 | ||
| Founded | ||
|---|---|---|
| Disbanded | 2020; 5 years ago (2020) (competition disbanded) | |
| Location | Melbourne,Australia | |
| Grounds |
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| Coach | Pom Simona | |
| Captain | Semisi Tupou | |
| League | National Rugby Championship | |
| 2019 | 7th | |
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TheMelbourne Rising was an Australianrugby union team based inMelbourne that competed in theNational Rugby Championship (NRC). The team represented the rugby community inVictoria and was organised and managed byRugby Victoria with the coaching and training programs used by theMelbourne Rebels being extended to players joining the team from the Rebels, the local Dewar Shield competition, and local Victorian juniors.[1][2]
The NRC was launched in 2014, reinstating the national competition after an absence of six years.[3] The previous competition was theAustralian Rugby Championship (ARC), which was discontinued in 2007 after only one season.[4] The team representing Victoria in the ARC was the Melbourne Rebels, organised and managed by theVRU. That Rebels team was the predecessor of the Melbourne Rebels team inSuper Rugby and the Melbourne Rising team in the NRC.
In 2004, a consortium led by the Victorian Rugby Union entered the bidding process for a licence in theSuper 14 competition to get a team in Melbourne for the 2006 season. The then Super 12 competition was expanding to 14 teams, with one new licence being allocated to an Australian team and another to a South African team. Victoria and Western Australia were the leading bidders for the Australian team and the licence was eventually allocated to Western Australia, creating theWestern Force.[5]
For the Australian Rugby Championship in 2007, however, both Victoria and Western Australia were allocated teams. TheAustralian Rugby Union announced the new, eight-team national competition after setting up a consultative process in 2006 which culminated in a working session of some 70 delegates from around the country.[6] It was reported that New South Wales gave up a fourth team to enable Victoria to participate in the new national competition.[7][8]
The Melbourne Rebels team was formed to participate in the Australian Rugby Championship (ARC) that started in August 2007. It was the only team in the ARC that was not directly linked to aSuper Rugby franchise as Victoria did not have one at the time.
The Rebels' jersey had traditional navy blue and white hoops, the colours of the Victorian Axemen side that represented Victoria in theAustralian Rugby Shield.[9] The Rebels name was chosen in consultation with the local rugby community. VRU officials decided on the name in reference to Victoria's firstWallaby,Sir Edward "Weary" Dunlop.[10] At the official launch of the team's name and jersey on 29 March 2007, former WallabyChris “Buddha” Handy said:
Like the great Weary Dunlop, Victorian rugby has a history of daring to be different, a touch of the larrikin, and always having a go. These qualities are what you want in a Rebel and characterize the way Victoria is successfully tackling this historic year.
— Chris Handy, at the VRU’s Weary Dunlop Rugby lunch at Crown’s Palladium, 2007.[10]
The Rebels' head coach for the ARC was Bill Millard, a former coach of the Australian Sevens and Sydney University.[11] Former WallabyFletcher Dyson was a coaching consultant. FormerRugby World Cup-winning coachRod Macqueen was the No. 1 ticket holder and a passionate supporter of the club.[12] The Melbourne side was allowed to sign a number of players from the four AustralianSuper 14 franchises. This included three players from theBrumbies andWestern Force, and one each from theNew South Wales Waratahs andQueensland Reds.[9]David Croft was the 2007 captain.[13][14][15]
The Melbourne Rebels played their ARC home games at theOlympic Park Stadium located in inner Melbourne, but the team's first league game was an away win against the Canberra team in round one. The Melbourne Rebels played their first home match in front of 4,875 people at Olympic Park the following week, beating theEast Coast Aces.
After finishing fourth on the league table, the Rebels defeated the minor premiersWestern Sydney in their semi-final 23 to 3. The Rebels played theCentral Coast Rays in the inauguralARC Grand Final. The Melbourne team was defeated by the Central Coast 20 points to 12 in the Grand Final, finishing runners-up in the competition.
