It's official newest Rugby Super 15 team will come from Melbourne !
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stuart27
Club Legend
Not quite yet.
The ARU has endorsed 'Melbourne', not the VRU, Belgravia (Melbourne Victory) or VicSuper15 specifically. This means that no one bid has won yet.
However, I reckon it's only a matter of time before at least 2 of the parties (likely the VRU and Belgravia) join to present to SANZAR one bid to rule them all.
There's also still the matter of which bids from other countries have survived. I reckon no amount of common sense will stop SARU from putting the Southern Kings forward, but the NZRU doesn't seem too keen on either of the bids that have been put to them, so technically it could just be a two-horse race.
When those bids are put towards SANZAR, and they come back with a unanimous 'Melbourne', which they now will, then, and only then, will it be official.
BUT IT'S SO GODDAMN CLOSE I CAN TASTE IT
The ARU has endorsed 'Melbourne', not the VRU, Belgravia (Melbourne Victory) or VicSuper15 specifically. This means that no one bid has won yet.
However, I reckon it's only a matter of time before at least 2 of the parties (likely the VRU and Belgravia) join to present to SANZAR one bid to rule them all.
There's also still the matter of which bids from other countries have survived. I reckon no amount of common sense will stop SARU from putting the Southern Kings forward, but the NZRU doesn't seem too keen on either of the bids that have been put to them, so technically it could just be a two-horse race.
When those bids are put towards SANZAR, and they come back with a unanimous 'Melbourne', which they now will, then, and only then, will it be official.
BUT IT'S SO GODDAMN CLOSE I CAN TASTE IT
Simply awesome news.
I agree Stuart, I have no issue with Lord & the VRU working out a partnership. Knowing what I do of VICSUPER15 though, I am hoping they can be excluded.
Still a lot of work to be done, but this is an awesome development
Wahooti Fandango
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I just saw the report on the abc news. F****** brilliant.
gostk86
Club Legend
sounds like they will try to sign up many pacific islands players..thats a great move too
Yeh its not quite a done deal yet, should Aus get another team it will be from Melbourne. It is between Melbourne, SA's Southern Kings and Taranaki from NZ. SA seem to be quite pig headed about the whole thing and really want the Kings to come in, even though they already have 2 habitually under achieving teams in the Lions and Cheetahs who cant get out of the bottom 3 and the Stormers are just under achieving in every sense of the word, with the squad and players they have had.
For the conference thing to work when the expansion kicks in, the only logical choice is of course Melbourne, and hopefully SA wake up to themselves and realise that.
I wish a Pacific Islands team was possible, but i dont think the Pacific has enough money to fund it all. If the new team brings in more Pacific Islanders that would be great for the comp and Pacific rugby. Would keep them down nearer to home so they could play for their nations rather than being in Europe and not being allowed to travel home to play for Samoa, Tonga, Fiji.
For the conference thing to work when the expansion kicks in, the only logical choice is of course Melbourne, and hopefully SA wake up to themselves and realise that.
I wish a Pacific Islands team was possible, but i dont think the Pacific has enough money to fund it all. If the new team brings in more Pacific Islanders that would be great for the comp and Pacific rugby. Would keep them down nearer to home so they could play for their nations rather than being in Europe and not being allowed to travel home to play for Samoa, Tonga, Fiji.
it will be Victoria ......... not Melbourne.
Great news, long overdue.
Redb
stuart27
Club Legend
it will be Victoria ......... not Melbourne.
Great news, long overdue.
Redb
Depends on the make-up of the final bid team.
The VRU has already said that if they were awarded the team, they'd use the 'Melbourne Rebels' name from the ARC.
They've also said they won't allow this name to be used should another bid team (I believe they were talking specifically about VicSuper15) be selected.
Now that there'll be some merging of the separate bids, I'd say it'd be a safe bet that, should the VRU be involved, the team will be the 'Melbourne Rebels.'
(All this being said, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if they used Victoria, but it just doesn't sound as good
)
Depends on the make-up of the final bid team.
The VRU has already said that if they were awarded the team, they'd use the 'Melbourne Rebels' name from the ARC.
They've also said they won't allow this name to be used should another bid team (I believe they were talking specifically about VicSuper15) be selected.
Now that there'll be some merging of the separate bids, I'd say it'd be a safe bet that, should the VRU be involved, the team will be the 'Melbourne Rebels.'
(All this being said, I wouldn't be entirely shocked if they used Victoria, but it just doesn't sound as good
The terminology annoys me somewhat as an Australian, but the teams are meant to represent 'provinces' ie: states, not cities I beleive.
Redb
^ But, with the whole concept of allowing Parramatta & The Gold Coast to initially bid, the ARU threw the "Provinces" concept out of the window.
If we won and used Victoria, we can't use the Rebels. Melbourne Rebels sounds good, Victoria Rebels not so much.
If we won and used Victoria, we can't use the Rebels. Melbourne Rebels sounds good, Victoria Rebels not so much.
Yup ... The conference system has been brought in to appease the dutchmen, who for years have sooked, bitched and moaned about travel times .... & now they want to place a side in the Australian group? Does this not defeat the whole purpose in the first place?
SANZAR need to stand tall to them and tell them if they want to bring the Kings in, they have to get rid of one of the existing underperforming sides they already have.
Why should Australia lose out because SARU were not strong enough to stand up to Free State the last time around?
