Prior to Christmas, there were several articles discussing the precarious position of several entities linked to Melbourne Rebels chair Paul Docherty and the Rebels’ key sponsor BRC Capital, as well as the Rebels owing money to both the Australian Taxation Office and AAMI Park.
More recent articles have discussed the Rebels meeting with insolvency firm Wexted Advisors, and at worst discuss entering or about to enter voluntary administration. This resulted in speculation about the future of the Melbourne Rebels.
Sadly, for this foundation Melbourne Rebel member, as a foundation Collingwood Super Netball member, this is the second time in less than 12 months that speculation about the future of one of my teams has been rife. This can be quite distressing for fans, but even more so for players and staff.
Hopefully, the outcome for the Rebels is different to the outcome for the Collingwood netball team.
Brad Wilkin of the Rebels. (Photo by Mark Kolbe/Getty Images)
The Rebels having difficulties may not be a surprise, particularly given their crowds sizes. However, often the size of the crowd is left to the optics because the Rebels often do not officially announce their crowds. A business model where you continually spend more than you earn is not sustainable.
When the Rebels first started, we attracted really good crowds. However, in 13 seasons, the Rebels have only made the finals once and that was in a five-team Super Rugby AU when COVID-19 impacted the competition. So, the drop-off in crowds is not surprising. But there is a small band of passionate diehard Rebels fans.
I think if the Rebels had any sort of on-field success a number of the past attendees would return.
The Rebels aren’t Robinson Crusoe in Australian Rugby. Rugby Australia (RA) haven’t exactly been covering themselves in glory both on and off the field, plus they are reported to be absorbing the debt of the NSW Waratahs, which ranges between $6-$8 million.
One negative thing I have noticed from some fans of other teams on social media and internet forums is their “dancing on the Rebels’ grave” even though the time of death has not been announced.
Tim Sampson (assistant coach) and Kevin Foote (head coach) of the Melbourne Rebels. (Photo by Paul Kane/Getty Images)
I think this behaviour stems, to an extent, from 2017, when the Western Force was eventually cut because effectively RA was pitting franchisees and ultimately, their fans against each other.
There is nothing wrong with good-natured banter between fan bases. I have given my wife, an Essendon supporter, plenty of grief about Essendon not winning an AFL final since 2004. But, if Essendon ceased to exist, all that fun would disappear.
I did not agree with the cutting of the Force in 2017, because you do not shrink to greatness. Cutting a side, and if the Rebels fold (which may not be of RA’s making as the Force was), reduces the pathways and fan base.
The Melbourne Storm, who have existed since 1998, have only had five Victorians play in the NRL. By contrast, there have been approximately 10 players playing Super Rugby for the Rebels from local pathways in half the amount of time. A number of these players including Rob Leota, Jordan Uelese and Pone Fa’amausili have played for the Wallabies.
For the future success of Australian rugby, we don’t want to reduce the number of or block current pathways.
Whilst the Rebels have not had a lot of success, they still have brought plenty of joy and provide plenty of memories to our fans. I remember attending our first match and despite losing 43-0 against the Waratahs I smiled because I had a team to support. The following week, Stirling Mortlock scored our first try and Danny Cipriani’s boot notched our first win against the Brumbies.
Where to now for Melbourne’s players? (Photo by Kelly Defina/Getty Images)
Other memories include Nick Phipps scoring a double and a Stirling Mortlock swan dive try in an upset win against the Crusaders at AAMI Park. A stunning come-from-behind victory against the Highlanders. Tony McGahan was in the coach’s box berating Bryce Hegarty for not following team rules, even though Hegarty set up a 60+ metre try and the fans loved it.
Of course, it would be remiss of me not to mention Cabous Eloff’s late try and Matt To’omua’s conversion against the Force that saw the Rebels qualify for our only semi-final on points difference in the 2020 Super Rugby Au competition.
If you are a rugby fan based in Melbourne, past or present, the best thing you can do in 2024 is attend as many matches and purchase as much merchandise as you can. If you just looked at the results from last season it may not inspire you to attend. But the Rebels played an attacking, entertaining style in 2023 and were competitive, although unfortunately often for only 60 minutes not the full 80.
Hopefully, a more sustainable business model can be set up, the Victorian version of Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest puts their hand up and / or someone associated with the Rebels wins the Powerball jackpot.
Scott Rea
Roar Pro
Jack, I agree with your comment re: poor management. Not paying super to staff and not paying the ATO, is pretty average. The more information we get the worse it sounds and the closer to a near certain death looms. Doesn't sound like you have any empathy for members and fans. That is a bit rough given we haven't been responsible for the management of the club.
Jack
Roar Rookie
Years back I sent an email to tcc he e Brumbies asking if any of the under 20s were available to take a trading run on our schools signup day. We were struggling for players. Sterling Mortlock turned up. He was Wallaby skipper at the time. Charmed everyone, especially the kids. Class act.
