Melbourne Rebels Break down 2019 JANUARY Happy New Year to everyone involved with the Melbourne Rebels and sincere best wishes for a happy, healthy, rewarding and successful year ahead. Throughout the course of 2019, I’d like to take the opportunity to provide this semiformal update to our valued stakeholders. I hope you find them interesting and informative, and please don’t by shy in reaching out if you would like to share any feedback with me. In this inaugural issue you’ll find an update on our key projects and activity throughout the back-end of 2018 and how that is setting us up for a targeted and sustainable Super Rugby campaign. It was great to return to work earlier this month and see our people refreshed, tanned, smiling and genuinely happy to see each other after a couple of weeks away. The diversity of our people is a real strength and point of difference of our Club and the foundation for our success. As we launch into 2019, I wanted to briefly reflect on the hard work and progression of the Club in recent months. I can’t wait for the new season to begin knowing
ISSUE 01 there are plenty of exciting challenges, hard work, emotional rollacoasters and good times ahead. In the last 6 months, the Melbourne Rebels has matured considerably as a Club, and in 2019 we have an unbelievable opportunity to break new ground across each of our core pillars: Performance, Commercial and Community. There were many lessons learnt during 2018 that will help shape our future. The scars and tough experiences are all part of the journey and will ensure the successes have been earned. I am particularly proud of the honesty and vulnerability displayed by the Club when reviewing our behaviours, environment and business performance.
day basis I am seeing improvements in how we learn, communicate, interact, efficiencies between departments and what we expect from each other. It’s a privilege to work in sport in this great city – known as the sporting capital. The Club has plenty ahead of us in 2019 and whether you’re a player, partner, staff, member or volunteer, we are thrilled that you are part of our team and with us on our journey. We want to make you proud with our performance and behaviours.
Here We Go!
We made some terrific progress last year however we cannot sugar coat it: we aren’t where we want to be. Our Club is committed to doing things differently, learning fast and creating a world class environment. This is very evident in the shift in mindset, change in facilities and re-invigoration of our Melbourne Rebels story. On a day to
Baden Stephenson Chief Executive Officer
baden.stephenson@melbournerebels.com.au
New Recruits Leading into the 2018 season there was significant change to our playing roster. Some tough decisions were made and the Club went about preparing for the season molding three distinct groups of players together in a very short period of time. During the Super Rugby season, 20 players made their Melbourne Rebels debut which is the highest number since 2011. As we looked towards 2019, GM Rugby Nick Ryan and Head Coach Dave Wessels have done a terrific job to recruit players that satisfy a clear criteria that reflected the values and nonnegotiable standards that are expected of the entire playing group. The focus was on bringing more experience and quality to complement a stable playing list in key positions. It was no accident that we have recruited the following quality players and fine men for the 2019 Super Rugby season, who are proof that we are establishing ourselves as a destination Club: Mees Erasmus, Brad Wilkin, Hugh Roach, Isi Naisarani, Campbell Magnay Matt To’omua, Luke Jones and Quade Cooper
Additional experience added to 2019 squad 374 Super Rugby Caps
113
Wallaby Caps
Reinventing our EnviroNment Moving into 2019, Dave Wessels was determined to ensure that not only the Rugby program felt different and had evolved before we commenced pre-season but also that the Club environment had been refreshed and optimised. With the support of Melbourne & Olympic Parks we were so pleased to give the green light to our friends at Buildcorp make some serious alterations. The wall between the rugby and commercial offices space is gone, our kitchen is now open plan and filled with natural light, a new boardroom was created, offices were shifted and new stimulus for the medical and analysis areas has been achieved. Overall the changes have brought the Club together and we now genuinely feel connected at every level. I have seen a big shift in the communication styles, relationships and efficiency of our people as a result of our new space. We are now very proud of our environment. Buildcorp were the ultimate professionals in completing the works. Tony and Josephine Sukkar have been long term supporters of Rugby in Australia and we feel indebted that they have supported our Club to create the best possible environment. A major highlight and milestone in our history was the formal naming of the Lyndsey Cattermole Meeting Room and the Bob Dalziel Team Room. Lyndsey and Bob are the most passionate people involved in our Club’s history. Their combined contribution to the Club is astonishing. They were there when the franchise was awarded to Melbourne and they are the only two Directors that have remained on the Board for the full duration of our history. They both demand respect through what they have contributed and achieved but it is their genuine care, support, experience and drive which has ensured the Club is where it is today. Both are icons of the Club and Code and this small gesture is only a fraction of the appreciation that is shared by our players, staff, partners, board, members and supporters.
