Melbourne Rebels 2024

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Kind of crazy it got here. I mean sure the $1.7 got cut from 2020-2023 but that’s a total of $5.1M or maybe $6.8M. Far cry from $20M.
I would guess that RA buys them from bankruptcy and starts them fresh again in some form and frankly the rebels and rugby Vic should be grateful if they do

 

[Sir Arthur Higgins]

Mate if the rebels die, their last game will be the last game of union I ever watch.

So you don’t like the game?

 

[RugbyReg]

Look sorry if this is raw but is their private equity value in these licences? RA obviously said PE isn’t right for them at the moment but I can’t imagine they want to take on the debt (current and future) of the Rebels and Tahs and maybe the Brumbies. Once they get licences back and clubs somewhat operating - could that be an end game?

 

[dru]

Look sorry if this is raw but is their private equity value in these licences? RA obviously said PE isn’t right for them at the moment but I can’t imagine they want to take on the debt (current and future) of the Rebels and Tahs and maybe the Brumbies. Once they get licences back and clubs somewhat operating - could that be an end game?

Look to the obverse of that coin. Lose the Rebels and does that change your end game? At all?

It isn't just the Rebels, Super could easily be a Dead Man walking here.

 

[Members Section]

Look to the obverse of that coin. Lose the Rebels and does that change your end game? At all?

It isn't just the Rebels, Super could easily be a Dead Man walking here.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE be true

 

[Strewthcobber]

Look sorry if this is raw but is their private equity value in these licences? RA obviously said PE isn’t right for them at the moment but I can’t imagine they want to take on the debt (current and future) of the Rebels and Tahs and maybe the Brumbies. Once they get licences back and clubs somewhat operating - could that be an end game?

Didn't the last private equity purchaser involved with a Super Rugby licence transaction buy it for $1?

 

[Wilson]

Look sorry if this is raw but is their private equity value in these licences? RA obviously said PE isn’t right for them at the moment but I can’t imagine they want to take on the debt (current and future) of the Rebels and Tahs and maybe the Brumbies. Once they get licences back and clubs somewhat operating - could that be an end game?

Potentially, the Brumbies have been exploring it. Their debt position is very different though, around $1 million and that debt is to RA who are always going to be a reasonably favourable lender in this space. It might be more likely for whatever team comes next here, whether that's Rebels 2.0 or something else. I think there would probably need to be a much more complete and compelling vision for the future of super rugby (or the alternative) to get them onboard though.

 

[Rebel man]

Kind of crazy it got here. I mean sure the $1.7 got cut from 2020-2023 but that’s a total of $5.1M or maybe $6.8M. Far cry from $20M.
I would guess that RA buys them from bankruptcy and starts them fresh again in some form and frankly the rebels and rugby Vic should be grateful if they do

Just like all the other clubs should be grateful for all the bailouts they have got.

 

[Rebel man]

So you don’t like the game?

lol

 

[SouthernX]

If the rebels fold / you can kiss any hope of super rugbyAU good bye..

I already thought 5 team comp was boring. But imagine a rotation where your team is playing the same opponent every month.

Need super rugby to expand, get a bigger tv deal and push all our chips in with the kiwis!

 

[dru]

If the rebels fold / you can kiss any hope of super rugbyAU good bye..

I already thought 5 team comp was boring. But imagine a rotation where your team is playing the same opponent every month.

Need super rugby to expand, get a bigger tv deal and push all our chips in with the kiwis!

We may have nothing left but a club comp, South. Oh and of course the end point of Shrink to Greatness policy is not nil, it just fails beyond specific local niches.

Still, if we head to "all our chips in with the Kiwis" I'll be nothing but a passing fan, no idea if I would bother forking out the broadcast subscription. Certainly the vast majority of the broadcast would have no interest.

 

[Braveheart81]

Could be playing a dangerous game if seen as Phoenixing.

ATO have a special taskforce to investigate.

I disagree. Whatever comes next will contain none of the same directors and management. In my view the ATO will continue to go after the former Rebels directors but will have no ability to carry through the debts to Rugby Australia.

It's very clear from the finances of the Rebels that they have run out of money and the directors have poured in their own funds.

Phoenix operations tend to have the owners/directors enriching themselves from the company's income and assets and then walking away from their debts.

 

[Adam84]

I don’t think anyone has said/suggested this is shrinking to greatness, the main ones pushing that in recent years have been the kiwis

 

[Derpus]

I don’t think anyone has said/suggested this is shrinking to greatness, the main ones pushing that in recent years have been dumbfucks

 

[Rebel man]

People love to point the blame at the Rebels.

Look at the AFL Collingwood gets 42% (10.5m) of the funding that GWS and Gold Coast get (25m).

Where as Rugby Australia prioritises bailing out the Tahs and their 5m+ debt.

The facts are Rugby Australia has failed and it’s the failure of the supposed heart land franchises to be self sufficient that is killing the game

 

[Dismal Pillock]

shrinking to greatness

The logical conclusion of this "shrinking to greatness" idea is just to have 1 team in the comp.

The Auckland Blues.

I'm kidding!

The logical conclusion of the shrinking to greatness idea is just to have 2 teams in the comp who play each other every week for 12 weeks running. The Blues vs The Cantabs. Now we're making sense!

 

[LeCheese]

People love to point the blame at the Rebels.

Look at the AFL Collingwood gets 42% (10.5m) of the funding that GWS and Gold Coast get (25m).

Where as Rugby Australia prioritises bailing out the Tahs and their 5m+ debt.

The facts are Rugby Australia has failed and it’s the failure of the supposed heart land franchises to be self sufficient that is killing the game

Mate, I know this is a tough time, but there's no two ways about it - the vast majority of the Rebels' debt is purely due to mismanagement. You don't accidentally and unknowingly rack up $15m+ in debt

 

[Derpus]

The logical conclusion of this "shrinking to greatness" idea is just to have 1 team in the comp.

The Auckland Blues.

I'm kidding!

The logical conclusion of the shrinking to greatness idea is just to have 2 teams in the comp who play each other every week for 12 weeks running. The Blues vs The Cantabs. Now we're making sense!

I mean... isn't losing twice a year plus the finals enough failure for you?

 

[Derpus]

Mate, I know this is a tough time, but there's no way two about it - the vast majority of the Rebels' debt is purely due to mismanagement.

That's probably not entirely fair. There's no interest to drive sales whether that's via tickets or TV revenue. And they need to remain competitive in a wage market inflated by Japan and France.

Its not like the rest of the clubs are doing great. Pretty sure only Queensland and (a billionaire backed) Force are relatively safe.

 

[LeCheese]

That's probably not entirely fair. There's no interest to drive sales whether that's via tickets or TV revenue. And they need to remain competitive in a wage market inflated by Japan and France.

Its not like the rest of the clubs are doing great. Pretty sure only Queensland and (a billionaire backed) Force are relatively safe.

Valid, but (and I edited my post to reflect this) it should never have come to this - that's the part which is poor management. Brums' debts are to RA (and minimal, really), and Tahs' are also comparatively small and now being dealt with.