Will the Melbourne Rebels make a Super 15 in 2011?

[Geeves]

Maybe, maybe not is the dubious answer as it is all highly dependent upon how much the ARU keeps f###ing up the procedure.
So far the procedure has been an absolute debacle from those sitting on the sidelines.  No firm candidate to give to SANZAR but rather a consortium of groups who will be financed from the first private club.  Well thankfully this issue is finally settled with the Melbourne Rebels finally getting the nod.  For those that remember this is the same name that was used in the other spectacular ARU f##k-up that was the national comp.
Unfortunately in this the Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) is described as a stakeholder  and not a partner.  What the hell this means for the ARU board is beyond me?  Do the Melbourne Rebels get the seat on the board instead of the VRU or do we add another one.  Or is a pissed off individual not going to be trying their hardest for Melb Rebels (highly unlikely but then again we have all heard interesting stories from NSW).  At the same time NSWRU is up for sale

One good point is that 1/3 of the team in the first year are allowed to sign up to 10 overseas players http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,26551637-5002381,00.html no doubt to stop the rape and pillage of QLD again as per the Force entry.  This is for the Melb Rebels only and will be on a sliding scale through time to bring in into line with the rest of the teams by 2015.  So the Melbourne Rebels will now be entering the market to sign a lot of key marquee players with some deep pockets of cash.  So I'm expecting a raft of developing SA and kiwi players heading here.

But now with the new dubious   signing window introduced by the ARU we will then see a glut of signings by the Melb Rebels at the start of the international season.   What I love about this is that you can negotiate all year but you can’t announce or actually sign a document until a set time.  So in other words the media hacks will be printing will he won’t he sign rumour scaremongering articles until the signing window?  Something like this ...bar the actual signature of player x (at the rate of intellectual decline in rugby it could also be the player’s signature) has verbally agreed to join the team.  So everyone will know who is going where but not officially.  Damn stupid idea really to bring it in this year. 

Hopefully the ARU now pulls it head in and leaves the Melbourne Rebels alone.  Just too bad that they were unable to keep developing as a national club team (who I believed came runner up in the comp under the leadership of one David Croft) who by now would have had a solid foundation in team members, supporters and coach. 

Nice one possum head.

[DH]

Yeah - its all seemed a bit dodgy from this part of the woods Geeves. It makes you wonder if the SA bid would have been better? Its all about Melbourne & the perceived "big market & they'll watch anything" philosophy. But the Melbourne Storm still haven't made a profit, and their support base (despite their success rate) is small.

I know Argentina aren't in a position todo this at the mo, but how about a heavily subsidised team (financially & player wise) from there. Given whats been happening in the ARU, surely "Argentina" makes more sense economically in the future than "Melbourne". How big is Buenos Aires? 13m people? Argentina as a whole has 40m people (twice as big as Oz). Hmmmmm

I think SANZAR have made a big balls up as well.

cheers
DH

[Geeves]

Well based on the format of the Super 15 which effectively is mainly a domestic comp then a small tour.

If there was a SA side in the Aus comp then the travel for that SA side would be a bloody nightmare and cost the Aus sides plus one SA far more per team to be involved in than for the rest of the sides.  This would force Aus to ask for a bigger slice of the revenue effectively asking for NZ + SA to subsidise one SA and 4 Aus sides.  As this was never going to happen by default it had to be an Aus side.

I think its more likely that expansion will occur by group,  for example
Americas = US, Canada, 2 * Argentina + Uruguay
Pacific = Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Japan, + Combined(?)

Once this occurs it will then become like the 7's finals (top 2 from each group play for finals), middle 2 and then last sides.


 

[BallBoy]

I know Argentina aren't in a position todo this at the mo, but how about a heavily subsidised team (financially & player wise) from there.

A very strong Puma provincial combined squad will take part in our Vodacom cup this year (comp runs same time as S14/S15). they will be based on the garden route (close to where souther spears finds themselves)

Argentina have named a strong squad to take part in their first Vodacom Cup tournament in South Africa.   

