Melbourne Rebels 2024

[Rob42]

Agreed, but even still, I'd say it's pretty likely a few rugby journos might be getting a couple of exclusives from anonymous sources airing the other party's dirty laundry.

Well, yeah, if the first half of 2024 is any guide, we will get the Rebels directors' response to RA through Geoff Parkes on Monday morning on The Roar, and some breathless, superficial commentary from Christy Doran a day later - but actual information? Harder to find.

 

[stoff]

What's the alternative? That RA encouraged the Rebels to trade insolvent for 6 years?

Whilst that is unlikely, what if they became aware during Covid and made promises to protect their tv deal during the pandemic based off their confidence around a PE deal. There are scenarios where codependence could have lead to a situation that became inconvenient to RA.

 

[stoff]

Two years after it's alleged they began trading while insolvent?

You’re not trading insolvent if you have a reasonable belief you can pay your debts - like your directors funding the club, which is what happened for quite some time.

 

[stoff]

RA are saying that the MRRU directors misled them and if they had been aware of various things across those years they wouldn't have let the licence continue and thus wouldn't have made any of the payments.

But they would have given it to the Force - again it’s a strange position.

 

[Rebel man]

You’re not trading insolvent if you have a reasonable belief you can pay your debts - like your directors funding the club, which is what happened for quite some time.

And until the Chairman’s business went under they were tipping in money to keep the lights on. Something that has to be answered is what was the cost to the rebels of having to be based in Sydney for Covid and how much of that was subsidised by RA?

 

[JRugby2]

And until the Chairman’s business went under they were tipping in money to keep the lights on. Something that has to be answered is what was the cost to the rebels of having to be based in Sydney for Covid and how much of that was subsidised by RA?

How is this relevant?

 

[Rebel man]

How is this relevant?

So we know the debt was at 18m in 2022 as per the administrators report. But what was the cost to the club of playing the covid years and how were those costs met?

It is very relevant to the debt issue and would be good to have clarity around that.

 

[Prodigy]

End of the day you are kidding yourself if you don’t think RA were aware of the situation. They are equally as culpable as the Rebels. RA just want a scapegoat

RA want a scapegoat, but isn’t that what the Rebels directors are asking for?
Mate, it’s time to jog on. You obviously feel so violated that you can’t support the good of the game anymore. It’s sad but being this bitter doesn’t help you or anyone else.

 

[Prodigy]

I support the legal action sure as we need to test the validity of the allegations. If there is evidence like claimed it should be made public and those at RA should be held to account.

The truth is none of you care about what has happened you just care about what is in your immediate best interests and that’s for it to just all go away quietly. As if the allegations are proven in court the fall out potentially affects your teams.

Wrong, the fallout potentially affects the future of the game that we are all trying to support as best we can.
It sh!ts on all the volunteers, all across the country, who have spent countless hours driving kids around, coaching, holding hit shields, running canteens, buying jerseys.

 

[Prodigy]

If it brings about reform then that’s a good outcome. The game desperately needs it

Even if that reform still finds no place for the Rebels?

 

[Dan54]

I would think above anything even if RA did give back licence would Super board allow Rebels back in? They would know they are virtually a rogue club with no support, and so probably wouldn't find place for them.
I know it sounds a bit tough, but probably realistically where it stands whether we like it or not. I genuinely feel for Rebel's supporters etc, but I see no way back without full support or RA. It's a mess (and I don't know who is responsible), and needs to be sorted for the sake of the game in Aus, even over here in NZ everyone shaking their heads and I think it will hurt even Super next year.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

So we know the debt was at 18m in 2022 as per the administrators report. But what was the cost to the club of playing the covid years and how were those costs met?

It is very relevant to the debt issue and would be good to have clarity around that.

So the bulk of the debt was incurred before COVID. And before PE investment was even in discussion. And didn't RA in their statement say they provided $35m in funding between 2018 until they went into administration. Am I missing something here. Doesn't this essentially prove it was those running the Rebels that were they problem and have been for a long time.

