PRO Rugby USA is about PRO wanting to extend the league's sanctioning agreement past the current three-year deal.

That deal, which was signed by former USA Rugby CEO Nigel Melville before he left for a job in the UK, and signed by PRO Rugby CEO Doug Schoninger, is less than a year old at present, but part of the deal reportedly stated that PRO could seek an extension if a season was completed.

However, there are clearly some issues to be resolved before anything happens along those lines - witness PRO Rugby's decision to terminate all players as of this week (More Bad News for PRO Rugby), which certainly was intended to put pressure on USA Rugby to agree to an extended deal.

However, as outlined in Pat Clifton's heavily-researched article, there are many issues within PRO Rugby that would give any business partner pause.

See also the RuggMatrix America Podcast on this topic here: Ruggamatrix America Podcast - PROS and Cons broadcast in October.

If the purpose of PRO Rugby's player termination was to get those terminated players to make panicked calls to USA Rugby to back down, it didn't work. We at Goff Rugby Report have received no indication that players have contacted USA Rugby to criticize the governing body for how it has been handling the extension negotiations. Meanwhile, several former PRO Rugby players are expected to be playing with other clubs in the spring.

USA Rugby CEO Dan Payne made this statement Thursday: "We are honoring the current three year term of the sanctioning agreement as written and agreed to by both organizations." 

This means what it says it means - that USA Rugby will follow the current sanctioning agreement, and the implication is that the organization expects PRO Rugby to follow that agreement, as well. There is no mention of an extension, and that extension is highly unlikely given the current atmosphere.