I agree the money is not going to be coming anywhere near Melbourne I would suspect. However, as Rugby Australia are heavily involved in this funding strategy major questions will be asked on how they can help fund the Pacific Islands when they have been shown to at least be partially responsible for the underfunding of the Rebels.
How does Rugby Australia explain their actively pushing Rugby expansion in another country when they won't even commit to supporting the existing Rugby structures within Australia?
This just screams that Rugby Australia has already decided to shrink to greatness again and is too myopic to see what the impact will be outside of Moore Park. If they had any interest in securing Melbourne's future they would be talking to the Government about funding here not in the Pacific Islands. They think getting rid of a club means larger shares of the pie for the remaining sides but fail to understand that the pie is going to shrink by more than the amount saved. If you don't think cutting the Victorian market out of the broadcasting deal won't severely cut the amount being offered I don't think you are living in the real world.
The mental gymnastics in this thread is extraordinary... This money is a mechanism for the government to carry goodwill to the Pacific and using rugby as the mechanism to do this. This money isn't about rugby and is about geo political favor.
As far as I've read and know, RA has been talking with the Rebels and the Victorian Government (it's a state team) and trying to find a solution to saving the Rebels.
No matter if RA underfunded or Rebels overspent, money was spent which the Rebels didn't have, and a 20 million bill has been racked up. It should never have got that far where they had nothing left before raising the alarm bells.
Bagging the Pacific Island fund, saying it's a slit at the Rebels or is going to put a Pacific team in Melbourne, is just untrue and has nothing to do with Melbourne or any Australian team and all to do with the government.