The tight knit rebels were basically coerced to join the shittiest team in Australia.
Melbourne is a way better destination to live than Sydney.
The rebels have never had issues selling the dream to live in Australia sporting capital of australia
I really hope someway, somehow we get this predicament cause Australia rugby will be stronger with 5 teams of professional contracts as opposed to 4 teams
Cmon SX, selling the dream was giving bucket loads of cash to the likes of QC (Quade Cooper), JOC (James O'Connor), KB (Kurtley Beale), Phipps for no return. They all left and went overseas or back to their home sides.
This is all shit. Victoria produce very good talent for the sport and this will diminish to some to some degree. I don't necessarily believe NRL take them
all as the Storm were in Melbourne 15 years before the Rebels.
It seems it is an unsustainable idea for Rugby in Aus. Do a little bit of reading and it becomes clear. By 2014 the Rebels already owed the ARU 8.75m. In 2015 the Rebels were given another loan of 4.2m. Also in 2015 given another "special funding" of 2.6m.
15.5m on un-budgeted expenditure. The ARU was also running them and paying the budgeted costs for a few years in there.
When the Rebels went back into Private ownership in 2015 "
No consideration was paid to [the ARU] as part of this agreement. As part of the sale and purchase agreement, [the ARU] forgave its loans to the MRRU"
It's really sad but I do think RA want them gone. They probably regret ever bringing them in in hindsight and no half baked future plan is going to be believed or trusted unless someone wants to stump up millions and assets from the start not some we hope to hold the pocket of an A league Club who wouldn't mind using us to push the Government for more funding but will be the priority tenant.
RA seem to be trying to live within their means (the WC is a hole in that argument tbf) and very sadly rough calls have had to be made. QLD & NSW will never be cast aside as unfair as it feels. No matter their situation like the Tahs recently or the 3m loan in 2010 to the Reds.