The Melbourne Rebels are adamant they’ll remain, as the unthinkable prospect of the Brumbies being cut from Super Rugby looms larger.
As Australia’s three endangered franchises were left on tenterhooks for a fifth day since SANZAAR officials thrashed out recommendations for a new model in 2018, whispers of the Brumbies being firmly in the firing line emerged.
The Brumbies’ apparent fight for survival was news to chief executive Michael Thomson.
“There are a lot of rumours swirling about. All sorts of possible scenarios, but we haven’t heard anything,” Thomson told AAP.
“We know that SANZAAR are continuing to work through it. They have a lot of different parties they need to talk to and once they come to a resolution they will let us know.”
Tellingly, though, Australia’s most successful Super Rugby outfit admitted it would consider relocation to Melbourne to avoid extinction.
“You can’t rule anything out or anything in, but Canberra is our home and I don’t see that changing,” Thomson said when asked about a relocation to the Victorian capital.
Such a scenario raises the prospect of the privately-owned Rebels and cash-strapped Brumbies merging, with SANZAAR expected to announce a reduction in the number of teams from 18 to possibly 15 at the end of the week after meetings with stakeholders.
Almost certainly one of Australia’s five sides would go, as well as two teams from South Africa, most likely the Kings and one other.
Most observers expected the Rebels or Western Force to face the chop, but there is now speculation about the Brumbies moving from Canberra to Melbourne, where they could capitalise on a bigger population and more corporate dollars.
Just how that would sit with the Rebels remains to be seen.
One thing is certain, though: the Rebels have no plans on shutting up shop in 2018.
“We are here, we’re focused on this season, we’re focused on playing the Chiefs (on Saturday) and we don’t consider ourselves at any risk of not being in the 2018 competition and beyond,” Rebels chief executive Andrew Cox said on Wednesday.
“We’re disappointed with the distraction this process has created and is creating and ultimately all we’re focused on is playing the Chiefs.”
Cutting the Brumbies would send shock waves through Australian rugby.
Apart from being Australia’s most successful club with two Super Rugby titles from six finals, the Brumbies have produced an endless supply of all-time greats including George Smith, George Gregan, Steve Larkham and Stirling Mortlock, while iconic winger David Campese also hailed from the city.
But while the Force and the Rebels can’t match the Brumbies’ on-field success, there is a feeling Perth and Melbourne offer more potential growth for the game in the bigger markets than Canberra does.
Melbourne and Perth’s geography and time zones are also more attractive for television and travel, particularly for South African teams.
wyn
Guest
What makes Melbourne's time zone more attractive than Canberra's ;)
BeastieBoy
Guest
You just have to read the Canberra Times as i do on occasions and its full of stories about the brumbies and Rugby. There may be a smaller population but a high percentage are engaged. i think that is more the point. To throw all the goodwill that has been built up by the Brumbies success would be a travesty of monumental proportions. Again the ARU are playing Board Room Games. The real game we care about is in Canberra and will blossom pretty quickly with support.
Bakkies
Guest
Because he has brought the Wallabies, his relevant state at the time (has had off field incidents at the Rebels and the Waratahs) and the game of Rugby in to disrepute on numerous occasions. Most blokes wouldn't of got as many 'second' chances as he has had. This is despite having it all laid out to him on a platter with scholarships, mentoring from Wallabies and a contract while at school. Others couldn't get an ARU contract while their favourite bench player was acting the mongrel so they went abroad and were lost to Australian Rugby.
Yeats
Guest
Who says rugby hasn't grown in WA Grubb?
Yeats
Guest
I am sure the Rabbitohs supporters were saying the same thing Slav when they were cut. The $64M question is were you in the 8,647 there last Saturday?
Yeats
Guest
That's George Gregan. The Rabbits won 23 premierships in the rugby league but were still cut. The titles mean nothing.
Glenn
Guest
which 2 chips: – Withdraw from Super rugby if the conference system is not dismantled – Withdraw from Super rugby if any less than 3 teams are cut?
