Melbourne Rebels
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| Melbourne Rebels | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Founded | 2007 | |||||||||||||||||
| Union | Australian Rugby Union | |||||||||||||||||
| Location | Melbourne, Australia | |||||||||||||||||
| Ground(s) | Olympic Park Stadium | |||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 18,500[1] | |||||||||||||||||
| Coach | Bill Millard | |||||||||||||||||
| Captain | David Croft | |||||||||||||||||
| League | Australian Rugby Championship | |||||||||||||||||
| 2007 | Runners-Up | |||||||||||||||||
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| Union website | ||||||||||||||||||
| www.vicrugby.com.au | ||||||||||||||||||
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The Melbourne Rebels were an Australian rugby union football club that played in the now defunct Australian Rugby Championship. The Rebels were formed as the only Victorian club to participate in the inaugural season of the championship, starting in August of 2007. The team was based at the Olympic Park Stadium, Melbourne. The team colors were white and blue. The Melbourne Rebels were the only ARC club that was not directly linked to a Super 14 franchise as Victoria does not have one.
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[edit] History
Prior to Melbourne being allocated a position in the foundation season of the Australia Rugby Championship a Victorian consordium bid to get a Super 12 license. In 2006 the Super 12 expanded to become the Super 14, a 14 team competition, with one new license going to an Australian team and the other to a South African team. Victoria and Western Australia were the leading bidders for the license, and it eventually allocated to Western Australia, creating the Western Force.
The inaugural Australian Rugby Championship started August 2007, including eight teams, one of which based in Melbourne, Victoria. It was rumored that the New South Wales Rugby Union (NSWRU) gave up a fourth club to enable Victoria to participate in the new national competition.[2] It was subsequently revealed that thet club would be playing out of Olympic Park Stadium in Melbourne the current home of the Melbourne Storm and Melbourne Victory. It is possible they may move to the New Rectangular Melbourne Stadium in 2009.
In December of 2006, prior to club colours and name being known, the Victorian Rugby Union (VRU) announced that former Burnside, Australian Sevens and Sydney University coach Bill Millard and former Wallaby Fletcher Dyson as the head coach and coach consultant respectively.[3] Former Rugby World Cup-winning coach Rod Macqueen is also thought to have some involvement with the club.[3]
The club was officially launced in March 2007, which unveiled details of the new team, including their name; the Melbourne Rebels.[4] The launch took place at Crown’s Palladium, and the team's first signings were revealed.[4] The Rebels' first league game was an away win against the Canberra team in round one. The Rebels played their first home match in front of 4,875 people at Olympic Park the following week, beating the East Coast Aces.
The Rebels played the Central Coast in the inaugural ARC Grand Final, after defeating minor premiers Western Sydney in their semi-final 23 to 3. They were defeated by the Rays 20 points to 12 in the Grand Final, finishing runners-up in the inaugural competition.
[edit] Colours and logo
The Rebels' colours and logo were unveiled at the official launch of the club on 29 March 2007.[4] As well as the colours and logo, the team jersey were revealed, which is manufactured by Canterbury of New Zealand. The Rebels' jersey is consists of a traditional hoop design, with the club colours of navy blue and white. Navy Blue been the traditional state colour of Victoria.
The colours are consistent with the Victorian Axemen jersey, the senior Victorian side that represented Victoria in the Australian Rugby Shield since 2000.[5] The Rebels' logo is a blue crest with an M with stars of around it plus one in the centre, with Rebels written in red underneath. The stars are meant to represent the Southern Cross and the Eureka Flag from the Eureka Stockade.
The Rebels name was chosen in consultation with the local rugby community.[5] VRU officials decided on the Rebels name in reference to Victoria's first Wallaby, Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop. Buddha at the launch, said that “like the great Weary Dunlop, Victorian rugby has a history of daring to be different, a touch of the larrikin, and always having a go. These qualities are what you want in a Rebel and characterize the way Victoria is successfully tackling this historic year”.[4]
[edit] Stadium
The Melbourne Rebels play their home games at the Olympic Park Stadium located in inner Melbourne. Olympic Park, which has a capacity of around 18,500 was built in 1956. It has also in the past been home to rugby league and soccer matches. The Melbourne Rebels played their first home match at Olympic Park in round 2 when they beat the East Coast Aces 34-24.
A new rectangular stadium is being built in Melbourne near the exisitng Olympic Park site. Completion is set for 2009 and the Melbourne Rebels have expressed an interest in using the stadium for their home matches.
[edit] Franchise area
The Melbourne Rebels are allowed to sign a number of players from the four Australian Super 14 franchises. This includes three players from Brumbies and Western Force, and one each from both the New South Wales Waratahs and Queensland Reds.[5]
[edit] Records
| ARC seasons | ||||||||||||
| Year | Played | Win | Draw | Loss | PF | PA | Diff | Bonus (4 tries) |
Bonus (Loss <7pts) |
Points | Place | Playoffs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 170 | 206 | -36 | 4 | 0 | 24 | 4 | Runners-up |
[edit] Current squad
The squad for the 2007 ARC season:[6][7]
[edit] Head coaches
Billy Millard
Billy 'The Rock' Millard started coaching in 1996 after a serious knee injury meant he could no longer play.
In 8 club seasons his teams have won 6 Premierships and narrowly lost the other 2.
2001-2004 Head Coach of the Australian Sevens Team
2005 Director of Rugby and Backs Coach of Sydney University. The Club won the Club Championships as well as the 1st Grade Premiership
2006 Head Coach Sydney University. The Club went back to back in winning the Club Championship and 1st Grade Premiership
2007 Head Coach of the 50/1 outsiders the Melbourne Rebels in the Australian Rugby Championships. The Rebels were the suprise packet of the Championship and narrowly lost the Grand Final to the Central Coast Rays
Bill is currently back in the High Performance Unit at Australian Rugby - again looking after the Sevens Program.
[edit] Captains
[edit] See also
- Victorian Rugby Union (VRU)
[edit] References
- ^ Olympic Park Stadium. austadiums.com. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ New national rugby comp for 2007. news.com.au. Retrieved on 2006-06-03.
- ^ a b Victorian Rugby appoints Millard and Dyson to key coaching positions. rugby.com.au (2007-12-11). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ a b c d Melbourne Rebels on the rugby march. rugby.com.au (2007-03-29). Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ a b c Dave Donaghy (2007-03-29). Rebels show true colours. Herald Sun. Retrieved on 2007-03-29.
- ^ Melbourne Rebels Update (pdf). vicrugby.com.au (2007-08-03). Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
- ^ Meet the AAMI Melbourne Rebels Squad. vicrugby.com.au. Retrieved on 2007-08-09.
[edit] External links
- Melbourne Rebels
- Victorian Rugby Union
- Australian Rugby Championship on rugby.com.au
- Australian Rugby Championship on PrimeRugby.com
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