The Melbourne Rebels, a Super Rugby Pacific franchise, have only made one playoff appearance in their 14-year history, making their recent departure from the competition less significant. In a league where only a handful of teams are truly competitive, the exit of an underperforming team is perceived as more positive than negative.
Many fans in New Zealand never fully embraced the Super Rugby franchise. The traditional provincial model and promotion and relegation systems had been successful for over a century, making the transition to franchises, reminiscent of American sports teams, quite jarring. Unlike in traditional rugby setups, these franchises face no consequences for consistently poor performances and there is no system of relegation to maintain a high level of competition.
While the Super Rugby final stages still attract attention, the rest of the competition often seems lacklustre. In contrast, the English Premier League maintains a high level of competition throughout the season, with every team competing for titles, European qualification, or avoiding relegation. Similarly, interest in New Zealand provincial rugby has waned, despite once being a major part of the country’s rugby scene.
The decline of rugby in certain provinces and the threat to player pathways in Victoria have raised questions about the viability of the current Super Rugby model. Additionally, the persistence of underperforming franchises like the Rebels has called into question the effectiveness of the competition as a whole. Their failure reflects not only on themselves but on the entire Super Rugby setup.
The demise of the Rebels should prompt a serious reevaluation of Super Rugby’s goals. Instead of sacrificing traditional rugby strongholds for the sake of expanding the competition’s reach, there should be a focus on encouraging elite competition and ensuring the financial and competitive success of each franchise. If the departure of the Rebels does not serve as a wake-up call to the governing bodies, then it is unclear what will.