It’s Rebel hell as rival clubs circle

As news of Australia’s Super Rugby woes spread, European clubs start the hunt for the Wallabies’ best talent.

Wallabies tight-head prop Taniela Tupou has informally received offers of $1.5 million a season to head to Europe Picture: Getty Images

Soon after news surfaced that Super Rugby franchise Melbourne Rebels was slipping into voluntary administration, French Top 14 and UK premiership rugby clubs were on the phones seeking to capitalise on the chaos by securing the signatures of star Wallabies on the Rebels’ books.

Props Taniela Tupou and Pone Fa’amausili, playmaker Carter Gordon and skipper Rob Leota are in the sights of overseas agents and clubs, while lock Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, who has not long returned from the English Premiership, has also attracted interest from Japanese clubs.

With Rugby Australia refusing to guarantee the future of the Rebels beyond this season, the dark arts of player recruitment is in overdrive with the long-term plans of Tupou and Gordon, in particular, being gauged by northern clubs.

It’s understood Tupou is already attracting informal interest north of $1.5m a season from Europe for his talents.

“Tongan Thor”, who former Wallabies, now Japan coach Eddie Jones described as having the potential to be the “world’s greatest tight-head”, is top of the list for both French and UK clubs.

It is a contract offer that RA might find hard to match in these difficult financial times, especially with Roosters NRL star Joseph Suaalii set to start his rugby contract with the Wallabies and Waratahs. 

Suaalii is understood to be on an enormous deal worth $1.6m a season. The teen star is expected to be available to play for the Wallabies for the November tour of Europe. He will also be on RA’s books.

New Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt wants to select players based in Australia Picture: Getty Images

While the likes of Leota and Tupou are on contract at RA for 2025, the question is privately being asked what RA will do to keep its best talent in the game in Australia in the long run?

It’s hard to ignore that Rugby Australia is in a financial mire; it is balancing a $80m loan, is without a Super Rugby major sponsor and the Rebels are drowning in debt understood to be well over $12m.

Throw in the financial struggles of the Waratahs and Brumbies, and the light at the end of the tunnel is but a speck for those driving the RA train.

Those close to the players say if the worst is to happen and the Melbourne Rebels fold for 2025, then it’s not certain that the stranded players will head to Super Rugby rivals.

What they crave is certainty. Overseas clubs can offer top Australian players lucrative contracts and employment stability.

Wallabies No.10 Gordon is signed until the end of 2024 to the Rebels. While Gordon left the World Cup early after injuring his knee before the final group game against Portugal, he has since made a full recovery without needing surgery and the interest in his talents from northern clubs has been described as “strong”.

Foreign clubs are currently desperately chasing No.10s, tight-head props and locks.

An exodus of talent is not what RA needs now.

Last month when new Wallabies coach Joe Schmidt was quizzed on the subject of RA’s overseas eligibility policy – the so-called Giteau Law – the Kiwi said he would rather choose his team who were playing locally. It was what he did when he was head coach of Ireland.

“There was nothing really stopping overseas selections in Ireland, but I know because they’re so close to Europe, that would have been really detrimental to the Irish domestic competition,” Schmidt said in January.

“It’s a very competitive market in Europe. So we didn’t select anyone who wasn’t contracted in Ireland, and that worked really well for Ireland.

“It’d be great if we can select almost entirely (from) Australia … rather than chase guys from overseas.”

Schmidt is speaking from experience, but it is difficult to make the case that playing overseas is detrimental for the domestic competition when franchises are folding. Super Rugby, in Australia at least, is broken and players are chasing stability.

Paying the bills would help.