Rugby Australia boss Phil Waugh met Victorian authorities officers on Wednesday to debate the way forward for the Melbourne Rebels, as liquidators continued to search for a means ahead for the membership.
However there are nonetheless no ensures over whether or not the federal government will present a bailout for the membership, which formally entered voluntary administration on Monday with a multimillion-dollar debt.
Melbourne Rebels participant Brad Wilkin final season. Membership chiefs insist the Rebels will take the sphere in 2024.Credit score: Getty
The Sydney-based boss flew all the way down to Melbourne on Wednesday and met Rebels gamers and workers earlier than assembly with Sports activities Minister Steve Dimopolous and members of the government-operated Melbourne and Olympic Parks Belief.
The membership owes a reported $1 million in stadium charges to the belief.
Talking outdoors the Rebels’ dwelling base of AAMI Park, Waugh once more prevented committing to the way forward for the Rebels past 2024, however mentioned a call concerning the membership can be made as shortly because it may to keep away from an prolonged interval of uncertainty.
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“We’ve all the time had a really sturdy relationship with all governments and positively the Victorian authorities, and now we’re having very wise constructive conversations across the viability of a provisional, skilled crew in Victoria and people conversations can be ongoing,” Waugh mentioned.
“The Victorian authorities has all the time been very supportive of Australian Rugby,” he mentioned “When you consider rugby presence right here – not simply at knowledgeable stage, but in addition down locally, it’s additionally actually necessary for us to have a robust presence.”
The state authorities has beforehand bailed out the Rebels. In 2017, the then-Andrews authorities entered right into a $20 million take care of Rugby Australia to safe the Bledisloe Cup and British and Irish Lions Take a look at matches in Melbourne over an eight-to-10-year interval.