Rebels lose, Brumbies on the brink, seven Rugby Australia staff made redundant

Despite fighting words from Rebels players before the season opener, the Melbourne side lost to the ACT Brumbies 30-3 in front of a disappointing home crowd.

Rob Leota of the Rebels crosses the line only for the try to be disallowed on a night when the Brumbies cruised to a 30-3 victory at AAMI Park. Picture: Getty Images

There were rows of empty green seats at the Melbourne Rebels’ home ground – a disappointing sight for a team fighting for their sporting life.

The insolvent Rebels, who Rugby Australia is trying to liquidate, have found it hard to attract a crowd in recent seasons and Friday night’s opening game against the ACT Brumbies at AAMI Park was no different, with just a few thousand turning up.

The Rebels, a team that was promising to have a tilt at the Super Rugby title, under half an hour into the game were down 17-0. By full-time they’d been trounced 30-3 by the Brumbies.

This was despite fighting words from Rebels players prior to the game. Melbourne’s Matt Gibbons told Stan Sport they had a “nothing-to-lose mentality” and hoped the pre-season from financial hell would drive them to become “the greatest team ever”.

There was little greatness on show on Friday night from the Rebels, however. Captain Rob Leota said they “were their own worst enemy” in high pressure ­moments.

Rebels tighthead prop Taniela Tupou, whose wrist was problematic in the game, said times had been tough around the club.

He appealed for the Rebels fans to stick with them. “We’ll fight for you guys,” Tupou said.

“It makes us want to go harder. Rebels are trying to build a team and what’s going on (off the field) doesn’t help us.

“We ask the people of Melbourne to get behind us.”

But the Rebels are not alone in trying to fight off Super Rugby ­extinction.

The ACT Brumbies – Australia’s most successful Super Rugby franchise – are also vulnerable if Rugby Australia decides to radically overhaul the competition as it considers reducing the landscape to just three teams.

The fact is Rugby Australia is under immense financial duress, with an $80m loan. This week it made seven staff redundant as it streamlined the head office ­operations.

Rugby Australia powerbrokers are discussing and “analysing” potentially “contracting” Australia’s Super Rugby landscape to just three teams – with the insolvent Rebels and the Brumbies the most vulnerable franchises.

RA CEO Phil Waugh has repeatedly said the organisation needs to be “fiscally” more responsible and said the seven redundancies were made to make the business more “efficient” – and he has not ruled out slimming down the Super Rugby competition.

When asked by The Australian on Thursday whether a three-team Super Rugby contingent was an option, Waugh said RA’s ­priority was to ensure the Australian franchises were “com­mercially viable”.

“We are doing our due diligence to analyse what the most ­appropriate number of Australian teams is – which covers both commercial viability and RA’s aspiration to have winning teams in gold,” Waugh said.

The three franchises that are favourites to be retained include the Western Force – which has the backing of billionaire Andrew “Twiggy” Forrest – while the Waratahs and Reds are considered immovable as the powerhouse rugby states.

Waugh says he wants Super Rugby to become the best “provincial” rugby competition in the world.

The Rebels insolvency has ­already created movement in the Australian player market.

Waugh has previously said he is well aware of UK, French and Japanese rugby clubs on the hunt for Australian talent, with several franchises facing an uncertain ­future.

He has said it was important for the Wallabies’ culture to improve and strengthen to help retain talent in Australia and not pay “market rate” for stars.

The Weekend Australian understands several player managers are regularly taking calls from overseas clubs interested in some of the best talent in Australia.

Rebels players like Wallabies star Tupou are already fielding informal offers of $1.6m from overseas clubs.