The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian professional rugby union team based in Melbourne that competed in the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The Rebels made their debut in SANZAR's Super Rugby tournament in 2011. The club shared its name with a former Australian Rugby Championship team, but was unrelated. The team played home matches at AAMI Park.
The team's participation agreement was revoked by Rugby Australia at the conclusion of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season. The women's team was also disbanded by Rugby Australia.
History.
The era of professionalism in rugby union led to a restructuring of the Super 10 competition after the 1995 World Cup. SANZAR was formed to manage a 12-team provincial union from Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. During the early years of 2000s South Africa and Australia pushed for additional teams each. Argentina also expressed interest. Discussions also included a federated Pacific Islands team in the vein of the West Indies cricket team, or individual island nations.
Bids for the 13th and 14th franchise opened in 2002. Melbourne had, to that point, successfully hosted several Wallaby test matches which the Victorian Rugby Union used to demonstrate a ground swell of support for rugby union by the Victorian public. Melbourne also hosted several World Cup matches hosted at Docklands Stadium and drew 50,000 to the final day of the 2006 Melbourne Commonwealth Games Rugby 7s.
The then Bracks government promised investment in infrastructure, considering a 25,000 seat redevelopment of Olympic Park Stadium or $100m for a new stadium. The successful bid went to Western Australia, ultimately becoming the Western Force for the 2004 Super 14 season.
In 2006 the Australian Rugby Union, following the suggestions of a working party, announced the formation of a national domestic competition. The Melbourne Rebels were established for the inaugural season of the Australian Rugby Championship by virtue of NSW surrendering a fourth team in favour of Victoria. Coached by Bill Millard and captained by David Croft, the Rebels finished fourth (out of 8) and were runners up. The move was viewed as an interim step to a Super 14 franchise.
The VRU bid twice for a team in SANZAR's 'Super' provincial competition before being accepted for the 2011 season. Their winning bid was named after the team they fielded in the ARC.
On 29 July, at the Victorian Rugby Union's quarterly corporate luncheon, the Melbourne Rebels and the Victorian Rugby Union launched the playing strip, logo and club song "Do You Hear the People Sing?" from "Les Misérables".
The 15th licence.
With SANZAR announcing a restructure while renegotiating broadcast rights, an additional licence was created. Ten bids were received: seven from Australia, two from New Zealand (Hawkes Bay and Taranaki) and the Southern Kings from South Africa.
The Australian expressions of interest included three from Victoria, one from Western Sydney, one from the Gold Coast, the New South Wales Country Rugby Union (backed by John Singleton) and a second Queensland team.
Three expressions of interest came out of Victoria for new Super licence- the Vic Super 15 headed by Mark Ella and backed by Kevin Maloney along with three former VRU directors, a Belgravia Group bid led by Geoff Lord (on behalf of the Melbourne Victory) and the Melbourne Rebels bid from the Victorian Rugby Union with backing from media magnate Harold Mitchell with assistance from corporate consultants, including KPMG.
On 12 August 2009, the Australian Rugby Union endorsed Victoria as Australia's sole candidate state for the new licence in the Australian conference in the expanded 2011 Super Rugby competition.
They attempted to broker a deal that would consolidate the three bids as a singular entity that they hoped would be "overwhelmingly successful". The Melbourne Rebels bid petitioned the Australian Rugby Union to submit only one of the three bids to SANZAR.
The efforts to amalgamate these bids was fraught with politics. Investment banker John Wylie brokered a tentative agreement between the Melbourne Rebels and the Vic Super 15 that was announced at the 2009 Weary Dunlop Luncheon.
Given that SANZAR could not reach a unanimous decision the matter was sent to arbitration. The arbitrators felt that the Southern Kings' bid was more advanced with regard to business and financial planning and organisation structure and governance. They also felt that the Southern Kings also had a stronger player base and rugby tradition. Revenue however, from the sale of broadcasting rights to Australasian broadcasters, would be reduced by US$15–20m over the course of a five-year agreement should the 15th team be resident in South Africa.
On 12 November 2009, after an arbitration process between themselves and South Africa's Southern Kings, Victoria was awarded the 15th Super Rugby licence, as it was considered more financially viable to SANZAR. The bid was provisionally offered to the Vicsuper 15 consortium but when the ARU declined to offer a $4.3m grant commensurate with funding supplied to the other Australian franchise, the Mark Ella led consortium withdrew its bid. The licence was subsequently awarded to the Victorian Rugby Union's Melbourne Rebels.
Establishment.
The ownership licence was handed to Harold Mitchell's consortium on 5 January 2010. The following day the ARU announced restrictions on the Rebels, gagging the franchise from announcing their signings from other Australian Super rugby team players until 1 June 2010. The Melbourne Rebels and the Rugby Union Players Association threatened legal action and successful had the embargo moved to 15 March.
Rod Macqueen was appointed Head Coach, and Director of Coaching on 12 January. Damien Hill became Macqueen's assistant. Former Western Force CEO Greg Harris was appointed general manager, Football Operations.
Brian Waldron was initially appointed CEO, but resigned in April after being implicated in salary cap rorting while CEO of the Melbourne Storm. Auditor were called to examine Waldron's signings to ensure, as Wilson put it, "[Rebels] procedures are in accordance with the [ARU] protocols."
Pat Wilson, a former CEO of the Manly Warringah Sea Eagles and New South Wales Waratahs, and former ARU general manager of high performance became interim CEO in April, until Ross Oakley was appointed in September. Mitchell said he expected the Rebels to retain Wilson in some capacity.
