Who's gonna play full-forward?
The wait is finally over with Melbourne being named as the new Super 15 franchise that will enter the Super rugby competition in 2011. Just how the announcement will be greeted in Melbourne remains to be seen after the city was left standing at the altar some years ago when the fourth franchise went West.
There has been more than enough written in recent months about the lack of interest shown in sports capital of Australia at the promise of a Super rugby team, so it appears as though the ARU Thought Police will have their work cut out trying to indoctrinate the locals.
It was will some relief that JO’N proclaimed the announcement was a “vote for commonsense”. This statement was particularly ironic after the ARU seemed to show very little commonsense during a process that reportedly pissed-off every single bidder involved.
What is interesting is to read the decision handed down by the Determination Panel of David “Captain” Kirk and former NZ beak, Barry Paterson. For those who thought the Melbourne team was always a done deal, it offers some sobering words.
“The Southern Kings proposal was more advanced with regard to business and financial planning and organization structure and governance. The Southern Kings were also able to point to a strong rugby tradition, a large playing base and presented a stronger case than Melbourne as to their rugby readiness.
“These strengths of the Southern King’s Application did not, however, offset the benefits in geographical location and commercial value to SANZAR (both of which criteria the Experts were asked to place considerable weight on) that the Melbourne Application was able to deliver.”
So it came down to a commercial decision rather that a decision based on pure rugby. Maybe that’s just words to placate the Saffer contingent of SANZAR however the amount of work to be done in Melbourne over the next twelve months is massive.
But I guess today is not a day to worry about such minor detail; it is a day to bask in the glory and shout it from the roof tops – as JO’N duly did.
“This is the right decision for SANZAR and it’s a momentous day for Australian rugby and the people of Melbourne.” proclaimed the King.
I wonder if the people of Melbourne realise just how momentous a day today is?
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It’s a good news in my opinion.
Now Melbourne is definitely Australia’s sports town.
But I wonder where they will find the players to fill in the Melbourne squad. Surely not in Australia.
Check out this discussion:
http://www.greenandgoldrugby.com/forum/index.php/topic,9415.0/all.html
This is surely the end of AFL in Victoria
time for my post? I dont think i mentioned the VIC team…
It’s brilliant for Melbourne and brilliant for Australian rugby.
It’s the logical choice compared to the Southern Spears. Why would you want to have a SA team playing in the Aus conference when travelling is already such a pain in the arse. This is coming from a South African.
Can’t wait. Just please please please please don’t call them the Rebels. Does anybody know what they are actually going to be called?
Damn right, Rebels is a stupid name, as I have ranted on earlier posts. Is there someone we can lobby? Or threaten?
Agree, how bout something reflective of Victoria?
Reflective of Melbourne perhaps?
The Melbourne Arty-Fartys
The Soy Latte’s
The Melbourne Glassers
Brumby’s Brumbies (oh, wait, Brumbies is taken)
Any of the above is better than Rebels.
The Melbourne Moomba’s?
Sex sells, call them the Melbourne Lesbians
thumb up if you agree!
Call me old fashioned, but I love watching professional lesbians doing their best work.
Playing golf?
foreplay?
They should just bite the bullet and call them the Melbourne Samoans
I’m with you Cote, the Melbourne Moombas!!!!
Cant wait to find out whos going to be in the team
Wrong decision, they should have based the Melboune Rebels in Port Elizabeth……and called them the Moomba Kings….or the Footscray Spears?
I thnk it will dilute Australian Talen even more and lead to an even thinner spread of rugby fans across the nation.
the ARU is complaining about dwindling ratings and numbers at games etc…
i think the best business decision would have been to consolidate the brands taht are already out there…rather than dilute it even more with a Melbourne team, in a town where its going to be a ver veyr small fish in a very very big pond
I agree somewhat, but think it is the right decision for the longer term.
Expanded tv audiences, higher crowd attendances, sponsorship revenues etc will fill the ARU coffers to develop the game in OZ through increasing player (and coaching) depth. The more opportunities for Australian players to be exposed at S15 level, the better in the long term. Sure, the results might suffer for each conference in the short term, but should pay dividends for the national team.
In addition, SANZAR needs a strong Australian union for the success of the overall venture. Lets face it, we need results and to achieve them we need to develop the game further to the levels it is already developed in SA and NZ, but also to ensure the long term survival of the game in OZ, where its competing against other codes.
