Wallabies v Wales Game 2 Sat 13 July Melbourne

[eastman]

It means that Welsh aren’t much a of a draw, and there’s not too many of them living in Melbourne.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Weather not that bad. A dusting of rain and otherwise clear.
Melbourne v Essendon at the G. Melbourne is terrible and there’s snow on the slopes so don’t expect a massive crowd at the G.
Trouble is many of the dees fans are also probably Union fans and are all at the ski hills

 

[Marce]

Is a Rebels supporters boycott? In any case, they are few

 

[stillmissit]

The only reason the large crowds go is to watch the ABs as they consider Melbourne a 'Home' game. Great! just what we need a fortress in Auckland and a home game in Melbourne.

 

[swingpass]

The Wallabies games in Melbourne at the G are all about revenue, the difference an extra 30-50 K (compared with Suncorp or SFS) punters is enormous, it’s the only reason World Rugby is looking to have the semis and final of RWC 27 in Melbourne. $ several mill from what I’ve been told.

 

[stillmissit]

Good luck with that.

 

[Slim 293]

They won’t be filling the G to watch the B&I Lions next year?

 

[stillmissit]

Is it sold out?

 

[Slim 293]

Yes.

 

[stillmissit]

Good!!!! we'll get something back on the failed venture that was rugby in Melb...

 

[Joe Blow]

This is not the place but rugby has not failed in Melbourne. The ARU/RA failed in Melbourne. They shouldn’t have. It’s one of the most sport friendly cities in the world. The idea was good but the execution far from it.

 

[stillmissit]

OMG Joe, I normally read your posts and agree. This one is not so, if the Rebels management can trade whilst bankrupt that is a serious matter in civil law I believe.

 

[Joe Blow]

Maybe I misunderstood. Of course the Rebels was a failed venture but I think if it was setup differently and run properly by the right people from the start it could have been successful, financially and otherwise.
I wholeheartedly agree that it needed to be dissolved now but it should never have come to this.

 

[stillmissit]

Agree, it is always in the people who run any enterprise.

 

[Sully]

The blame for the failure of the Melbourne Rebels falls squarely on the VRU and the Rebels board.

 

[MarkJ]

This is not the place but rugby has not failed in Melbourne. The ARU/RA failed in Melbourne. They shouldn’t have. It’s one of the most sport friendly cities in the world. The idea was good but the execution far from it.

One of the posters on here recently listed all the failed Melbourne sports teams they’d been a member of. I think Melbournites love their AFL and marquee sporting events, but it’s a lot tougher for regular games for the minor codes.

 

[swingpass]

Sully, yes and no. The genesis of this is long and multifactorial, death by a thousand cuts if you like. The granting of the original licence to the Force was correct in that they probably had the better bid, but shortsighted by the ARU. The second biggest city in Australia, a sports loving population that had flocked to the RWC in 2003, primed to take on a successful new team, was a commercial no-brainer. The failure to get the licence was among other reasons a poor bid by the VRU (i wasn't involved but close to many who were), because they were overly confident; pressure from the broadcasters, continuous eyes from NZ, east coast Australia, west coast Australia and SA; one east coast union who was completely antithetical to a super franchise in Melbourne, another who was ambivalent. When the licence was granted in 2011, the momentum from RWC 2003 was lost, the organisation was hamstrung by the ARU in who they could and couldn't recruit resulting in an uncompetitive team from the start, poor on field results led to dwindling off field support. When the ARU got the licence back from the Mitchell consortium, they foisted TT on the Rebels. The private consortium who then took over weren't allowed to recruit who they wanted. It has been a struggle for survival ever since, I am NOT exonerating the board or the VRU, they are clearly culpable for the recent debacle, but the ARU/RA have mishandled the expansion and must carry some of the blame.

 

[liquor box]

The Wallabies games in Melbourne at the G are all about revenue, the difference an extra 30-50 K (compared with Suncorp or SFS) punters is enormous, it’s the only reason World Rugby is looking to have the semis and final of RWC 27 in Melbourne. $ several mill from what I’ve been told.

Yet another reason Brisbane 2032 should have a 80,000 seat stadium so we can host world cups and be ready for a big population in the future.

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Is a Rebels supporters boycott? In any case, they are few

All 50 of the rebel army are protesting

 

[Derpus]

Having been to a few Super games down in Melbourne you get a real strong feel for how few fucks Melbourne gives about rugby. when actually attending. Even run well I doubt the Rebels would have ever been viable.

Makes sense to have RWC and Lions there because those matches will sell out anywhere.