The saddder thing is the death of the PI "Test" side. It was a concept that could have been built into something really strong (I was hoping long term to turn tri nations into quad nations) but the IRB as with the ELV's seriously have no idea.
The downgrading of the PI side into a British Lions like "once every four years" outfit was mad.
Well clearly this has to happen.
If they want 3 separarte divisions if you like, and there's 5 teams from NZ, 5 from SA and only 4 from AUS it's pretty damn obvious where the team has to come from.
It's going to happen!
If they want 3 separarte divisions if you like, and there's 5 teams from NZ, 5 from SA and only 4 from AUS it's pretty damn obvious where the team has to come from.
It's going to happen!
- Banned
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They should use the Melbourne name, more appeal to it and easier to say than Victoria. They could just stick to the Melbourne name by itself and show other teams theres some passion in their names other than just the nicknames SA and NZ teams employ now.
Australian rugby teams participating in the Super competition will be represented as states; so most likely it'll be "Victorian [insert nickname here]".
stuart27
Club Legend
In fairness though, we have two teams that don't compete under strict state names, the Western Force and the Brumbies (who dropped ACT from their name in 2005), so calling a team after a city rather than a state wouldn't be too far of a stretch.
In the end, they could call it Melbourne Rebels, Victoria Rebels...hell, they could call it Steve for all I care, as long as there's Super rugby in Melbourne I'm on board.
With Taranaki dropping out of the bidding process, its looking more and more likely that Melbourne will get the gig.
I suspect that the NZRU will back the Australian tender, so long as it is a sound tender. I suspect that they'll get at least 2 of the submissions to merge and present a great bid, which will get the gig.
I suspect that the NZRU will back the Australian tender, so long as it is a sound tender. I suspect that they'll get at least 2 of the submissions to merge and present a great bid, which will get the gig.
FouRFooTGiaNT
Debutant
Aren't the 'Rebel's' a bikie gang?
I liked the name 'melbourne rebels', but that was for a 2nd string domestic comp. I think with a new team, you need a fresh new name. It also should be Victoria <nickname>, to stick with a bit of consistancy. It would also mean the team can be seen as the whole states, and not just people in metro area. Even though all their home games will be played in melbourne, its the feel of the name. I like what the new netball team did, Melbourne Vixens(vixens/vics being in the name sorta), maybe the union team could do similar but with melbourne as the nickname somewhere. Victoria Malboroughs(smoke brand haha). just an idea thrown up...
I liked the name 'melbourne rebels', but that was for a 2nd string domestic comp. I think with a new team, you need a fresh new name. It also should be Victoria <nickname>, to stick with a bit of consistancy. It would also mean the team can be seen as the whole states, and not just people in metro area. Even though all their home games will be played in melbourne, its the feel of the name. I like what the new netball team did, Melbourne Vixens(vixens/vics being in the name sorta), maybe the union team could do similar but with melbourne as the nickname somewhere. Victoria Malboroughs(smoke brand haha). just an idea thrown up...
ESS 93
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Bring on the rebels.
But if they want more support they should name them Victoria.
Melbourne isn't the only city in this state you know!
I can't wait until they enter, I have been following it for a while with no team.
We have been waiting a while for a team.
But if they want more support they should name them Victoria.
Melbourne isn't the only city in this state you know!
I can't wait until they enter, I have been following it for a while with no team.
We have been waiting a while for a team.
The team needs to be named "Victoria" because I the long term plan has to be for a domestic city based Rugby competition a la ARC. Otherwise you are setting yourself up for a situation like where Queensland Roar became Brisbane Roar.
From the papers over the last few days, it appears as though the VRU will win the day for their bid. As someone else rightly pointed out, the ARU could accept a bid from a Sydney businessman (though maybe not: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26027903-5015656,00.html) or could support a bid with links to Rugby in Victoria. Can't these rich tycoons help fund the VRU bid?
A relevant statement from the VRU: https://console.clubsonline.com.au/gallery/images/Melb S15 250909.pdf
News article stating the private bid is gone: http://www.rugbyworld.com/Story/0,18830,3824_5579902,00.html
From the papers over the last few days, it appears as though the VRU will win the day for their bid. As someone else rightly pointed out, the ARU could accept a bid from a Sydney businessman (though maybe not: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26027903-5015656,00.html) or could support a bid with links to Rugby in Victoria. Can't these rich tycoons help fund the VRU bid?
A relevant statement from the VRU: https://console.clubsonline.com.au/gallery/images/Melb S15 250909.pdf
News article stating the private bid is gone: http://www.rugbyworld.com/Story/0,18830,3824_5579902,00.html
- Banned
- #23
SANZAR makes it's decision on October 21.
stuart27
Club Legend
Good riddance to Sydney rubbish.
This team will live or die by the support it gets from the grassroots rugby community in Melbourne. If they can't get behind it, nobody can.
The VRU sent off a letter to the ARU a few weeks ago, co-signed by 20 or so Victorian club presidents, school and referee association leaders, and corporate backers, all pledging no support whatsoever for a VicSuper15 franchise, which leads me to believe that a lot of what Mark Ella writes in that article is just crap.
Make no mistake, if they bid, Melbourne will get this licence. A viable Super 15 depends on it. It's now up to the ARU, the VRU, the rugby community and the people of Melbourne to make it work.
