Anyone near St Leonards tomorrow morning 10.15?

[Gagger]

Could do with a roving reporter for this:

INTERVIEW OPPORTUNITY TOMORROW WITH JOHN O’NEILL AND MATT CARROLL


To all media:

There will be a doorstop interview opportunity at ARU Headquarters at 10:15am tomorrow. ARU Managing Director and CEO John O’Neill and Deputy CEO Matt Carroll will discuss developments around the Melbourne Super Rugby team.

TV crews are advised to arrive 15 minutes earlier for set up.

WHO: ARU officials John O’Neill and Matt Carroll
WHAT: Melbourne Super Rugby developments
WHERE: ARU Headquarters, Ground Floor, 29-57 Christie St, St Leonards
WHEN: Tuesday, 5 January 2009
TIME: 10:15am

 

[TOCC]

hmm interesting

 

[chief]

Definitely keen to hear all the questions asked and what the answers are.

 

[troya]

damn, just saw the post. I'm down at Nth Sydney now. guess i missed it.....

 

[TOCC]

and this is what we all missed

ARU hands control of new Melbourne Super Rugby team to Melbourne Rebels

January 05, 2010 .The ownership saga surrounding the fifth Australian Super Rugby team has finally been resolved, with the Australian Rugby Union handing control of the franchise to the Melbourne Rebels consortium.


http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26554682-5002381,00.html

 

[Scarfman]

So, is Kevin Maloney in the Rebels consortium?

And if the Vic15 consortium were boastiong about Cheika + Rocky, is that off? Seems like a made-in-heaven combo for coach + captain.

 

[chief]

I would love to see Cheika as coach. I think they were going a bit too far about having Rocky, it was just there hopes of trying to get an actual Melbourne born player, to really emphasise to the Melbourne public, that this team isn't solely based on foreign players and inter-state domestic players.

 

[TOCC]

So, is Kevin Maloney in the Rebels consortium?

And if the Vic15 consortium were boastiong about Cheika + Rocky, is that off? Seems like a made-in-heaven combo for coach + captain.

Yeah Kevin Maloney is one of the major investors

the bloke that was raving about Chika + Rocky was Ray Evans, he is the investor who claimed he and Craig Dunn had walked out and that the ARU were instead taking control of the team over a funding dispute. In a later report, Harold Mitchell and Kevin Maloney said Ray Evans was only a small investor and they dont know what he was talking about, and that Mitchell and Maloney were still on board and sorting out the details with the ARU. Im not entirely sure of the makeup of the ownership model, but Maloney, Mitchell and the Belgravia group(Melbourne Victory) were all the inital interested major parties, im not sure if the Belgravia group are still involved though.

 

[TOCC]

actually i lied, it appears though as Harold Mitchell's victorian consortium has taken the whole franchise on board themselves without Kevin Maloney, he has however invited Maloney to still invest in the team.

 

[Brumby Jack]

Maybe Knuckles will be the coach.......

 

[chief]

I read Knuckles as well was in contention. A bit shocked considering the law suit. Maybe that is why John O'Neil is starting to look a little flustered.

 

[TOCC]

The new coach, to be announced during the coming week, asked me as chairman, "Any instructions?"

http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-union/u...ccess-for-fledgling-rebels-20100108-lyur.html

this article indicates to me that the coach has already been chosen, or was that all just hypotheticals

 

[Gagger]

Surely gotta be Cheika. Timing of shock resignation from Leinster and no announced next position a give away?

 

[Newb]

let's hope so. it would be great for him to be back on aussie soil.

 

[TOCC]

well it depends on Maqueen i suppose, if the bring Maqueen as a director then a few coaches might have hesitations about taking on such a role with a 'director' overseeing all your calls.

 

[Lindommer]

Surely gotta be Cheika. Timing of shock resignation from Leinster and no announced next position a give away?

"Shock resignation"? Cheika advised Leinster some time ago this was going to be his last year in the saddle in Dublin, possibly before Melbourne won the 15th spot.

 

[Gagger]

Coaches usually elect to leave mid season, and with no announced role to go to?

 

[TOCC]

Gagger, it might be a case that he doesnt want to announce the new team that he has signed with in case his current club think he might try and persuade players to move, probably waiting until the end of the season before making public his next appointment to avoid any issues.

Then again it might be a case that he does want to return home to australia.

 

[TheRiddler]

Does anyone know who is on the board of the Melbourne Rebels? Obviously Harold Mitchell 'owns' the franchise but I have seen lots of reference to a board but cant find who's on it. I am assuming that as a private enterprise, it is different to the board of the VRU?

 

[TOCC]

Does anyone know who is on the board of the Melbourne Rebels? Obviously Harold Mitchell 'owns' the franchise but I have seen lots of reference to a board but cant find who's on it. I am assuming that as a private enterprise, it is different to the board of the VRU?

i dont think the complete makeup of the board has been complete yet, harold mitchell is on it and a couple of other investors whom i cant remember the name of atm, the VRU will have a place on the board as mandated by the ARU as well..