Melbourne Rebels 2024

[stillmissit]

I reckon the RA's preference was to get rid of the Rebels back in 2017 following years of bleeding money and propping them up with loans they were never going to recoup, as well as the lack of the team's on field success, but unfortunately it would be the Force that went following some last minute legal maneuvering by the Rebels.

I'm not a supporter of the shrinking to greatness mantra, and as a Melbourne based rugby supporter not too happy we don't have a team down here now, but in hindsight it probably would've been the best for both the Rebels and Australian rugby if this had happened a lot sooner.

Here's some grim reading from back then:

On the trail of the SuperRugby ‘heist’ - Green & Gold Rugby

Within hours of the SANZAAR announcement that SuperRugby would have one less Australian team from 2018, the Chairman of the ARU (Cameron Clyne) fronted the media. He said the ARU had been under “extreme financial pressure” almost from the moment the 5th SuperRugby licence was awarded in 2010 and...

greenandgoldrugby.com

Before the Rebels had even kicked a ball, the ARU agreed to extend them a ten-year, interest-bearing loan of $2.6million. The facility was available for draw down at $1.3million per year for 2011 and 2012.

In 2013, the ARU extended a new loan facility to the Rebels of $3million for the next 12 months.

In 2014, the ARU extended another new loan facility to the Rebels of “up to” $2.5million.

As at 31 December 2014, the ARU financial statements showed some $8.75million in outstanding loans owed to it by the Rebels.

In 2015, the ARU extended yet another loan facility to the Rebels for use in 2015. This time the amount was $4,268,000.

But it isn’t until we get to mid-2015 that things get really jaw-dropping.

On 1 July 2015, a new private investor took ownership of the Rebels. Note 23ii to the ARU’s accounts for 2015 states,


The loans set out in “Note 18” consisted of the $8.75million shown in the ARU’s 2014 accounts, PLUS the $4,268,000 the Rebels had received in 2015.

So, when the Rebels went back into private ownership on 1 July 2015, the ARU kissed goodbye to $13,018,000 as part of the deal. Not only that, it threw in another $2.6million in “special funding” for 2016.

That meant that even without the cost to the ARU of having to run the Rebels for the two years they were between owners, the ARU has so far shelled out $15.6million in (presumably) unbudgeted expenditure as a consequence of awarding the 5th SuperRugby licence.

Jesus! Slim, I never imagined that the Rebels were eating this amount of money. No wonder there is little cash going into player development or the grass roots.

 

[stillmissit]

The Rebels are just one in a long line of sporting edifices that went to Melbourne to die.

 

[LeCheese]

I reckon the RA's preference was to get rid of the Rebels back in 2017 following years of bleeding money and propping them up with loans they were never going to recoup, as well as the lack of the team's on field success, but unfortunately it would be the Force that went following some last minute legal maneuvering by the Rebels.

I'm not a supporter of the shrinking to greatness mantra, and as a Melbourne based rugby supporter not too happy we don't have a team down here now, but in hindsight it probably would've been the best for both the Rebels and Australian rugby if this had happened a lot sooner.

Here's some grim reading from back then:

On the trail of the SuperRugby ‘heist’ - Green & Gold Rugby

Within hours of the SANZAAR announcement that SuperRugby would have one less Australian team from 2018, the Chairman of the ARU (Cameron Clyne) fronted the media. He said the ARU had been under “extreme financial pressure” almost from the moment the 5th SuperRugby licence was awarded in 2010 and...

greenandgoldrugby.com

Before the Rebels had even kicked a ball, the ARU agreed to extend them a ten-year, interest-bearing loan of $2.6million. The facility was available for draw down at $1.3million per year for 2011 and 2012.

In 2013, the ARU extended a new loan facility to the Rebels of $3million for the next 12 months.

In 2014, the ARU extended another new loan facility to the Rebels of “up to” $2.5million.

As at 31 December 2014, the ARU financial statements showed some $8.75million in outstanding loans owed to it by the Rebels.

In 2015, the ARU extended yet another loan facility to the Rebels for use in 2015. This time the amount was $4,268,000.

But it isn’t until we get to mid-2015 that things get really jaw-dropping.

On 1 July 2015, a new private investor took ownership of the Rebels. Note 23ii to the ARU’s accounts for 2015 states,


The loans set out in “Note 18” consisted of the $8.75million shown in the ARU’s 2014 accounts, PLUS the $4,268,000 the Rebels had received in 2015.

So, when the Rebels went back into private ownership on 1 July 2015, the ARU kissed goodbye to $13,018,000 as part of the deal. Not only that, it threw in another $2.6million in “special funding” for 2016.

That meant that even without the cost to the ARU of having to run the Rebels for the two years they were between owners, the ARU has so far shelled out $15.6million in (presumably) unbudgeted expenditure as a consequence of awarding the 5th SuperRugby licence.

Hang on Slim, are you providing evidence to suggest that the Rebels have, in fact, been provided with significant and longstanding financial support and concessions, over and above the other Super teams? Well I'll be damned...

 

[SouthernX]

The Rebels are just one in a long line of sporting edifices that went to Melbourne to die.

Care to elaborate…

Other than a few disbanded NBL clubs I remember in Melbourne giants, magic and dragons (that have since been replaced)

I think it’s actually a good sporting market and more that RA failed Melbourne and not the other way around.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

Care to elaborate…

Other than a few disbanded NBL clubs I remember in Melbourne giants, magic and dragons (that have since been replaced)

I think it’s actually a good sporting market and more that RA failed Melbourne and not the other way around.

