How to maul a rugby team to death: slowly at first and then suddenly
Melbourne’s only Super Rugby team, the Rebels, say they were as challenged as every other team in the competition. But their problems were far more complicated.
As Christmas approached last year, the Melbourne Rebels’ chief executive, Baden Stephenson, was feeling defiant.
Troubling news had surfaced that the rugby union club owed millions of dollars in taxes to the government, and was on the hook for unpaid fees to its home stadium and suppliers. The issue reached the point where the Melbourne Rebels’ board had received director penalty notices from the Australian Tax Office.
Zoe SamiosBusiness reporterZoe Samios covers wagering and the business of sport from the AFR's Sydney newsroom. She was previously the media and telecommunications reporter for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, and covered media at The Australian. Connect with Zoe on Twitter. Email Zoe at zoe.samios@afr.com
Jessica SierNorth Asia correspondentJessica Sier is the North Asia Correspondent for The Australian Financial Review. She is based in Tokyo, Japan. Jessica has previously written on technology, global capital markets and economics. Connect with Jessica on Twitter. Email Jessica at jessica.sier@afr.com
