South African rugby supremo Louis Luyt yesterday survived strong pressure for him to resign as president of the South African Rugby Football Union (SARFU) amid clear indications that his support base within the union was crumbling.

At a SARFU crisis meeting yesterday, called to discuss an ultimatum from the National Sports Council (NSC) for the union's national executive to resign, the question of Luyt's voluntary resignation was raised and, according to well-placed observers, drew majority support from delegates. The issue, however, was not put to a formal vote because it had not been placed on the agenda, as it should have been in terms of SARFU's constitution.

Luyt was thus able to leave the meeting as the union's president. But, judging from reports on the informal show of hands on whether Luyt should quit of his own volition, a majority of the delegates were in favour of his early resignation. At least seven of the 14 affiliated unions wanted him to step down.

Some reports spoke of support from eight of the unions, each of which was represented by two delegates. Moreover eight of the 12 executive members indicated that they thought it was time for Luyt to resign. Whether it was seven or eight unions is immaterial.

Even if only seven signalled their belief that it was time for Luyt to leave quietly, a majority of the delegates, at least 22 of the 42 at the meeting, were in favour of his departure. When Luyt and his supporters avoided a formal vote by insisting on full compliance with the constitution - which prohibited an official head count - the four black members of the executive, including SARFU vice-president Silas Nkununu, resigned in protest.

But, in terms of SARFU's constitution another extraordinary meeting can be called at which Luyt's resignation can be discussed and put to the vote formally. Notice of 21 days is required. Assuming that notice is given today, the meeting cannot be held before June 1st. It was anticipated last night that a meeting would be called and that Luyt would find himself in an untenable situation: if he does not resign of his own accord, he will be force out.

The looming jump-or-be-pushed dilemma which faced Luyt as he left the meeting late yesterday afternoon probably accounted for his glum irritability and his refusal to answer questions from scores of journalists.

It may also have accounted for the relatively restrained reaction from the NSC to the refusal of Luyt and his fellow executive members to heed its ultimatum to resign. NSC leaders seemed to realise that Luyt - who rightly or wrongly has come to symbolise Afrikaner obscurantism - is living on borrowed time. Thus while NSC chief executive officer Vusi Mbede spoke of pressing ahead with plans to isolate SARFU internationally - a move which could imperil the pending tour of South Africa by an Irish national team - the NSC president, Mluleki George, adopted a more moderated position, for the moment.

Speaking at an NSC news conference, George called for calm and urged NSC members and their followers not to take any precipitate action. Referring to scheduled matches tomorrow by the Coastal Sharks and the Western Stormers - two of South Africa's more successful teams in the Super-12 competition with New Zealand and Australian sides - George said: "We especially would like to ask them not to dispute (these) matches."

George, however, left no doubt that the NSC would not back out of the fight. It meets today to consider its reaction to yesterday's refusal of the SARFU executive to heed its ultimatum to resign en masse. If Luyt resigns at or before the anticipated SARFU meeting in about three weeks, the situation could well be defused and an amicable resolution negotiated to the conflict.

If he does not, the NSC will undoubtedly implement its threat to isolate South African rugby, if necessary by blockading South African airports. Its hand was strengthened considerably last night when the president of the Congress of South African Trade Unions, Sam Shilowa, formally pledged the backing of the powerful trade union federation to the NSC.

His appearance on TV underlined the threat. Luyt further alienated the NSC yesterday when he distanced himself from a resolution in favour of SARFU expressing regret that President Nelson Mandela had been summoned to give evidence in court when he appointed a commission of inquiry into SARFU's affairs.

Luyt's position, and that of the three unions that supported him on the issue, is that it was the judge, not SARFU per se, which subpoenaed Mandela to testify on whether or not he had applied his mind to the issue when he acceded to a request from Sports Minister Steve Tswhete for a commission of inquiry. Luyt's defiant mood is summed up in his speech to a breakfast meeting yesterday.

He regards the pressure on him to resign as a form of blackmail, having been elected to his position as SARFU president in a democratic vote as recently as last November. "SARFU will not abdicate from running rugby," he declared "No man is my master. I bow to no man, only to God."

England's Sarah Stanley and Carolyn Warren of Australia will become the first women to referee in a World Cup competition, the Women's Rugby World Cup tournament in Amsterdam tomorrow.

Stanley will referee Netherlands v Ireland.