Melbourne Rebels coach Tony McGahan says his team isn’t feeling any extra pressure to perform despite an axe possibly hanging over an under-performing Australian Super Rugby side.
Competition organisers SANZAAR will meet in March to discuss the best way forward for the struggling Super Rugby competition with a reduction in teams a possibility.
The Australian Rugby Union board met this week to discuss their future strategy and offered no guarantees that all five Australian Super Rugby franchises will survive beyond this year.
While Western Force and the Brumbies are expected to be most at risk, the Rebels haven’t finished higher than 10th since they joined the competition in 2011.
Ahead of their season-opening clash with the Blues on Thursday night at AAMI Park, McGahan said they had been focused purely on preparing for the match.
“I don’t think anyone down here’s been talking or thinking around that; we’ve been too busy in our work and what we’ve got to do to face the Blues,” McGahan said.
“Last year we didn’t get a result against any Kiwi side so that’s been our focus.”
McGahan said “100 per cent” that the Rebels had a place in the competition. He pointed to Melbourne’s growing Wallabies contingent as evidence of on-field improvement.
Sean McMahon, Lopeti Timani, Sefa Naivalu, Reece Hodge and Toby Smith have all earned Test caps since joining the Rebels.
“I think we’ve seen the growth of the club since it’s inception to where it is now … and now we’re in private ownership, so things are looking really well on and off the field.”
Melbourne’s sporting marketplace has become even more crowded with the arrival of the women’s AFL competition (AFLW) and another Super netball team in recent months.
But McGahan said there was still room for the Rebels.
“They are all different markets and all in the different seasons but all we can control is what we do on the field,” he said.
“We’ve got some really strong things in place with regard to ownership, facilities and playing group, so like most things you get a result on the pitch and work hard, people see what you’re playing for and I think those things stand well.”
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