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Super Rugby final may be too expensive for Rebels to host
By Online Editors
The Melbourne Rebels may reportedly be unable to afford to host a Super Rugby home final if they top the Australian conference.
The currently sit a single point behind the Brumbies in fifth place with five games of the regular season left to play.
If they finish atop the table and earn a home final, the Australian reports, the Rebels will have to pay the visiting side about $75,000.
But chief executive Baden Stephenson denies the club are on the brink of insolvency, despite the recent departure of their chief financial officer.
"There is no doubt that things are becoming increasingly fairly tight, but I’m extremely lucky that I have an extremely supportive and proactive board," he told The Australian.
"We had our monthly meeting yesterday (Wednesday) and we have some plans in place and we are working away. We are confident of what we have in the short term. The longer-term, post-2021, no one can crystal ball that."
Melbourne play the Waratahs, whose finals hopes are hanging by a thread, on Friday night with NSW star Kurtley Beale challenging Rebels skipper Dane Haylett-Petty, both expected to audition for the Wallabies' fullback jersey recently vacated by Israel Folau.
- AAP
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Latest Comments
The Saracens players are the ones who brought this habit into the England team and to be fair they rarely lose, they have a very strong winning culture. It is however very embarrassing when you suck.
Go to commentsYes but it will be very hard game for the ABs, Ireland will want some pay back and they are a fine team who can play the running dynamic game like we do. It was 3 tries all in the QF with some great rugby by both sides. We will probably see a good game and as you say not much in it. I am less worried than normal as I feel like our team is changing for the future at the moment, with the new coach, so we will get better over time. There is a lot of new talent coming through.
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