 

[WorkingClassRugger]

And until the Chairman’s business went under they were tipping in money to keep the lights on. Something that has to be answered is what was the cost to the rebels of having to be based in Sydney for Covid and how much of that was subsidised by RA?

Do why now why the Chairman's business went under? Not paying their bills perhaps.

 

[hoggy]

Has anyone who holds this belief ever interrogated it themselves?

The game isn't healthy, but specifically - in what way does the 'the code have it's head in the sand' over these issues that are seemingly faced and unresolved by every national union around the world, and that have been for the better part of 2 decades - again, globally.

It's like you believe that successive administrations have all been of the belief that Rugby is the countries premier sport (I'll give you McClennan...) where in reality they've just failed to grow the game on and off the field - like everyone else, everywhere.

We seem to look overseas with these incredibly dark rose tinted glasses - but outside of us also having to compete with the NRL for player talent, they face the same issues we do and are struggling the same to.

The game is supposedly healthy & growing at a Test level, but it appears that at the domestic level it is struggling in virtually every market it has a presence in, Except two countries that don't have a slave relationship with there Test team. could not part of that issue being the game domestically is collapsing under the weight of supporting that level (Test) of the game.

The code is suffering from trying to finance itself through a single entity, the Wallabies or each countries individual test team.

I do believe successive administrations have failed to address the issue of growing the game internally in this country, never once have they looked at the AFL/NRL and gone maybe we could learn a thing or two from them.
No because the RA have peddled in this belief that the game here is the Premier code or there equal, all it takes is a couple of Wallaby wins.
Why have they failed so dismally to grow the game here domestically, when it appears other codes have not had such problems doing so???

The Rebels are IMO a classic example of a sporting structure without any real grasp of reality or genuine idea of what is was supposed to be doing, or how to do it. Everyone got paid and we all hit the buffet as hard as we could, and now its the blame game.

But are we any closer to understanding why and how we got ourselves into this crap situation. NO, I agree we should all look and interrogate ourselves a bit more, but all I see is a bunch of people running around with brooms desperately looking for a carpet.

 

[Rebel man]

So the bulk of the debt was incurred before COVID. And before PE investment was even in discussion. And didn't RA in their statement say they provided $35m in funding between 2018 until they went into administration. Am I missing something here. Doesn't this essentially prove it was those running the Rebels that were they problem and have been for a long time.

Because they were given the annual participation grant. The only point they state where the debt level was at was that it was 18m in 2022. Also 35m over that time span hardly even covers the salary cap then there are all the other expenses.

 

[Rebel man]

I would think above anything even if RA did give back licence would Super board allow Rebels back in? They would know they are virtually a rogue club with no support, and so probably wouldn't find place for them.
I know it sounds a bit tough, but probably realistically where it stands whether we like it or not. I genuinely feel for Rebel's supporters etc, but I see no way back without full support or RA. It's a mess (and I don't know who is responsible), and needs to be sorted for the sake of the game in Aus, even over here in NZ everyone shaking their heads and I think it will hurt even Super next year.

Super Rugby is a dead concept

 

[Rebel man]

Wrong, the fallout potentially affects the future of the game that we are all trying to support as best we can.
It sh!ts on all the volunteers, all across the country, who have spent countless hours driving kids around, coaching, holding hit shields, running canteens, buying jerseys.

And yet the fall out of holding the same course herts all the same people

 

[Rebel man]

RA want a scapegoat, but isn’t that what the Rebels directors are asking for?
Mate, it’s time to jog on. You obviously feel so violated that you can’t support the good of the game anymore. It’s sad but being this bitter doesn’t help you or anyone else.

The people running RA do not represent what is good for rugby and never have. All the promises of support for club rugby and the pathways in Victoria from RA where all lies

 

[Bullrush]

Super Rugby is a dead concept

If Super Rugby is dead, it's because the Rebels killed it LOL

 

[Tomthumb]

Because they were given the annual participation grant. The only point they state where the debt level was at was that it was 18m in 2022. Also 35m over that time span hardly even covers the salary cap then there are all the other expenses.

We know they have been trading insolvent since 2018