In September 2011 Oakley stood down from the Rebels and was succeeded by Steven Boland as CEO. The Rebels announced the succession plan, citing Boland's credentials as an executive at Visy and Veolia, and his presidency of the Parramatta Rugby Club during its rebuilding phase.
On 15 April 2013, Harold Mitchell announced that CEO Steve Boland had resigned, citing other opportunities. On 17 April, the Rebels announced the appointment of interim CEO Rob Clarke. Clarke, who had been CEO of the ACT Brumbies between 2003 and 2005 and chief operating officer of the Australian Rugby Union 2006–07, will fill the role until season's end.
Eddie Jones said the Rebels should not have been added to Super Rugby: "The reason they're in is because of TV rights. The current 14-team competition is just starting to find its feet [and the] addition of another Australian franchise is not good for Australian [or Super] rugby ..." Jones went on: "Another Australian side is just going to weaken the third and fourth teams. ... It's unrealistic for Australia to have five teams and it will be bad for Wallaby rugby in the short-term, for the next 10 to 15 years."
Contrary to Jones, Wallabies coach Robbie Deans stated the side's vast experience was an asset and predicted the Rebels could be competitive from the outset.
Foundation Team.
The first signing was London Wasps fly half Danny Cipriani initially slated to play at fullback, a position he's played on occasion for the Wasps. Prop Laurie Weeks signed 18 March. Welsh number 8 Gareth Delve signed 28 March saying, "The opportunity to test myself alongside the best players in world rugby in a competition I have grown up admiring, was one I couldn't refuse." Stirling Mortlock signed 31 March, in a three-year deal for an undisclosed sum.
Jarrod Saffy became the first Rebel to 'convert' from rugby league. The ARU was reluctant to allow the Rebels to sign rugby league players, due to a high number of converts returning to league. In the case of Saffy they made an exception, considering his selection in the Australian school boys, the Australian U21s and the Australian Sevens sides.
Transfer of Shares to VRU.
On 27 June 2013, the RaboDirect Rebels announced that foundation shareholders Harold Mitchell, Bob Dalziel, Lyndsey Cattermole, Alan Winney, Ralph D'Silva, Gary Gray, Paul Kirk, Leon L'Huillier, David Ogilvy and Michael Bartlett had signed a term sheet dealing with the 100% transfer of their shares to the Victorian Rugby Union. The decision was made to promote the growth of Rugby in Victoria, with both the community and professional arms working together on joint objectives.
As part of the transfer of ownership, Melbourne Rebels chairman Harold Mitchell was succeeded by Jonathan Ling. The two organisations combined operations, with Rob Clarke becoming CEO for both organisations, and Ross Oakley stepping away from his role as VRU CEO.
Sale in 2015.
The Rebels proved to be a financial drain on the Australian Rugby Union; the franchise was responsible for more than half of the ARU's deficit of A$6.3 million in fiscal 2014. In June 2015, the ARU announced that the Rebels had been purchased by locally based Imperium Sports Management. The ARU is understood to have spent $15.6 million in the franchise.
2017 and the threat of Super Rugby axe.
During the 2017 season the ARU announced that one Australian franchise would be axed from Super Rugby, as the competition was trimmed to 15 teams. They announced that either the Rebels or the Western Force were at threat of the axe hoping to come to a decision by April at the latest. Rebels CEO Andrew Cox sold the franchise back to the Victorian Rugby Union for $1 in an attempt to protect and 'save' the Rebels as the VRU were unlikely to sell the franchise to the ARU as they would axe it, whereas crucially the Force were owned solely by the ARU. On 10 August the Force were instead axed from Super Rugby with the Rebels surviving as a Super Rugby side. 
Financial woes and termination of competition license.
In January 2024, the Rebels were placed in voluntary administration, with over $22 million in debt owing to creditors, including $11.6 million to the Australian Taxation Office, $5.7 million to board members, $2.8 million to suppliers, almost $2 million owed to the Victorian Government, $1.1 million in unpaid stadium tenancy fees for use of AAMI Park, $720,000 to the state revenue office and $250,000 in employee superannuation. The Rebels reportedly had just $17,300 in the bank, with assets including office furniture, gym equipment and two cars.
On 14 February 2024, it was reported that 10 administrative staff, including chief executive Baden Stephenson, were made redundant, with the remaining staff and coaches put on four-month contracts to see out the Super Rugby campaign. A financial analysis revealed the Rebels lost $54 million in their 14-year history, or about $10,000 each day.
On 30 May 2024, several news outlets reported that Rugby Australia had rejected a private consortium's plan to fund the club until 2030, as the consortium’s projections for revenue growth and cost savings were “overly optimistic” and posed an “unacceptable level of risk”. Consequently the club was removed from further participation in the Super Rugby competition at the conclusion of the 2024 season; a decision which came only days after the club qualified for its first finals series. Leigh Clifford, the head of the private consortium seeking to take over the Rebels' competition license, responded to the axing by pledging to take Rugby Australia to court over the decision. Rugby Australia stated that a decision on the future of the Rebels’ women’s team “will be made as part of [a] broader process later in the year”.
On 9 October 2024, the Rebels' directors commenced legal proceedings against Rugby Australia in the Federal Court of Australia seeking $30 million in damages, the right to inspect Rugby Australia books to determine whether there had been fiduciary and governance failures, and a declaration that they can resume control of the Rebels so they can continue to play in the Super Rugby competition, with the directors alleging that Rugby Australia had treated the team unfairly and unequally compared to other Super Rugby franchises and “has breached various sections of the Corporations Act, has unlawfully oppressed the Rebels, and is obliged to indemnify the Rebels for liabilities to the Australian Taxation