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NRC Wrap Up The 2018 NRC season was a mixed bag for the Melbourne Rising. When you look solely at the results, we would have liked to have achieved more competitive outcomes, however broader objectives were certainly achieved. Our charter of growing the game was on display when we proactively planned a regional strategy to take representative rugby to markets which have limited access. Adelaide, Geelong and Ballarat all hosted Melbourne Rising games and we were able to engage, connect and showcase the game and our people. Eoin Toolan and Pom Simona did a terrific job exposing and developing a very young team to this next level which included a number of pathway and local Dewar Shield players. Sione Tuipolotu was a clear winner of the Shawn McKay Award, Ant Van Ziel was a worthy recipient of the Gary Gray Spirit Award and Tom English was the top try scorer in the competition at the end of the home & away series.
Adelaide As part of our continued strategic partnership with Rugby SA, we were delighted to take our home match against Brisbane City to Bailey Reserve. Whilst the Rising weren’t able to get the result on the day, the passion and energy around the ground was a clear indicator of the love of the game in SA. We look forward to returning in 2019 and also continuing to link the SA pathway into the Melbourne Rebels through our Road 2 Rebels program.
PwC PARtnership & PROJECT In November the Club announced a three-year partnership with global giants PwC. This partnership is extremely unique and certainly got the attention of the corporate and sporting landscapes. Both organisations did a lot of planning, due dilligence and relationship building behind the scenes prior to committing to the partnership. PwC will facilitate the Club’s completion of the highly impressive ‘Difference’ program with the ultimate goal of assisting us to clearly define, articulate and bring to life a clear and consistent narrative, culture and competitive advantage. Once we gain clarity on this we will drill down into our values and what behaviours will bring accountability as the trademarks of the Melbourne Rebels. Breathing fresh life into our culture at a time when our Club has been focused on operations and surviving will provide a key step in building a world class club – on and off the field. Anthony James and Russell Howcroft have already displayed exceptional passion, expertise and a genuine care for the Club. Paul Docherty and Dave Wessels were instrumental in initiating this relationship following our Strategic Review. We have a clear hunger of continuous improvement in all parts of our business. The Difference process is well under way and involves an initial working group of Club leaders prior to broadening the work to include the whole of Club. PwC are also providing strategic support to our commercial business, building our networks, senior management executive training and mentoring and allowing full access to facilities.
Partnership Announcements Our Commercial team have worked tirelessly over recent months to not only retain partnerships but also welcome new partners to the Rebels family. Highlights include: •
Foundation partner Massey Ferguson have renewed for 2019 and 2020 and have some great activations planned for Japan and South Africa. The support, loyalty and passion shown by Warrick McCormick since day one of the Rebels has been quite extraordinary.
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Tim Austin at ICS has shown great faith in the Club and has upgraded his partnership, to be officially unveiled soon, which demonstrates how serious Tim is taking the partnership and the belief he has in our team and people in growing his cleaning empire.
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Yakult are set to continue our long term partnership and further strengthen our connections in Japan in 2019 and 2020. Mr Ono and Mr Whatley have been and continue to be tremendous supporters of our Club which we value immensely.
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John Rogers from Wilson Security has extended for a fourth consecutive year and in 2019 will be naming partner for the Chairman’s Club. Wilson’s are diverse business that is going from strength to strength on the back of a clear strategy and astute leadership.
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Rick and Kerry Smith from PFD have shown great loyalty by inking a three year extension which is fantastic news for the Club. There is a multitude of opportunities that we can work with and learn from, including work experience for our players.
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Jae Kim from Citizen watches was quick to identify the opportunity to link the Melbourne Rebels into his fashion conscious, youthful demographic. Look out for the “Countdown to Kick Off” prior to our home games this year.
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MoneyLab Managing Director Gareth Robinson has been a keen supporter of Rugby in Victoria for some time and now adds “Official Partner” to his connections with the game. We look forward to introducing our members and networks to MoneyLab.
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Blazer has also joined the Melbourne Rebels and will be fitting out all players with their more casual #2’s for 2019. Welcome to the Club and thanks for making us the best dressed team in Super Rugby.
We appreciate the support of all of our partners, new and retained, and look forward to sharing further partnership announcements in the coming weeks. Well done to Ross Xenos, Sam Webb and Lisa Mirabella who have collectively taken our partnerships to a new level.
HIGH PERFMANCE Collaboration All of the Australian Rugby Super Rugby franchises are working together to review and evolve the alignment of the High Performance process with Rugby Australia. The Chairmen and CEO’s met in December to commence this process by coming up with an agreed set of guiding principles. This was really important to get right before anyone looks at structure and people. These agreed principles need to be referenced, become part of the collective language and most importantly brought to life. Chairman Paul Docherty and I share the opinion that if we continue with the status quo we will continue to fall further behind the tier 1 countries. It is important that Australia develops a high performance model which best fits our market not simply replicating other international models. A great opportunity for change exists and we feel we have a collective responsibility and obligation to make a constructive contribution to this model as our goal is to be a leader through this transition.
