Melbourne Rebels 2024

[Rebel man]

I think the Rebels are probably goneski forever. I don't think there's quite enough goodwill or opportunity for continuity attached to the brand to make a return workable outside a maybe a one-off farewell against the BILs made up of former types that will still be in and around Super next season: but far more likely to be the Drua, or Pacific Barbarians type of side that takes it's place.

Short term, I think RA, RV and Vic Government probably need to pull heads together and try to get a representative side and a colts into either the Queensland or ACT competitions for the life of the existing Super agreement, or the pathways completely collapse.

As long as the pathways are in place, and there can be "something" of good vibes around Victorian Rugby, I think there's almost certainly an opportunity for a different Melbourne based side to come into whatever is after Super Rugby.

The Rebels shield will likely collapse. Talking to people involved. Funny how Waugh pumps up the tyres of the program as one of the only positive initiatives in the game before slashing said tyres

 

[fatprop]

Whatever the case on the specifics, the Tahs books were much much worse than RA had anticipated.

Yep

 

[Braveheart81]

The Rebels will have featured over 200 players by the time the curtains fall

On a side note, the only game of Super Rugby that I attended not involving the Waratahs was with you Stu!

Was good to meet you and see the Rebels beat the Force in round 1 of Super Rugby 2013!

 

[oztimmay]

Yeah what happens to the Rebels academy? Jimmy Orange?

Likely go to RL. Most of the players from those schools already play RL on weekends, so an easy transition.

 

[5StarStu]

On a side note, the only game of Super Rugby that I attended not involving the Waratahs was with you Stu!

Was good to meet you and see the Rebels beat the Force in round 1 of Super Rugby 2013!

That's awesome, god the wins meant a lot then (and now)

 

[LeCheese]

Yeah what happens to the Rebels academy? Jimmy Orange?

From RA's release:

• RA is currently working through the appropriate footprint for the 2025 Super Rugby Women’s competition – a decision on the Rebels Super Rugby Women’s team will be made as part of this broader process later this year;

• RA will continue to fund Rugby Victoria to oversee community Rugby and grow the game within the state, and will look at opportunities to increase funding;

• RA will assume strategic and financial responsibility for junior talent development programs working closely with Rugby Victoria under a centralised high-performance structure – including Super Rugby U16s and U19s;

• RA will continue to work with the Victorian Government on development of the Victorian Rugby Centre of Excellence at La Trobe University, which promises to become one of the nation’s landmark development facilities and the home of Rugby pathways in Victoria;

• RA is evaluating options to feed Victoria’s elite men’s pathways into Australian Super Rugby clubs – a path previously trodden by 2023 John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini when he was signed by the Brumbies as a Melbourne schoolboy.

 

[Proud Pig]

All the people saying that Rebels fans need to support the Wallabies because they represent the whole of Australia are trying to take the emotion out of this. You can't this is emotional, this is sport, it is purely emotional. Any sport that cannot draw on pure raw emotion is dead in the water and unfortunately that is what this decision has done.

If you want to be sensible and logical possibly this is the only decision that could have been made. The reality though is that sport is not about logic and sense it is about emotion.
The Wallabies are the players that wear not just the Australian jumper but the Rugby Australia jumper and right now that is inexcusable. RA has just cut a quarter of Australia's population off from Rugby when looking at this through a purely emotional lens.

 

[stoff]

There's a lot of conflation between the MRRU consortium proposal and RA's decision today which was to shut down an operation fully under their control. So many weasel words shifting the blame from RA, but the reality is they could have continued to support the continuation of the Rebels. Not doing so demonstrates that they have no interest in a presence in Melbourne other than to milk the government for as much major events cash as possible.

I'm looking forward to the legal action against RA. This is purely speculation, but I expect we are going to find out RA knew a lot more and made a lot of promises when they thought they actually had something of value they could flog off to PE. I don't see how the unconscionable dealing claim comes about otherwise.

 

[hoggy]

so what needs to happen for rebels to play pro rugby in this country again?

say the 4x remaining teams get x amount of dollars from a tv deal - do you think there would be any appetite down the track from the rugby franchises dividing a pot by 4 suddenly having to divide the pot back to 5? less money but better for the game nationally.

A reborn rebels could get their ducks in a row but I don’t think there’s going to be any interest without some rich benefactor underwriting the new franchise.

Both NZ & AUS need to get rid of Super Rugby, it is the common factor in the decline of the code in BOTH countries now, just have a read of the stuff coming out of NZ today.
How the F---K did they let it get to this stage.
Sustainable domestic competitions at an economic level that can be sustained, or carry on until the whole thing sinks.

 

[stoff]

• RA is evaluating options to feed Victoria’s elite men’s pathways into Australian Super Rugby clubs – a path previously trodden by 2023 John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini when he was signed by the Brumbies as a Melbourne schoolboy.

Awesome - just like it was when I was a schoolboy and we produced fuck all Wallabies and anyone any good went north during high school.

 

[Rebel man]

Both NZ & AUS need to get rid of Super Rugby, it is the common factor in the decline of the code in BOTH countries now, just have a read of the stuff coming out of NZ today.
How the F---K did they let it get to this stage.
Sustainable domestic competitions at an economic level that can be sustained, or carry on until the whole thing sinks.

Agree

 

[Rebel man]

Gina Rinehart Offers To Bail Out Melbourne Rebels If They Agree That Painting Should Be Taken Down

WENDELL HUSSEY | Cadet | Contact Gina Rinehart, the Patron saint of underfunded Australian sports has today revealed her next passion project. The billionaire at birth has confirmed to The Advocate that she has offered to bail the Melbourne Rebels out of the predicament they find themselves in...

www.betootaadvocate.com

 

[Dctarget]

From RA's release:

a path previously trodden by 2023 John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini when he was signed by the Brumbies as a Melbourne schoolboy.

Yay so happy to keep propping up that failed club too.

 

[Highlander35]

I can't remember the last time I found the rooter funny. maybe 2021?

 

[Mick The Munch]

No big crowds, no memberships, no big sponsors, no big viewers. The answer is easy...

Are you talking about the Tahs?

 

[DropGoal]

The Wallabies no longer represent my state of Victoria. I have no interest in them

I know so many people that support every Australian side except the wallabies .. it’s wild .

 

[SouthernX]

What happened with the super rugby franchise financing when they kick started the Woman’s comp?

Was there a cash injection from the govt or increased funds from RA

seems a little weird RA is talking about the rebels in superW potentially continuing whilst no men’s representation in super rugby pacific.

 

[Rebel man]

a path previously trodden by 2023 John Eales Medallist Rob Valetini when he was signed by the Brumbies as a Melbourne schoolboy.

Yay so happy to keep propping up that failed club too.

Does he get signed without the Rebels academy though. The Tahs saw him play for the academy and poached him

 

[Rebel man]

What happened with the super rugby franchise financing when they kick started the Woman’s comp?

Was there a cash injection from the govt or increased funds from RA

seems a little weird RA is talking about the rebels in superW potentially continuing whilst no men’s representation in super rugby pacific.

I know especially in this era of equal opportunity. Blatant sexism

 

[LeCheese]

I know especially in this era of equal opportunity. Blatant sexism