The Australian Rugby Championship was terminated at the end of 2007 after only one season of competition, with the Australian Rugby Union citing higher costs than budgeted and further projected financial losses.[16] The Melbourne Rebels side was disbanded with the end of the ARC, but was revived in 2010 under the same name as theSuper 14 tournament was expanded to the 15-teamSuper Rugby competition to include the Melbourne Rebels for the 2011 season.
In December 2013, theARU announced that the national competition was to be relaunched, with the National Rugby Championship (NRC) commencing in 2014.[17] Expressions of interest were open to any interested bidders, with the accepted tenders finalised in early 2014. On 24 March 2014, it was announced that the Melbourne Rising would play in the NRC competition.[18][19]
The Rising's jersey for the 2014 season was predominantly navy blue and pink, with white and electric blue highlights.[1] The team's logo incorporated a rising star, representing future talent; a floral arrangement ofPink Heath, which is the state flower of Victoria; and the five stars representing the Melbourne Rebels.[1]
For the 2014 NRC season, the Melbourne Rising securedRaboDirect as the main jersey sponsor.[20]Sean Hedger andMatt Cockbain were appointed as head coach and forwards coach of the Rising. Both were assistant coaches at the Rebels. Craig McGrath, coach of the Melbourne Harlequin club, was appointed as backs coach. The Rising's training base is also at the Harlequin club in Ashwood.[1][21]Nic Stirzaker was named as captain withMitch Inman,Patrick Leafa and Pom Simona in the team's leadership group.[22] ScrumhalfLuke Burgess played for both the Melbourne Rebels ARC team in 2007 and the Melbourne Rising NRC team in 2014.
As of 2016, Melbourne Rising's colours of red, white and blue were those of the Melbourne Rebels,[23] although the side previously played in a navy blue and pink jersey, with white and electric blue highlights.[1] The team's current logo is also adapted from that of the parent franchise, with the name Melbourne Rising used instead of Melbourne Rebels.
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The team scheduled its 2019 home matches at the following locations:[24]
| City | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Adelaide | Bailey Reserve | 3,000 |
| Ballarat | Eureka Stadium | 11,000 |
| Box Hill | RHL Sparks Reserve | 3,000 |
| Cranbourne East | Casey Fields | 12,000 |
Other home venues used in previous seasons:
| City | Venue | Capacity |
|---|---|---|
| Ashwood | Ashwood Reserve | 3,000 |
| Ballarat | St Patrick's College | 3,000 |
| Frankston | Frankston Park | 8,000 |
| Geelong | GMHBA Stadium | 34,074 |
| Melbourne | AAMI Park | 29,500 |
| Morwell | Latrobe City Stadium | 4,000 |
For the Rising's initial season, the team played atAAMI Park, located in inner Melbourne.[25] Opened in 2010, the stadium's major tenants include theMelbourne Rebels,Melbourne Storm,Melbourne Victory andMelbourne City FC.[26] Smaller venues were preferred from 2016 onward.[27]
The squad for the 2019 NRC season:
| Melbourne Rising squad –NRC 2019 [A] | |
|---|---|
Scrum-half Fly-half Centre Wing Fullback Notes: | |
| Bold denotes player is internationally capped. (c) Denotes team captain.1 denotes marquee player. |
 FlankerIkapote Tupai. |
 CentreLloyd Johansson. |
 FullbackJack Maddocks. |
National Rugby Championship
| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | BP | Pts | Play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | 1st | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 399 | 184 | +215 | 8 | 40 | Semi-final loss toPerth Spirit by 29–45. |
| 2015 | 3rd | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 220 | 251 | −31 | 0 | 20 | Semi-final loss toUC Vikings by 50–34. |
| 2016 | 4th | 7 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 260 | 262 | −2 | 4 | 16 | Semi-final loss toNSW Country by 50–24 |
| 2017 | 9th | 8 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 193 | 357 | –164 | 0 | 4 | Did not compete |
| 2018 | 6th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 239 | 192 | +47 | 5 | 13 | Did not compete |
| 2019 | 7th | 7 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 206 | 211 | –5 | 3 | 11 | Did not compete |
Australian Rugby Championship (Rebels)
| Year | Pos | Pld | W | D | L | F | A | +/- | BP | Pts | Play-offs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | 4th | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 170 | 206 | -36 | 4 | 24 | Runners-up |
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