Melbourne Rebels go bust

Rugby Australia (RA) took over the Melbourne Rebels after the ailing club entered into voluntary administration weeks before the start of the Super Rugby Pacific season.

The Rebels battled financial problems for years, and are saddled with debt of more than A$10m ($6.61m), reports the Australian Financial Review.

RA said it is working with the administrator to ensure the club will take to the field in 2024.

“RA is committed to ensuring the Melbourne Rebels play in the 2024 Super Rugby competitions, and we will support their preparation for the new season,” RA boss Phil Waugh said in a statement on Tuesday.

“As custodians of the game, we are determined to ensure that RA is making responsible decisions for a sustainable and successful future. We will work with the Rebels and the relevant stakeholders to that end.” The Rebels open their season with a home match against the ACT Brumbies on February 23.

Melbourne Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson said the club is determined to fulfil its commitments for the 2024 season.

The Rebels joined Super Rugby in 2011 but struggled to keep a foothold in the country’s second-biggest city, which Australian Rules football dominates.

Barring the Covid-19-hit 2020 season, when the Rebels finished third in the domestic Super Rugby AU competition, the team has never reached the playoffs and finished 11th in 12team Super Rugby Pacific in 2023. RA stepped in previously to manage the Rebels, propping up the club for two years from 2013-15 before it returned to private ownership.

The government of Victoria state, of which Melbourne is the capital, has helped support the Rebels in recent years by committing funding to RA in exchange for Wallabies tests.

RA said it will “continue dialogue” with the government on the Rebels’ future.