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Since 12 November 2009, Rod Maqueen, along with the rest of the Melbourne Rebels leadership and management team, has put a lot of emphasis on what the Rebels stand for, on and off the field – Respect, Excellence, Balance, Ethos and Leadership.
During the recruitment drive, every media partner and journalist willing to lend an ear would have received lip-service to that extent. “We aren’t looking for players who will only perform two hours a week on the field, we’re looking for players who will perform seven days a week, not just in rugby, but in life”
Was it all just lip-service? A strategy in effort to create its own market in an AFL saturated state?
Will the Rebels just become another franchise, in Super Rugby, or will they achieve something much bigger than just scoring points on a ladder?
It’s with a pleasure that I can proudly announce that, true to their words, they have indeed taken responsibility, and shown initiative in effort to assist rugby union grow in Victoria like it’s never grown before!
The changes started earlier in 2010 when Ross Oakley was appointed across VRU and the Melbourne Rebels franchise. This a strong indication that they intend to work closely with the VRU clubs in and around Victoria, who themselves are rich in rugby tradition, and have sported no less than 40 Wallabies over the years.
The next step was for the Rebels management team to introduce Rebels players as mentors to VRU clubs, as well as school clubs around Victoria, strengthening the bond between ‘amateur’ and ‘professional’ rugby for not just in 2011, but in the long-term.
This commitment indicates that the Rebels don’t want a top-heavy structure in the short-term, but rather want to build a culture of mentoring and support from the grassroots, and in doing so ensuring the Rebels success at the top in the long-term.
A strong foundation will ensure home grown players will be pulling the RaboDirect Rebels jerseys over their heads and wear it with pride in years to come.
With this in mind, each player representing the Rebels, knowingly signed themselves into extra responsibility. They are willing to go an extra mile in effort to promote rugby union and its culture in schools and clubs around Victoria: This in itself should tell you that we have not just players, but mentors and leaders in our squad of 32.
The Rebel Army is proud to be associated with players and management who are willing to look above and beyond the call of duty, or expectations set by any ‘standard’ club in the Super Series, and we can’t wait to report on the lasting impact these players, leaders will have on Victorian rugby in the years to come.
Herewith a rundown of the 32 Rebels players, and the clubs/schools they will be working with come 2011:
Peter Betham: Maroondah – St Francis Xavier College Beaconsfield
Rodney Blake: Box Hill – Geelong Grammar
Adam Byrnes: Power House – Brighton Grammar
Alister Campbell: Eltham – Xavier College
Tom Chamberlain: Maroondah – Ivanhoe Grammar
Danny Cipriani: Harlequins – Haileybury College
Sam Cordingley: Power House – Melbourne Grammar
Tim Davidson: Melton – Victoria Uni Secondary College
Gareth Delve: Footscray – Scotch College
JP Du Plessis: Box Hill – Mt Waverley Secondary College
Adam Freier: Melbourne – Marcellin College
Mark Gerrard: Southern Districts/ Cerberus – Trinity Grammar
Nic Henderson: Footscray – Trinity Grammar
James Hilgendorf: Melbourne – Melbourne High
Julian Huxley: Melbourne Uni – Xavier College
Luke Jones: Melbourne Uni – Craigieburn High
Richard Kingi: Northern – Marcellin College
Michael Lipman: Moorabbin – Mentone Grammar
Hoani Macdonald: Monash University Rugby Club – Carey Grammar
Lachlan Mitchell: Boroondara – Ivanhoe Grammar
Sterling Mortlock: Endeavour Hills – Carey Grammar
Kevin O’Neill: St Patricks College OC/University of Ballarat – St Patricks College
Hugh Pyle: Southern Districts/Cerberus – Melbourne Grammar
Ged Robinson: Harlequins – Haileybury College
Luke Rooney: Geelong – St Kevins College
Jarrod Saffy: Wyndham City – St Kevins College
Greg Somerville: Boroondara – Noble Park Secondary School
Afusipa Taumoepeau: Wyndham City – Braybrook Secondary School
Heath Tessmann: Monash University Womens/Womens Ambassador – Mt Waverly Secondary School
Cooper Vuna: Endeavour Hills – Mentone Grammar
Laurie Weeks: Bendigo Rugby Club – Scotch Collage
Nick Phipps: Moorabbin – Brighton Grammar
Join The Roar rugby editor Christy Doran, former Wallaby Matt Toomua and a cast of regular and special guests as they look at the biggest issues in the game on The Roar Rugby Podcast. If you’re looking for great odds on the next game check out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Chances are you’re about to lose. Set a deposit limit.