Melbourne Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson would like to clarify that the Super Rugby franchise is not at risk of financial collapse. Rugby Australia, meanwhile, received some good news with Peter Horne agreeing to take on the new role as national high performance director. However, Horne is not expected to start in the role until March after agreeing to terms over the past 24 hours.
His appointment comes more than a week after it was revealed that Horne had been RA’s chosen figure to try and turn the game’s high performance around. News of his pending appointment came as the high-performance specialist was about to start a week’s worth of meetings with tier two nations in Sydney’s east, which included outgoing Fiji coach Simon Raiwalui.
RA has also been speaking with outgoing Ireland director of high-performance David Nucifora about his plans. Nucifora, who left Australian rugby a decade ago, will finish up in his current role with the IRFU following the Paris Olympics.
Former Ireland head coach Joe Schmidt is keen to replace Eddie Jones in the Wallabies’ top job. RA is looking to form a panel to help select the next coach.
In a letter sent to players and staff, Stephenson assured them that the “job security of staff is secure for 2024”. The Rebels have been in the limelight due to reports that they are financially in trouble, owing millions of dollars to the Australian Taxation Office.
RA has taken out an $80m loan and is no longer in a position to rescue their Super Rugby franchises. They are considering a return to four Super Rugby franchises in light of the new broadcast deal to be negotiated.
RA is $15m short of where they need to be to cover their costs, leading to the decision not to restore a $1.7m fee to the five Super Rugby franchises. This decision has placed further strain on the Super Rugby franchises, particularly the Rebels.
Stephenson moved to ease fears on Wednesday in a letter sent to Rebels players and staff, assuring them that job security is secure for 2024. Despite these challenges, he commended the professionalism, focus, and dedication of the team and wished everyone a Merry Christmas and a safe New Year.