Strapped Rebels in danger of folding

[The InnFORCEr]

Has Train Without A Station (TWAS) changed his name to Team Without A Stadium yet?

[AndyS]

"Rugby Australia, which was being assisted on the affairs of the club by insolvency expert Morgan Kelly from EY, is believed to have called in PwC, with the call ultimately made last week by Rebels director Owain Stone, who is also the finance director of Rugby Union Victoria.

At noon last Thursday, Rebels directors Neil Hay, Lyndsey Cattermole and Stone met with PwC reps before the appointment paperwork to make it all official was signed"

Ah well, good to see they've called in the experts at dicking the tax office out of money, at least...

[GIGS20]

Ah well, good to see they've called in the experts at dicking the tax office out of money, at least...

Huh??

Tim North was already there, isn't that slimy piece of shit enough?

[GIGS20]

I also did not know until 10 minutes ago that the Rebels cannot sell any tickets to individual games while under Voluntary Administration, memberships only.

Will that be a big problem for them?

really?

[wholetruth]

There is a Herald Sun story behind the paywall claiming the Rebels board expect RA to foot the $10m tax bill.

Nick Taylor has also posted something like that on Sea Of Blue. The last bit is alarming. Surely not.
FROM THE HERALD SUN
REBELS’ TAX DEBT BRAWL LOOMS
The crisis at Rugby Australia has deepened over who should pay the Melbourne Rebels’ $10 million tax debt, and what happens to the club’s future.
The crisis at Rugby Australia has deepened amid a boardroom brawl over who pays back the Melbourne Rebels' $10 million tax debt.
Can't see the rest yet but apparently old mate Mr North is claiming RA is responsible for the tax bill.
And, disturbingly, whispers in Victoria that the Government may look at helping them out!

[GIGS20]

Can't see the rest yet but apparently old mate Mr North is claiming RA is responsible for the tax bill.

Old Mate is eternally used to RA buying his debt so he can sell/buy the Rebels for a dollar. I can understand why he thinks that.

[The InnFORCEr]

Merger with Pasifika on the rumour mill now

[shasta]

Note to Pasifika:
"Run,run...you better Run like hell. Run, run, run, run....'

- apologies to David Gilmour.

[wholetruth]

Merger with Pasifika on the rumour mill now

Not exactly a rumour, the rest is behind The Australian paywall...anyone have access?

Leaked documents claim RA wanted to ‘destroy’ Super Rugby
An explosive Melbourne Rebels’ manifesto has slammed Rugby Australia’s leadership claiming they have underfunded Super Rugby in order to ‘destroy’ it. The secret documents also reveal the Rebels were due to merge with Moana Pasifika imminently

[Sheikh]

Not exactly a rumour, the rest is behind The Australian paywall...anyone have access?

Leaked documents claim RA wanted to ‘destroy’ Super Rugby
An explosive Melbourne Rebels’ manifesto has slammed Rugby Australia’s leadership claiming they have underfunded Super Rugby in order to ‘destroy’ it. The secret documents also reveal the Rebels were due to merge with Moana Pasifika imminently

But Moana Pasifika are under the NZ rugby union, so how does that even work?

[Leo86]

Who is responsible. Well simply put. The Rebels. Who was Vic rugby union, who the Vic state government paid money to RA to ensure team / events means they jumped in bed with. For better or worse. Nothing would make me happier than than seeing the self proclaimed sporting state of Victoria putting their money where their mouth is.

Apologies to Rebels fans, been there and it sucks

[valzc]

Not exactly a rumour, the rest is behind The Australian paywall...anyone have access?

Leaked documents claim RA wanted to ‘destroy’ Super Rugby
An explosive Melbourne Rebels’ manifesto has slammed Rugby Australia’s leadership claiming they have underfunded Super Rugby in order to ‘destroy’ it. The secret documents also reveal the Rebels were due to merge with Moana Pasifika imminently

Gotta laugh! While RA have historically (hysterically) endeavoured to wipe out the Force those years ago, looks like they’ve imploded and managing to successfully destroy themselves in the process.

[SNOB]

Don’t like to say told you so but so many were saying Melbourne wouldn’t last but of course non of the worked for the FUAR as it was known!

[GIGS20]

Not exactly a rumour, the rest is behind The Australian paywall...anyone have access?

Leaked documents claim RA wanted to ‘destroy’ Super Rugby
An explosive Melbourne Rebels’ manifesto has slammed Rugby Australia’s leadership claiming they have underfunded Super Rugby in order to ‘destroy’ it. The secret documents also reveal the Rebels were due to merge with Moana Pasifika imminently

OK this is all based upon a document produced by the Melbourne Rebels

Central to the concept is the fact that Rugby Australia have not paid the 1.7M EXTRA disbursement to the teams that was removed when COVID destroyed the season.

Despite the fact that the 1.7 was not in the initial contract and not rolled over the the Stan contract, Rugby Australia are under no obligation to disburse the funds and the code would be in a worse fiscal position if that 6.8 Million a year had been "pissed up a wall" let's think about it a bit

The Rebels portion of that imaginary funding would have kicked in from 2020, but the COVID ravaged competition that run in that year would likely not have given the opportunity for the money to be paid, therefore the total disbursement would be owed for 2021, 2022 and 2023 (2024 would depend on whether the monies are distributed up front or back-ended) Best case scenario, the Rebs would have received an extra 6.8 Million from Rugby Australia (or 8.5 if RA were able to find the money during COVID when the couldn't affort to pay staff) which doesn't even cover the tax bill that the Rebels have racked up, let alone the $10 Million in missing stadium hire, superannuation, leve entitlements and other shit.

Absolute best case scenario, the 20 million we know about minus the 8.5 million that in a perfect fantasy world would be the shortfall, Rebels have STILL overspent by $11.5 Million.

And they expect us to believe that it's RA who are attempting to destroy Super Rugby which, let's remember, is a competition they didn't have to sign up to in 2021!

Complete and utter bullshit with Tim North's grubby fingerprints all over it.

[shasta]

And they expect us to believe that it's RA who are attempting to destroy Super Rugby which, let's remember, is a competition they didn't have to sign up to in 2021!

On the available evidence; if the RA board operating at that time actually thought it was advantageous to do that, they would likely have f@cked it up. Our SR franchises would be going gangbusters, with packed stadia & sponsors falling all over each other to get on board.