Melbourne Rebels
The Melbourne Rebels ( mentioned in connection with the main sponsor also RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels ) are a rugby union team from the Australian city of Melbourne. You play from 2011 in the international Super Rugby League. As part of the expansion of the league from 14 to 15 teams the Rebels in 2010 were awarded the contract for the advertised franchise. The home games are played at AAMI Park.
History
In the previous expansion of the league from 12 to 14 teams in 2002 was from the region of Melbourne already an application before, but was not successful. The envisaged for Australia, additional new franchise went to Perth to the team Western Force. The body responsible for the organization and marketing consortium SANZAR (consisting of the national associations of Australia, New Zealand and South Africa) decided in 2009, the extension of the existing Super League 14 about a franchise.
Following a tendering procedure, in which ten candidates had participated, the Rebels received on 5 January 2010 the contract. The new franchise represents the state of Victoria, in which the greater Melbourne area is located. The Australian Rugby Union decreed a transfer ban for national players who are in the other four Australian Super Rugby teams under contract. As compensation, the Rebels were allowed to commit up to ten foreign players. As a venue for the Rebels, which opened in 2010, the stadium AAMI Park was determined.
In their first season, the Rebels binned in last place.
Player
The squad for the 2011 season:
Pillar
- Rodney Blake
- Nic Henderson
- Greg Somerville
- Laurie Weeks
Hooker
- Adam Freier
- Ged Robinson
- Heath Tessman
Second - row players
- Adam Byrnes
- Alister Campbell
- Luke Jones
- Hoani Macdonald
- Kevin O'Neill
- Hugh Pyle
Winger
- Tom Chamberlain
- Michael Lipman
- Jarrod Saffy
Number Eight
- Tim Davidson
- Gareth Delve
Scrum half
- Sam Cordingley
- Nick Phipps
- Richard Kingi
Connector
- Danny Cipriani
- James Hilgendorf
Indoor Three Quarter
- Lachlan Mitchell
- Stirling Mortlock
- Cooper Vuna
Outer three-quarters
- Peter Betham
- JP du Plessis
- Afusipa Taumoepeau
Final Men
- Mark Gerrard
- Julian Huxley
- Luke Rooney