The team -- which is said to be named the Pampas XV -- will compete in the Southern section of the Vodacom Cup to spice up the tournament, and will feature a number of test players who are based in Argentina.

The initiative -- which also sees Namibia competing in the Northern section of the competition, will give the third tier tournament an impetus of international talent that should raise the bar in the competition.

The Pampas team named includes 13 players who have represented Argentina at test level, with the most experienced of those being Miguel Avramovic. Avramovic played for the last three seasons in Europe but came home to complete his medical studies.

He was first capped in 2005 and has played for both Worcester and Montauban in England and France respectively at either centre or fullback.

Avramovic also played in the under-21 World Cup in South Africa in 2002 and is thus no stranger to the country.

The big coup for the Argentineans is the inclusion of their flyhalf/centre combination Santiago Fernánd and Martín Rodríguez, both of whom started at 10 and 12 in their last three tests in Europe, with Rodríguez kicking the drop goal that won them the test match against Scotland at Murrayfield.

Livewire flanker Tomás Leonardi started against England and Wales in the Autumn internationals last year while other players who played on the European tour last year include Mauro Comuzzi, Agustín Creevy, Miguel de Achával, Agustín Figuerola, Mariano Galarza, Horacio San Martín and Benjamín Urdapilleta.

Local fans will definitely remember San Martin while Urdapilleta was a late replacement in Argentina’s test against the Springboks at Ellis Park in 2008.

Nicolás Bruzzone, one of the stars of Argentina’s Sevens side in Dubai and George over the past two months, also earned himself a call-up to the team with his good form.

Squad: (clubs in brackets), * denotes test Cap

Belisario Agulla (Hindú), Francisco Albarracín (La Plata RC) *, Miguel Avramovic (Alumni) *, César Bettoli (Tucumán Lawn Tennis), Nicolás Bruzzone (SIC), Martín Bustos Moyano (Córdoba Athletic) *, Carlos Cáceres (Tucumán Lawn Tennis), Mauro Comuzzi (Pucará) *, Matías Cortese (Liceo RC Mendoza) *, Agustín Creevy (San Luis) *, Miguel de Achával (Alumni), Gastón De Robertis (Regatas Bella Vista), Juan Pablo Estelles (Atlético del Rosario), Santiago Fernández (Hindú) *, Genaro Fessia (Córdoba Athletic) *, Agustín Figuerola (CASI) *, Mariano Galarza (Universitario de La Plata), Santiago González Iglesias (Alumni), Agustín Gossio (Newman), Santiago Guzmán (Tucumán Rugby), Tomás Leonardi (SIC) *, Benjamín Macome (Tucumán Rugby), Guillermo Roán (La Plata RC), Tomás Roán (La Plata RC), Martín Rodríguez (Atlético del Rosario) *, Horacio San Martín (Tala) *, Leonardo Senatore (Gimnasia y Esgrima Rosario), Francisco Tetaz Chaparro (La Plata RC), Benjamín Urdapilleta (CUBA) *

[Geeves]

Bloody well done to the SA authorities for including the Pampas in the Vodacom Cup.

If this proves successful (financially and competitive) then the idea should be thoroughly embraced

[DH]

That is fantastic news! If they could come thru the grades they might even have a Currie Cup team one day. A great pathway for their game!

cheers
DH

[Gwynn]

To be honest it makes me tempted to lace up my boots again (I'm moving to Melbourne permanently next month, so a come back could be on the cards if the body can handle it)

[Geeves]

In a massive coup the Rebels have dragged Macqueen out of the rugby coaching wilderness and anointed him as the inaugural head coach.

The rebels have also signed Damian Hill (not Damon Hill the racing driver) Sydney University coach who has won 3 premierships in the Sydney comp.

Damn that is one major boost for the side and a bloody good combination. Macqueen doing the motivation and strategy while Hill doing the coaching. I'll be expecting a number of big overseas signings in the next couple of months and numerous rumours of wallabies on the move.