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Melbourne Rebels 2024

elementfreak

Trevor Allan (34)
gee its a pretty damning read against the Rebels. Likely trading involvement since 2018. Just dire financial management.

I was chatting to a former QRU Board Member last night who started in the position when the Reds were in a similar situation back in 2016. He proposed a ludicrous approach, seemingly rare in rugby in Australia, of spending less than you earn. They cut staff big time and it was obviously a big reason they signed Brad Thorn as head coach rather than a more experienced coach. Living within their means and all that.
That will never catch on, it's too crazy.
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
Is there any capacity for World Rugby to step in with financial responsibility rules similar to those that have been implemented for Football in Europe? We basically have a situation at the moment where the vast majority of ordinary clubs are being run at a loss because a handful of ultra-wealthy loss making clubs are distorting the player wage market.

As fun as it is to poke fun at the Rebel's woeful management I doubt there would have been any realistic way to run the Rebels that kept them solvent and competitive.
 

Ignoto

Peter Sullivan (51)
Is there any capacity for World Rugby to step in with financial responsibility rules similar to those that have been implemented for Football in Europe?

Europe aren't really having all that much success once the horse has bolted. The FFP rules are more effective in keeping the status quo than stopping someone buying a club, running out of cash then going tits up.

The Premier League is voting on new spending restrictions that clubs will only be able to spend X amount to the revenue of the "smallest" club.

Even if you push all these rules to be put in, you will always have under the table deals going on, deals going through shell companies etc.

I don't have an answer for you, but, perhaps with sports being so integral to everyones way of life (especially in the UK with the EPL), perhaps if the clubs go under, you could make the argument that perhaps the Government should look to purchase these clubs and possibly run them through their investment arms.
 

SouthernX

John Thornett (49)
Is there any capacity for World Rugby to step in with financial responsibility rules similar to those that have been implemented for Football in Europe? We basically have a situation at the moment where the vast majority of ordinary clubs are being run at a loss because a handful of ultra-wealthy loss making clubs are distorting the player wage market.

As fun as it is to poke fun at the Rebel's woeful management I doubt there would have been any realistic way to run the Rebels that kept them solvent and competitive.

I think that was logic of RA & lobbying a merger with rebels and Moana Pasifika so they could tap into some of that IRB emerging nations fund
 

swingpass

Peter Sullivan (51)
Is there any capacity for World Rugby to step in with financial responsibility rules similar to those that have been implemented for Football in Europe? We basically have a situation at the moment where the vast majority of ordinary clubs are being run at a loss because a handful of ultra-wealthy loss making clubs are distorting the player wage market.

As fun as it is to poke fun at the Rebel's woeful management I doubt there would have been any realistic way to run the Rebels that kept them solvent and competitive.
my point above, and i dont think the Rebels are alone in this

"this is the reality isnt it. catch 22, in order to be successful all (not just Rebels) need to pay over the odds wages to get and retain playing staff, the outgoings, in Melb and probably also Canberra, Sydney ? far outweigh the income. for a team like the Rebels who have a poor on field record, meaning less sponsorship dollars and gate receipts its a no win situation. the Rebel plan i assume was to try and buy onfield success, parlay that off against an increased income stream and the promised RA dollars from PE (which never eventuated). i posted above about one of the NZ franchises also posting > NZD 1 million loss last year. MRRU probably have a point, they are contracted to provide a team, obligated to pay the wages and then given insufficient funding to do so, yes i know all the other franchises are the same, but Waratahs and Reds have both been in the $$poo previously, Brumbies sold off their assets to cover shortfall and the Force have Twiggy (but for how long). As many have been saying the Super format no longer works, doesn't generate enough interest to generate sufficient $$ from TV, sponsors and gate receipts. We will see what happens but i still suspect no Rebels in 2025 and no full-time professional rugby in Australia by 2030"
 

Derpus

Nathan Sharpe (72)
my point above, and i dont think the Rebels are alone in this

"this is the reality isnt it. catch 22, in order to be successful all (not just Rebels) need to pay over the odds wages to get and retain playing staff, the outgoings, in Melb and probably also Canberra, Sydney ? far outweigh the income. for a team like the Rebels who have a poor on field record, meaning less sponsorship dollars and gate receipts its a no win situation. the Rebel plan i assume was to try and buy onfield success, parlay that off against an increased income stream and the promised RA dollars from PE (which never eventuated). i posted above about one of the NZ franchises also posting > NZD 1 million loss last year. MRRU probably have a point, they are contracted to provide a team, obligated to pay the wages and then given insufficient funding to do so, yes i know all the other franchises are the same, but Waratahs and Reds have both been in the $$poo previously, Brumbies sold off their assets to cover shortfall and the Force have Twiggy (but for how long). As many have been saying the Super format no longer works, doesn't generate enough interest to generate sufficient $$ from TV, sponsors and gate receipts. We will see what happens but i still suspect no Rebels in 2025 and no full-time professional rugby in Australia by 2030"
Its this part that bothers me. Things clearly aren't working and not just for us. So why are we all pressing ahead with the same inane bullshit that will lead to our collective demise? Madness I say.
 

KevinO

Geoff Shaw (53)
Well I'm not sure what the RA to WR (World Rugby) amount for 2027, but from the Roar article today RA won't be set for the windfall without the VIC government who are playing hardball.
 

KevinO

Geoff Shaw (53)
Do you have a source for this?

Because hard reality is that if they still paid to get a test to Melbourne they would still reap the same rewards in terms of tourism and promotion et al
I am building manager of 6 apartment buildings, one sports jurno, one rebel player and one of the PM advisors live in the complex.

From day one two out of three said the government will be involved pretty heavily.
 
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Dctarget

Tim Horan (67)
Surely Rebels are fucked, even if they do somehow survive why on earth would you as a player stay there when RA are throwing out increasingly ominous statements. No wonder they're playing like shit.
 

Slayer!

Herbert Moran (7)
Rebels run home:
Blues in Melbourne
Reds in Brisbane
Chiefs in Melbourne
Brumbies in Canberrrrrrrra
Drua in Fiji

Tell me which one of those they're going to win?
They're finishing seventh at best (maybe eighth if the Drua go on a tear and maybe even ninth if the Tahs stand up and beat the Reds in the last round).
So the very best they can hope for is a quarter final at Eden Park....Hell of a way to end the failed experiment.
 

KevinO

Geoff Shaw (53)
Rebels run home:
Blues in Melbourne
Reds in Brisbane
Chiefs in Melbourne
Brumbies in Canberrrrrrrra
Drua in Fiji

Tell me which one of those they're going to win?
They're finishing seventh at best (maybe eighth if the Drua go on a tear and maybe even ninth if the Tahs stand up and beat the Reds in the last round).
So the very best they can hope for is a quarter final at Eden Park....Hell of a way to end the failed experiment.
Well I'm still living in hope we win one of the two home games, then a win against the Reds will be enough for 6th and a road trip to ACT for the quarters.
 
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