FraggleWrangler
Roar Rookie
The only reason the Tahs-dominated ARU board would decide to cull the Brumbies is because they think all those Brumbies supporters would instantly become Tahs supporters. Rugby is more popular per capita in the ACT than any other area of Australia, with the highest participation rate as well. Not a single Brumbies supporter would ever support the Waratahs. If the Brumbies go Rugby is dead in the ACT - all so the ARU can dream about somehow convincing AFL supporters in WA and VIC to suddenly swap codes. They will lose the supporters they already have - just to have a gamble at gaining other supporters they'll never get. I've followed rugby as my number one sport since I was a kid in NSW. I've followed the wallabies on world tours, made a pilgrimage to Cardiff Arms Park, and played rugby until I was too fat and old. I went to the very first Brumbies game. My membership number is only double digits. I listened to the 1st Brumbies home final in 2000 against Canterbury on radio NZ-South Pacific while deployed as the sole Aussie on the HMNZS Canterbury. I've watched a Bledisloe Cup game being the only Aussie in an auditorium of 600 All Blacks supporters while proudly wearing my Wallaby jersey. If the Brumbies are cut the first thing I'll be doing is burning that yellow Tahs jersey and never watching another game.
Metalisticpain
Guest
The ARU should all be held accountable for this disgrace. The fact we have this incomprehensible format for 2 years, and now to try fix it they are going to disband a team is absurd. No leadership and no sense. Disbanding a team will do irreparable damage to rugby is aus.
concerned supporter
Guest
Bakies, Why are you so vicious & bitter towards Kurtly Beale? Have you ever met the bloke?He has always been courteous and pleasant to an old bloke like me.
Ian Brown
Roar Pro
Oh and by the way to my great surprise, honestly, as I thought viewers where tuning out on just the AUS SR teams because of the standard but only 39,000 watched the NZ derby so actually this is about the code not the standard of play. That is the truly concerning thing for the future of rugby in AUS.
Akari
Roar Rookie
I'm sure that the ACT govt would intervene in support of the Brumbies if and when required. They after all have been subsidising AFL games in the ACT, including the GWS. And good on them for doing so too.
Colonel Grubb
Guest
I'm so sick of hearing the excuses for the Force and the Rebels "they're bigger markets for growth than Canberra". The Force have been playing since 2006 and the Rebels since 2011. That's 11 years and 6 years respectively. And thats plenty of time to grow and make their way into the markets and "grow" rugby. Its a completely false argument. And what happens when the owners of the Rebels get bored and don't fancy supporting a money pit.... *cough* Clive Palmer and Gold Coast United *cough*
Akari
Roar Rookie
Consider this JJD. Despite a very strong domestic NPC, it still took the Highlanders 20 years and the Hurricanes 21 years to win a super rugby championship. While SA has their Currie Cup equivalent, a strong provincial team like the Stormers are yet to have taste of super rugby championship. One could say then that Australia, given the Reds and Tahs winning in 2011 and 2014 respectively, has punched way above it's weight despite not having a strong domestic comp at the provincial level. Patience is required and the 5 teams must stay.
Expat ed
Guest
Shameful behaviour by the ARU - once again ignoring grass roots & trying to chase the corporate dollar. No one in Melbourne with any media influence gives a hoot about rugby.
Ian Brown
Roar Pro
I understand that this is about fans/players of a franchise that is possibly either being cut or forced to merge. Can we also consider the following that both Super Rugby games played in AUS on the weekend attracted 61,000 viewers on FoxTel and between 9,000 and whatever attended the Reds game. So therefore re the Force game 0.3% of the AUS population was interested in that contest. Unless this changes and quickly the the ARU will be forced to bail out the remaining franchises. Players by necessity will be paid less for their domestic services and thus overseas would look more and more appealing. I don't know the answer ie should we have 4 or 5 teams but I do know two things. Firstly with these ratings no FTA provider would be interested, for instance the SS has to pay 7TWO to broadcast it's games and secondly the code will continue to suffer at the pointy end.
Bakkies
Guest
Not really funny for him considering he is out of contract and unattached.
Bakkies
Guest
and the constitution that votes for that move is driven by the clubs. That's what makes the ACT different to other unions.
Bakkies
Guest
Beale has higher level of stupidity than Hooper and easily led.
Bakkies
Guest
'But Bruce Stadium is not like the SFS or Lang Park. It’s a pain to get to, and with every game being scheduled for 7:45pm for the benefit of TV viewers, the spectators are expected to freeze to death supporting their team.' Sorry but that is a load of bs. Buses are free and it is about 10 minutes on that source of transport in to the city. As for the time of the day that's bs too. The cold is overstated and soft. Canberra Stadium used to fill out in snow and I've watched matches in the Paris suburbs which make Canberra look barmy. Brumbies scheduled day games and the fans still didn't turn up.