Congrats to JON and ARU for getting this up.
Bring on the next challenge: A new ARC!!
Call them the cash cows…
Interesting comments by JON in his video on the ARU web site insinuating that Fox Sports have already come to the party in terms of committing more.
So it won’t be on free to air.
I assume one hd will have like one aussie live game a week and fox will have the rest.
Hopefully one HD will have the finals, but then again they probably dont think AUS will make it.
Fox is always going to be the place for sport and thats cos the other chanels dont play it live and interupt it with ads.
I mean its tiger mania in the media and cos commercial television has the rights its a delayed tiger watch.
why do you assume that? I hope that, but no way assume it will happen.
10 used to have the occasional super 12 match. They now have a channel dedicated to sport, this channel is less than a year old and hasn’t had a chance to bid for super 14.
They have the spring tour.
I’m hopeful too… my assumption is based on hope.
Living in QLD, there is really one occasion I see the Mexicans – and they truly are in their element. Because of this I say we call them the Melbourne Winnebago’s. They will be taking our players as they take up our bloody highways (bitter much?…).
Who is the first QLD player to go? My money is on Diggers.
Great news, but lets hope they call them a decent name. In the Australian world of sports ‘franchises’ rather than teams the marketing bods seem to choose names that represent nothing in order to offend or identify with no-one. So we have the ‘Roar’, the ‘Victory’, the ‘Storm’ etc etc. Its so crap.. Give me something imposing like Saracens, Harlequins, or at least something Australian. To be honest, the best description of Melbourne would be the ‘Melbourne Lattes’, the ‘Melbourne Multiculturals’ or simply the ‘Were not Sydneysiders RFC’.
Are Saracens and Harlequins Australian names?
Well fancy that.
i would like the Melbourne Jesters, they can wear tri colours with designs like stade that will keep the melbourne fashion houses happy plus it comes from a performer who performed for royalty so the melbourne government would get behind it.
then on top it gives room for another great mascot, if only the reds could get a giant koala and the force could get a forc…..a swa……what the hell is a force?
What the hell is a Tah Man?
Tah man is like one of those buff faggy flower dudes.
Western Force should have Luke Skywaker light sabering a Quokka as their mascot.
what ius tah man?
are you serious?
he is a hero who draws his power and morals from the great waratahs throughout time!!! do you not read his comic or are you just ignorant?
the fact that the force web site says the name comes from its support goes to show how undeserving perth is of a rugby team if that support is indeed reflected in the way they play rugby, HALF ARSED!
Not too bright are you Leg break? Try reading it again before trying to be clever.
I think Victorian Bush Rangers
Gives them that Rebel Spirit, Victorian historical significance and it sounds cool.
Plus the Cheerleaders could be called the Kelly Gang!
Love it. We just need a captain whose nickname would be Ned. Maybe we could even have some of the gang ride out on horses like those stupid Crusaders at AMI. Except they could have guns instead of swords. And they could shot the crusaders. because guns are better than swords.
The Victorian cricket team is already called the Bush Rangers…
SENSATIONAL!!!!
As a Weary Dunlop ARC foundation member I’m really looking forward to having a S15 team – and in a REAL football stadium too boot.
Call me perverse, but I like the Rebels name, sort of suits the nature of the team and the Victorian Bushranger heritage.
Of course we could fill it with Leagies (Wendell, Lotte, Walker,Guyer) and call it the Melbourne Bogons.
Great news for Melbournites – now to get the Storm to line up Rebels/Storm double-headers!!
I ask, why is it going to be the Melbourne Rebels? Shouldn’t it be the Victorian Rebels like the other aussie teams (ever heard of the Sydney Waratahs, Canberra Brumbies, Perth force or Brisbane Reds?). They wouldn’t want to offend any country Vic rugby clubs anymore than they already have. They could then be called the Victorian Vagabonds.
Totally agree. Would be a bad decision to focus on Mebourne, even if Vic rugby is concentrated there. Plus the Mexicans are pretty parochial – they’d love to take on the other states, following on from the rivalries forged in AFL etc..
Given the Christian right is such a powerful lobby, business and voting block, why not call them the Melbourne Agains?
Melbourne Mexicans, Melbourne Wombats, Melbourne Dingos, Melbourne Emus, Melbourne Mafia…please don’t let it be something like Cowboys, Pistons, Lightening, Jets etc
Victorian (Dame Nellie) Melbas