Melbourne Rebels crisis deepens as chief executive amongst staff to lose their jobs

The financial crisis at the Melbourne Rebels has worsened after Rugby Australia confirmed that 10 of the Super Rugby Pacific outfit’s members of staff, including the chief executive, have lost their jobs.

The cash-strapped Rebels entered voluntary administration last month, and their future beyond the 2024 season looks bleak unless the Victorian government or a huge sponsorship deal can come to their aid.

Received some bad news on Wednesday

On Wednesday, administrators PricewaterhouseCoopers informed all the Rebels staff except players that their positions were being made redundant.

Eighty per cent of the Rebels‘ staff – including all players and high performance members – will now be in the employment of Rugby Australia (RA) until the end of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific campaign.

However, chief executive Baden Stephenson and five other members of the Rebels’ administration staff were amongst those whose services were no longer required, while two casual and three contractor roles were also terminated.

“A new CEO contract has not been offered for Baden to continue with the club,” an RA statement said on Thursday. “RA would like to thank Baden for his years of work at the club and recognises this has been a difficult period for him and his team.

“RA wishes to thank the administrator, the Victorian government and its relevant departments, the Rebels’ partners, players, staff, members and fans for their cooperation and support at this time.”

According to the RA statement, the Rebels would retain a “sufficient staffing model, complemented by support from existing RA staff, to effectively deliver the 2024 season while work is completed on the longer term model for rugby in Victoria.”

Rebels skipper Rob Leota admitted that the latest developments at the club have unsettled the players, but they are still focusing on the start of the season, which kicks off at home against the Brumbies on Friday, February 23.

“It can go one of two ways,” Leota told Nine’s Wide World of Sports.

“You can just throw in the towel or you go backs against the wall and you do something. I’m from Melbourne and I definitely see the impact that the Rebels are having on guys coming through and how important it is for young kids in Victoria, they want to play rugby as well.”

Australia’s rugby administrators have promised that the Rebels will definitely play out the 2024 campaign, but the club’s future beyond that doesn’t look good as officials are contemplating a Super Rugby shake-up.

Two things can happen

“That can galvanize the group or that can split the group and we’re just waiting to see what happens with the Rebels – whether they can stick with it consistently,” former Rebels assistant coach Morgan Turinui told Nine’s Wide World of Sports radio.

“I’d expect them to come out of the box pretty hard and fast. They were very good against the Waratahs two weeks ago in a trial.

“They’ve got Taniela Tupou, that’s a huge signing for them… but all those things happening around the team have to have an effect at some stage.”

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