What everyone is saying about the Rebels after their final game in Super Rugby Pacific

There were emotional scenes in Wellington as the Melbourne Rebels were defeated by the Hurricanes, which will go down as the franchise's last game of Super Rugby for the foreseeable future.

After Rugby Australia opted not to save the Rebels after the club was financially run into the ground, it was known that this would be their last season.

Players and fans alike were left visibly upset coming to the realisation that their beloved team would be no more.

The result triggered an outpouring of tributes from media personalities who have covered the team, to former players and diehard fans who have supported the club.

Broadcaster Catherine Murphy called it "devastating to watch" as players were brought to tears. She said it was "14 years wasted" for the 2011 expansion team.

One committed fan flew all the way over from the UK to see the team play one last time, arriving in New Zealand just hours before kick off to witness the unwanted history.

The implications of the Rebels' demise were already being shared on X, with unverified comments that the "talent drain has already started" as the NRL steps in to pinch the local playing stocks.

The loss of a playing pathway for Victorian players was also mentioned, with no professional side to provide an age grade pathway for the state's players.

Despite the dark day for the club, the last ever Rebels side will actually go down as the greatest in their history.

The 2024 team is the only Melbourne Rebels side to ever make the Super Rugby playoffs since their induction in 2011.

The foundation team included the marquee signing Danny Cipriani, an England flyhalf, and former Wallaby captain Stirling Mortlock.

Over the years they were able to attract big names, Wallabies Kurtley Beale, James O'Connor, Mark Gerrard, former All Black prop Greg Somerville, Tongan international Cooper Vuna, Japanese hooker Shota Horie.

In 2016, Scotland midfielder Sione Tuipulotu became the first local Victorian to play for the club, while other Rob Leota became the first homegrown Wallaby the club produced.

Eerily, ex-Wallabies coach Eddie Jones made a stark prediction back in 2010 when the club was granted a license.

He brazenly claimed the only reason they were in the competition was for TV money, but their existence would not be good for Australian rugby for "10-15 years".

"The reason they're in is because of TV rights. The current 14-team competition is just starting to find its feet [and the] addition of another Australian franchise is not good for Australian [or Super] rugby ..."

"Another Australian side is just going to weaken the third and fourth teams. ... It's unrealistic for Australia to have five teams and it will be bad for Wallaby rugby in the short-term, for the next 10 to 15 years."

The Rebels proved to be a cash drain on Rugby Australia for a number of years, before the team was offloaded in 2015 to private investors. With the axe looming in 2017 on one Australian side, the shares were sold back to Victoria Rugby Union making it difficult for Rugby Australia to axe at the time.

Seven years later the Rebels found that fate in the end, reportedly losing $54 million dollars over their existence.