Super Rugby: Besieged Melbourne Rebels put focus on playing as debts mount

A big unpaid debt stopped the Melbourne Rebels selling home game tickets until Monday, but fingers are crossed for miracle big crowd on Friday to open likely their final season.

Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

Melbourne Rebels coach Kevin Foote says the embattled club is using its perilous off-field situation to “galvanise us more than distract us” but concedes it has exacted a toll ahead of Friday’s season opener at AAMI Park.

Tickets for the Rebels’ home clash against the Brumbies only went on sale Monday afternoon after an agreement was finally reached between Rugby Australia and the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust, the operator of AAMI Park, to stage matches during the Super Rugby season.

Foote said he hoped fans would rally behind the Rebels and attend in droves despite the delay in ticket sales, while saying the coaches and players were acutely aware early-season success would be vital to secure the club’s future.

The Rebels entered voluntary administration in January after accruing debts of more than $10m, which led to more than a dozen redundancies including chief executive Baden Stephenson as players and coaches were issued four-month contracts by Rugby Australia.

Rebels head coach Kevin Foote (left) says on-field success will be vital for the Rebels to have a hope of a future beyond the 2024 season. Picture: Morgan Hancock / Getty Images

“We’re really hoping that we get a good crowd out. The boys have trained well, two great trial games, and to fill the stadium would be really special for us,” Foote said.

“As a young coach, you probably don’t speak about winning as much, you say ‘process, process’, but winning is important.

“It’s not lost on us (the need to win matches), but we understand that there’s obviously a long season to go … we do speak about winning and it is important and given where the club’s at, it will definitely help.”

Foote said the “initial shock” from the club’s future being uprooted had faded, but acknowledged it would still be a distraction for players and remaining staff during the Super Rugby campaign.

“We’re pretty focused now on the rugby … we’ve got to look to make Baden (Stephenson) and everybody else who’s been part of this journey really proud,” he said.

The Rebels’ Tuaina Tali Tualima wins a line-out during their pre-season victory over the Fijian Drua at Gosch’s Paddock on Saturday. Picture: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images

“We’re probably using it to galvanise us more than distract us – there is distraction. If I stood here and said that there wasn’t I’d be lying to you, but it’s not going to help focusing on that.

“We want to live up to our potential, and galvanise the team around us and saying it’s probably the strongest Rebels team we’ve ever assembled and they’re fit and ready to go, so let’s focus on that (instead).”

Foote was buoyed by the Rebels’ pair of pre-season victories over the Waratahs and then Fijian Drua at Gosch’s Paddock on Saturday, with a near clean bill of health ahead of the clash against the Brumbies on Friday night.

Experienced centre Matt Proctor is racing the clock to recover from a hamstring injury in time for the match, while Pone Fa’amausili and Cabous Eloff will also need to prove their fitness.

“To have the strength of the squad that we could roll out on Friday was exceptional … I’ve just announced the team and I had to leave out some very good players,” Foote said.

“Everyone’s available, obviously Pone and Cabous we’re still not sure about them, and Matty Proctor – there’s still a bit of a shadow around his hamstring, but hopefully they’re OK for the weekend.”