Melbourne Rebels 2024

[swingpass]

so i agree the Board have mismanaged bigly, its hard to fathom why. I assume that the debt mounted during Covid, less from RA for salaries, no gate income, but perhaps costs of hiring locked in (dunno), extra expense with the team on the road. they may have assumed that a PE deal was in the offing and debts would be covered, then no PE for RA, just the $80 mill loan facilty. then the RA consolidation/takeover falls through. all of a sudden all the creditors (Board member aside) want the money. the major debt after all is to the ATO, they may have been in a payment plan that they could no longer service perhaps most of it is fines, who knows. its tragic and the inevitable result of underfunding Rugby in Australia, as i said earlier on, imo the first but not the last Super team to fall over.

 

[Slayer!]

VIC Govt are spending a significant amount building an academy at Latrobe for Vic Rugby Academies and Super W team, which will sit alongside the Matildas as tenants of the facilities out there. But that’s not a facility for the men’s team.

what’s the status of these facilities, any construction updates? fields were supposed to be open by now weren’t they?

On top of Rebels, pretty sure WA Govt funded the Rugby WA training facilities pre-twiggy/2017. I think Brumbies are only team not to receive capital grant for facilities, but ACT Govt does fund a bit different and provides on-going funding as a sponsorship to sporting teams in the capital.

Remind me how that Latrobe facility - announced BEFORE Ballymore - is going? Still hasn't been built (in fact I don't think it's even been started), and meanwhile QRU are coining it in from lease revenue and events.
The delay would have added $4-5 million alone in cost escalation.

 

[Adam84]

Remind me how that Latrobe facility - announced BEFORE Ballymore - is going? Still hasn't been built (in fact I don't think it's even been started), and meanwhile QRU are coining it in from lease revenue and events.
The delay would have added $4-5 million alone in cost escalation.

Careful now.. The push for the Ballymore upgrade started long before Rebels were even a team let alone the LaTrobe facility, first iteration of a training facility at Ballymore was guaranteed funding by John Howard in 2007 before be he was elected out, there was even a Crime and Misconduct Commission investigation over events in 2008 on the handling of a $4million QLD Govt grant for a swimming pool at Ballymore. Ballymore has had more then it's fair share of false-starts and controversy along the way.

And yes it has started

 

[Highlander35]

The priority out LaTrobe way was always gonna be the Matildas base due to the World Cup. No idea on the specific progress of the rest, but there always appears to be some construction/redevelopment going on in the South West Corner/Sports precinct.

 

[Members Section]

Remind me how that Latrobe facility - announced BEFORE Ballymore - is going? Still hasn't been built (in fact I don't think it's even been started), and meanwhile QRU are coining it in from lease revenue and events.
The delay would have added $4-5 million alone in cost escalation.

latrobe is actually on owned land by the university but falls under local council active government playing fields zoning. There has been a master plan updated several times over more than a decade 1st with Essensdon afl used it as a bargaining chip to get their facility fast tracked then Melbourne heart now Melbourne city until the city football group moved to their own training ground 1.45 min away.

it’s not the great saviour. It’s a playing field in the middle of suburbia no where near anything or anyone that the university is using to try to abstract govt. funds.

soil has ‘been turned’ but simply they moved the university afl club & the baseball club to clear land in the hope that they can build a facility that is paid for by the state govt. that Latrobe can make money out of by selling degrees.

I’d be amazed if it ever happened

 

[Adam84]

From a few months ago, looks like a bit more then just turning soil, 2 of the 3 fields and new lighting should be close to done by now, and foundations for the building started to be framed up beside the field on the left. looks pretty amazing.

Nov 23

Feb 22

definitely slow going though, looks like the Matildas facility was the priority, probably fair enough given the publicity of the Womens World Cup and Matildas recent success

 

[Pfitzy]

so i agree the Board have mismanaged bigly, its hard to fathom why.

Incompetence.

 

[oztimmay]

Guys, please take a read of this release from @SuperRebelsRugby on Twitter. Another passionate Rugby head who wants to see us thrive.