Jack
Roar Rookie
5.7 million to board members according to the SMH. The club finances are appalling. Buying players when you knew when your broke. Not paying taxes. Not paying super. The Board members don’t deserve to be paid. The debt could drag the ARU under. The Rebels and their fans have no right to demand more money. None. Your can’t dig a hole 6 feet deep, jump in and pull the dirt down on yourself and then complain about people dancing on your grave. Mate you’re already dead.
piru
Roar Rookie
Definitely not the case in WA, players are always out amongst the fans. Maybe it's a Sydney thing
Jacko
Roar Rookie
That must be an Aus thing FF. Last Chiefs game I went to in Hamilton ( Their first home game last year ) quite a few players were signing autographs for mainly for the kids and Sam Cane was there for over 45 mins. They should be told to sort that out.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I cant help but think that would massively impact NZs NPC Riggers. The NPC is one of the most important development tools NZ rugby has and needs to be protected at all cost.
Jacko
Roar Rookie
I get pretty brassed off they have the Aus games start so late. Why do we need a 45 min break between NZ games finishing and Aus games starting?
Jacko
Roar Rookie
Thats a massive disappointment Rob. At my club in Brisbane we have seen no Reds or Wallabies yet have had 4 ABs visit the club. A real fail by Qld rugby.
Scott Rea
Roar Pro
East Coast Aces agree, the Rebels level of player turnover has been massive for our entire existence.
Scott Rea
Roar Pro
Sadly Rocky's Rules, I think you may be correct. It is sad on yhe eve of a BI Lions tour and a couple of years out from a home men's RWC.
Footy Franks
Roar Rookie
The players are so professional now that supporters are beneath them. Rugby players now are fully up themselves that they rarely mix with the supporters. Back in the 90s you spoke with them at your club and they would often mix with the public go to schools etc all for free and the players were way better then. Look at how the Panthers interact with their supporters. The only contact now when you go to the game is the security guards telling you off or giving you useless rules and inst
CRZ38L
Roar Rookie
@BigRob, that is not a VIC Rugby issue, but it's a rugby "in Australia" issue. I have a mate that coached juniors in NSW, and he's pretty tight with a lot of the Tahs players. He went through NSW Rugby to try to get one of the injured players to come out and meet the kids at a coaching session, he was told he would have to pay for it. The Swans will hold sessions for free, where current players will meet aspiring kids and junior players, while rugby wants to charge for the privilige. There's the difference.
Riggers
Roar Rookie
Agreed East Coast, The season is way too short. Surely you can create a home and away, split rounds for tests. It’s just simple. If not that, keep SRP as is and have a “Heineken cup” style with top three NZ, AUS and Japan. It seems simple, but it never seems to happen
Riggers
Roar Rookie
Great article Scott, I couldn’t agree more, if rebels start winning, Melbourne will follow, that’s a given. East coast makes a few good points as well though. If buns are seats, money can be made. In Sydney, we want the Rebels and their team could be great. It would be great to see them competitive early on and get a crowd behind them
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
Sadly I think we are at the stage where the only hope is a rich benefactor. Which isn't that dissimilar to most sporting teams around the world anyway. A big problem with Super Rugby is the competition is too short. Basically the only football comp of any sort around the world this short is the NFL. European Rugby, NRL, AFL, Soccer are all well over 20 and sometimes over 30 games a year. Super Rugby should be a proper home and away season. That would give more content for the broadcaster, more home games to sell season tickets etc and get revenue that way. We are already paying the players all year. Who cares if we have a few games where wallabies can't play.
East Coast Aces
Roar Rookie
Great article and I agree with all of it. If the Rebels can survive they need to make sure they aren't chewing through player numbers like they were before. Rod McQueen made a big error at the start by recruiting too many older journeymen. He wanted to avoid some of the issues the Force had who recruited heavily at younger players. But it meant right from the beginning they were having high player turnover. I am not a TWI/Cohesion diehard but combinations definitely help, and if the majority of your players come from all over the world rather then the one junior and academy pathway, then it's even more important to keep your squad relatively similar each year.
Dan James
Roar Rookie
More afternoon games would make that easier. That is a real issue. Super Rugby is essentially a made-for-TV competition. The games are scheduled to satisfy the broadcasters, not spectators. If the SR clubs arranged their own schedules you would think they'd opt for more "afternoon games " because the crowds would be bigger. The question then becomes what model will bring in the most revenue. Every season the clubs do get a few afternoon games. In NZ, they tend to be held in the smaller towns. The attendances are surprisingly good, but the TV viewing numbers suffer accordingly The Australian clubs seem to have the worst of both worlds: schedules mainly unfavorable to paying spectators... and a rugby union that will not pay them adequately for providing the content to broadcasters.
Rocky's Rules
Roar Rookie
@Mr Rea The Rebels are clearly dead in the water. Unless they get a benefactor like Twiggy they will not field a team in the 2025 SRP comp. Whether they should, or should not, doesn't matter anymore. Without a Twiggy type financier the Rebels won't make a future return to SRP either. Aust Rugby simply cannot afford them unless it gets a Private Equity deal. And no one has shown any interest in that so far either. The rest is just the last death spirals of a failed franchise. Major interest imo now lies in which other clubs will buy the Rebels best players for 2025. Some will go OS and some will move to other Aust SRP teams. The good news is that Rugby Vic will survive and hopefully prosper at some time in the future.
ScottD
Roar Guru
Yes, it makes a massive difference.
Paul
Roar Rookie
The Rebels used to be great at working the fences after games too, but that dropped off as well. These days, they find their family and mates for a quick hello and then disappear. It’s just not the same.