ACT Brumbies chair Matthew Nobbs has revealed the Super Rugby franchise is “fighting” to stay afloat, but is determined to “avoid insolvency” and he is confident private equity can help secure the future of the iconic club.
The Brumbies, Australia’s most successful Super Rugby club, have a debt of more than $1m to Rugby Australia, of which they’ve been required to make payments which Nobbs said the organisation had met every time.
All Super Rugby clubs are facing an uphill financial battle, with the Rebels carrying $9m in debt and facing insolvency.
The Weekend Australian can also reveal the Waratahs are in a “big hole” and dealing with a debt that is conservatively estimated at $5m but could well be a lot more.
Nobbs said private investors were circling his club and he was hopeful that private equity could come to fruition and a group may buy the 49 per cent on offer.
“It is not in the Brumbies’ DNA to roll over,” Nobbs said. “We will fight. We’ve got good support from the local government, sponsors and our members.
“We’ve got investors that are ready, genuine investors that can take the Brumbies to another level. We’ve got strong ties overseas, including links to America, and have been offered opportunities to play games in Japan.
“I believe if we can get over this hump, I am 100 per cent confident that our brand and the organisation will kick to a level that we’ve never seen before.
“I would love us to be the Manchester United of rugby union.”
“The Brumbies are an organisation that has always operated very leanly,” Nobbs said.
“The impact of a 30 per cent reduction in funding from our national body for now the fifth straight year has impacted us greatly. Add $1.7m every year for five years back on to our balance sheet and we aren’t having this conversation,” Nobbs said.
“Add in additional costs associated with running our Super W team that weren’t there five years ago. The NRL provide 130 per cent of their teams’ salary cap and the AFL would be similar. RA’s funding for the Super Rugby clubs is 70 per cent.”
Nobbs added: “If any Super Rugby club is trading insolvent, RA can take back your licence, it’s part of the participation agreement.”
Nobbs said they had attracted strong interest from investors.
“We have genuine investors wanting to invest and see the value in our brand,” he said.
“They believe in us and the potential that the organisation brings and acknowledge our success. We are seeking the support of RA to ensure that we can realise the value of such a deal.
“We have great support from the ACT government and our other stakeholders. Our members are fantastic.
“But the best form of support we could get is from the ACT community – and that would be to buy a membership, merchandise and get out to GIO Stadium.”
The revelations the Brumbies are staring at insolvency is a warning sign for Rugby Australia.
If private equity does not come through, a potential outcome is that the Brumbies ‘hand the keys back’ and that would lead to RA absorbing the debt of not only the Waratahs but also the Brumbies and perhaps even the Rebels who are also in financial dire straits.
in the process.
Some Super Rugby officials believe that RA is too distracted by the national teams and has neglected the major domestic competition
“RA have got their head in the sand; all they’re interested in is a winning Wallaby team … it’s farcical, they’ve got to invest in Super Rugby,” they said, adding; “there’s a Super Rugby comp starting in a month and you wouldn’t know it.”
Next month Super Rugby Pacific kicks off without a major sponsor after Harvey Norman severed ties following a leadership coup that overthrew chairman Hamish McLennan. The deal was estimated to be worth $5m.
And rugby battles on after its worst showing at the World Cup. Privately many people in rugby union circles with an understanding of the finances believe that RA itself could become insolvent if more cash doesn’t start flowing into the organisation.
“RA directors should be aware of fiduciary duty that there is potential that RA is not a going concern,” said one source.
The worst case scenario is that Rugby Australia could go under – the best case scenario is the loan tide it over, until it gets the money from the Lions Tour and then the Rugby World Cup. Then there is a possibility that money will only be used to pay off the loan and not be invested into developing the game into the future.
What is the current coaching team ?
Would you think that's light?Bernie, Seib, Ulugia and Mowen…
Not sure, probably enough.Would you think that's light?
I guess Attack / Defence / Scrum / Lineout.Not sure, probably enough.
Might just seem light without the General (Laurie Fisher) working there.
It's bang on standard - each of the Australian super sides have 4 coaches (Head coach and 3 assistants). The breakdown of those is a bit variable depending on the skillsets of the team. Some of them list strength and conditioning or academy/pathways alongside that but I don't think that means the other sides don't have one.Would you think that's light?
I didn't know that; I suspect I expected 1 more. But if it's standard then I'm just feeling it was light on.It's bang on standard - each of the Australian super sides have 4 coaches (Head coach and 3 assistants). The breakdown of those is a bit variable depending on the skillsets of the team. Some of them list strength and conditioning or academy/pathways alongside that but I don't think that means the other sides don't have one.
Is that light overall? Probably, but with the money in the game atm then any extra coaching staff like kicking or skills will only be temps or need to come from RA and be shared across the super sides to be affordable. One of the potential side benefits of the rise of Women's rugby as product does mean it'll become more economical for a super side to have a full time skills or kicking coach doing both men and women, particularly if we end up fitting more rugby into the post super rugby period.
Would you think that's light?
It's actually the same number of coaches as last year...
Mowen and Ulugia have replaced Laurie and Dan Palmer.
OK Adam84 (IQ?), happy to take your questions as opposed to being gutless, getting others to ask for you.No worries Slim, they both contained different quotes and comments from the Brumbies Chairman and talk about different funding issues, they both seemed relevant. If you disagree and think it's not worthy acknowledging the issue that all Super Rugby clubs are facing, then so be it, ignorance is bliss i suppose, just ask stillmissingit
Play the ball not the man.OK Adam84 (IQ?), happy to take your questions as opposed to being gutless, getting others to ask for you.
bit rich, he was attacked first.Play the ball not the man.
I do genuinely apologise because I actually meant to refer to our membersection. You and I have disagreed previously about other things, but I don’t consider your head stuck in the sand about club finances/viabilityOK Adam84 (IQ?), happy to take your questions as opposed to being gutless, getting others to ask for you.
Fun game to watchImpressive performance by the Brumbies today, defeating a near full-strength Fijian Drua at Viking Park. Team was scattered with U19s, John I Dent Cup, and outer squad members. Did very well to defeat a strong Fiji team 7 tries to 8.