Melbourne failed Melbourne.

 

[Rebel man]

Melbourne failed Melbourne.

Rugby Australia failed Melbourne and has failed the rest of Australia period. When this administration collapses it will be a great day for the game in this country

 

[JRugby2]

You're ability to be so completely blind to reality is truly astounding. Warne wasn't capable of this type of spin.

 

[LeCheese]

Rugby Australia failed Melbourne and has failed the rest of Australia period. When this administration collapses it will be a great day for the game in this country

Genuine delusion. A long time coming, but I'm outta here.

 

[Rebel man]

Genuine delusion. A long time coming, but I'm outta here.

Not an airport you don’t have to announce your departure champion

 

[SouthernX]

Melbourne failed Melbourne.

not really dude.

boots on the ground feedback from rebels supporters is RA is non existent at grassroots level. Its the same here in QLD too… the game is run on the contents of an oily wet rag on the back of the blood sweat and tears of volunteers.

I look at the other codes and see their national body investing in their game yet we don’t do jack shit to grow the game …. It’s all hollow talk

 

[Braveheart81]

not really dude.

boots on the ground feedback from rebels supporters is RA is non existent at grassroots level. Its the same here in QLD too… the game is run on the contents of an oily wet rag on the back of the blood sweat and tears of volunteers.

I look at the other codes and see their national body investing in their game yet we don’t do jack shit to grow the game …. It’s all hollow talk

Again, RA is the national body which is the way the state unions organise things on a national basis (principally at the elite level of the game).

RA is meant to be non-existent at the grassroots level. That is run by the states.

You are consistently angry at RA but seemingly don't understand how rugby is structured in this country.

 

[SouthernX]

RA is meant to be non-existent at the grassroots level. That is run by the states.

Great so what are they doing to assist /grow the game in Victoria?

 

[Rebel man]

Again, RA is the national body which is the way the state unions organise things on a national basis (principally at the elite level of the game).

RA is meant to be non-existent at the grassroots level. That is run by the states.

You are consistently angry at RA but seemingly don't understand how rugby is structured in this country.

Yeah and all the money for AFL Queensland or AFL NSW comes from the state body. Rugby types will never understand this. Yet the AFL has been taxing the rich clubs in Vic, WA and SA for over 100 years to support the game in NSW and Queensland. They didn’t just take the attitude “we are the national body it’s up to the state bodies”

Waugh promised when the rebels were cut that there would be funding to support the grassroots and pathways here. Now speaking to coaches in the academy programs at the state schools the rebel shield is in serious danger of collapse or the school’s signing over to league as there has been no support from RA

 

[stoff]

Great so what are they doing to assist /grow the game in Victoria?

The reality is that if RA went under very little would change down here from where we are today.

 

[Wallaby Man]

Braveheart is 100% right the grassroots is administered by the states.

To be honest I’m not a fan of grassroots receiving much and they should be run on a smell of an oily rag. Receiving money creates a culture of dependence. I live on the GC and my kids play rugby league here, the NRL offers essentially nothing to the club. There is just lots of kids because the sport is popular and the kids aspire to be their heroes. I don’t think they are doing any more or less than the other national bodies. On the semi-pro and professional level, to generate and create these stars for kids to aspire to and therefore sign up for their local club, then that’s another discussion.

 

[Wallaby Man]

The reality is that if RA went under very little would change down here from where we are today.

To be honest I’m not sure if much would change nationally. There would still be local comps and a national team would play. It would be professionally where it all changed

 

[Braveheart81]

Yeah and all the money for AFL Queensland or AFL NSW comes from the state body. Rugby types will never understand this. Yet the AFL has been taxing the rich clubs in Vic, WA and SA for over 100 years to support the game in NSW and Queensland. They didn’t just take the attitude “we are the national body it’s up to the state bodies”

The structure of AFL is the reverse of RA.

AFL NSW/ACT and AFL Qld are wholly owned subsidiaries of the AFL.

RA is the umbrella union of which NSWRU/QRU/VRU etc. are the members. They effectively own RA. If they don't like the way it is run they can change it.

 

[SouthernX]

wonder why RA didn’t want to support woman’s rugby in Victoria… after they said it was only the men’s license that wouldn’t be granted.

 

[SouthernX]

Braveheart is 100% right the grassroots is administered by the states.

To be honest I’m not a fan of grassroots receiving much and they should be run on a smell of an oily rag. Receiving money creates a culture of dependence. I live on the GC and my kids play rugby league here, the NRL offers essentially nothing to the club. There is just lots of kids because the sport is popular and the kids aspire to be their heroes. I don’t think they are doing any more or less than the other national bodies. On the semi-pro and professional level, to generate and create these stars for kids to aspire to and therefore sign up for their local club, then that’s another discussion.

my point about the oily rag wallaby man is we don’t have a culture of dependency at grassroots level.

the idea a lawsuit would impact the grassroots is laughable because the grassroots is more likely to see support via a community grant from the govt compared to a investment from the governing body.

any lawsuit between RA and Rebels board is only going to impact the white collar component of our game

 

[stoff]

To be honest I’m not sure if much would change nationally. There would still be local comps and a national team would play. It would be professionally where it all changed

That was my point.