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1758106479566217519

 

[Mr Pilfer]

Twiggy knew this was going to happen, he is just waiting for it all to implode and will then start a completely new breakaway competition , e.g super league / global rapid rugby etc

 

[Steve_Grey]

I would agree that RA paying for the existing BAU is a route to disaster if we continue. Would be interesting where the expenses above and beyond other sides would exist under different management.

From the AFR: "The Rebels are still expected to compete in this year’s Super Rugby season, which starts on February 23. Rugby Australia is planning to pay the costs for this season, which could be up to $5 million."

They have retained 17 High Performance Members - seems high in the first place.

 

[upthereds#!]

WELL I am looking forward to seeing them play!

Looks like the team this weekend is a reasonable indication of their strongest team. Ignoring unavailbility, this is my A team for round 1. Backs bench is harder for me to pick.

1. Gibbon 2. Mafi 3. Tupou
4. Canham 5. LSL (Lukhan Salakaia-Loto)
6. Kemeny 8. Leota 7. Wilkins
9. Louwrens 10. Gordon 11. Daugunu 12. Feliuai 13. Proctor 14. Anderson 15. Kellaway
16. Uelese 17. Eloff 18. Pone 19. A.Smith 20. Ekuasi 21. Maunder 22. Strachan/Jooste 23. Vaihu/Pincus

Could someone please remind me of those confirmed unavailable for round 1 at this stage?

 

[Dctarget]

Fark me, Taylor Swift is on at the same time across the road as tonight’s game. Much less appealing

 

[Members Section]

Fark me, Taylor Swift is on at the same time across the road as tonight’s game. Much less appealing

yeah thats why i'm not going, its going to be chaos in the area

 

[SouthernX]

Twiggy knew this was going to happen, he is just waiting for it all to implode and will then start a completely new breakaway competition , e.g super league / global rapid rugby etc

There was a lot of place holder teams in global rapid rugby…

I dont think he was ever interested in creating a new league. Just keeping the force relevant while the RA landscape allowed them to reenter the comp.

 

[Slim 293]

Rugby Australia officials are confident ticket sales for next week's Super Rugby season opener between the ACT Brumbies and Melbourne Rebels will commence by Friday.

The Brumbies will open their campaign against the Rebels in Melbourne on Friday February 23.

A late relocation was off the table, with Canberra Stadium hosting a Matchbox Twenty concert next weekend.

Ticket sales, however, have been put on hold for all Rebels home games while officials wade through $20 million of debt, including $1.1 million in lease payments and hiring fees to the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust, the operator of AAMI Park.

RA officials are in the process of negotiating a new venue agreement with stadium authorities, with the discussions in their final stages.

It is hoped the deal will be finalised by the end of the week, with ticket sales for next Friday's game to commence soon after.

Rebels plan revealed: RA makes call on whether fans can watch Brumbies opener

Tickets are not currently on sale for the round-one clash.

www.canberratimes.com.au

 

[Members Section]

Rebels plan revealed: RA makes call on whether fans can watch Brumbies opener

Tickets are not currently on sale for the round-one clash.

www.canberratimes.com.au

Rebels socials posted last night to go to ticketek so a deal must be close

 

[KevinO]

Rebels socials posted last night to go to ticketek so a deal must be close

Can at least fine them on ticketek and join the waitlist

 

[Jimmy_Crouch]

Fark me, Taylor Swift is on at the same time across the road as tonight’s game. Much less appealing

Tell the Swifties that she is making an appearance at the game and charge for tickets. All your financial troubles fixed

 

[SouthernX]

Tell the Swifties that she is making an appearance at the game and charge for tickets. All your financial troubles fixed

Who are the eligible bachelors in the rebels - give TS a free suite box and cut to her cheering on the rebels equivalent of Travis kelce every time there’s a touchrtry

 

[Slim 293]

Twiggy knew this was going to happen, he is just waiting for it all to implode and will then start a completely new breakaway competition , e.g super league / global rapid rugby etc

Ooooooh, we'll see a return of rugby heavyweights such as the Phnom Penh Pirates?