Quilt Program The inaugural Quilt Program was a major success. Tim North was a driving force to get this program up and running and everyone involved can be proud of the professional and powerful program run by Rugby Victoria and the Rebels. The Quilt Program clearly aligns with our strategic pillars and is something that we want to drive into the schools, clubs and community. World Rugby have endorsed the program and our goal is to grow the Quilt locally, nationally and internationally. Congratulations to Chris Evans, Chris Duffy and the RV Team, along with Dave Tuinavai and Conquest Athletic Performance. Feedback from a participant below demonstrates the impact of the program.
The Quilt Program from my perspective was an opportunity for me to better myself physically and mentally. I have already undertaken a number of fitness programs and training sessions with Dave, so doing the Quilt Program was nothing new for me. Saying that this program was run a little differently than in the past, as the majority of it was rugby based (which I had never played previously to the commencement of the program), whilst also introducing the work of Dan from the Chin Up program to help us all better understand the impact in which violence and abuse has on everyday people. At the beginning of this 6 week program, I knew only around half of the participants who were training alongside me. By the last session of the program I not only could say that these men and women who had put their blood, sweat and tears into this program were my friends, but they were now also like my family. This program brought people together through hard work and a love of sport, showing me and others that this program is bigger than us all, and that the goal is to not only create awareness with people, but to bring people together and create union between people of difference, whether that be a different nationality or different gender. The Quilt Program not only helped me to become a better athlete physically, but it also helped me to become a better person overall, as I’m sure it also did for everyone else who participated. This program couldn’t have been completed to the high standard that it was if it hadn’t been for the businesses that sponsored the program, the Melbourne Rebels rugby union club, the Box Hill rugby union club, Dan from the Chin Up program for all his work educating us and most importantly, to Dave and Michelle from Conquest as their hard work and tremendous organisation was the vital reason why the Quilt Program was as successful as it was and will help better all our lives in the future. By Callum Thompson
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Strategic Review Panel Following the completion of a Strategic Review, we have taken action to bolster our Club-wide welfare and integrity framework, including updating our policies and procedures and launching several internal initiatives to strengthen the knowledge, skills and expectations across the organisation. Led by Paul Docherty, the comprehensive two-month Review considered all aspects of the Club’s approach to welfare and integrity. The Review was conducted by a 10-person Strategic Review Panel, which included representatives from Rugby Australia and the Rugby Union Players’ Association (RUPA), as well as independents including leaders from the wider business community. A final report from the Panel, which detailed more than a dozen recommendations, was unanimously endorsed by the Rebels’ Board in October. The Strategic Review Panel’s recommendations covered four key categories: 1.
Revising the policies and procedures governing the Club’s approach to professional development of all employees – players, performance and administration staff - to better instil a culture of continuous learning and improvement across the organisation;
2.
Broadening and better integrating the Club’s approach to health and well-being, including expanding the breadth of services available to all players and staff and their immediate families;
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Improving the Club’s incident reporting mechanisms to ensure the Club can identify any potential issues and best support its staff and players if required; and
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Strengthening the Club’s approach to identifying and developing its leaders, in tandem with more clearly defining and articulating the organisation’s vision and values.
We recognise that as an elite sporting organisation, we have an obligation to our fans, members, stakeholders and the Rugby community as a whole to ensure we are upholding the highest standards of behaviour and ensure that we best support our people to be the best version of themselves. This Review has been comprehensive, and it will be a critical catalyst to ensuring our welfare and integrity framework is not just in-line with best practice and but also establishes a new benchmark for Australian Rugby.
Partnership Workshops The Club ran a highly interactive Partnership Workshop with all of our partners and suppliers in October. Following honest presentations in the match day changeroom from the executive and Head Coach, new Rebels GM - Commercial Ross Xenos took the session to a new level with a brilliant feedback session using Slido technology. The Club showed some vulnerability and honesty and it was the catalyst for some unique feedback, planning and connectivity. The positive feedback from the session has opened the door for more collaboration between Rebels partners and certinaly cultivated a feeling that we are all on the journey together. Congratulations to Lisa Mirabella on executing a great session, her first milestone in her new role as Partnerships Manager.
Key Insights 56% of partners were interested in receiving greater assistance with content creation and leveraging their partnership creatively
41%
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of partners were interested in taking advantage of more intra-Rebels networking and business development opportunities
Super-W The 2019 Super-W season is almost upon us, with the Melbourne Rebels Women playing two home games on 24 February (vs. Reds) at Box Hill Rugby Club and as part of a huge Double Header on Friday 8 March (vs. Western Force) prior the men’s match at AAMI Park on International Women’s Day. Those in and around the program have passed on strong feedback about the significant improvement in the overall development of the squad and the professionalism of the entire training program from the humble beginnings of the program for last year’s inaugural Buildcorp Super-W competition. We were very pleased to re-sign Alana Thomas as the Head Coach for this season and are very proud to be the only Super-W program with a female Head Coach in the country. The Melbourne Rebels are committed to the continued development of women’s Rugby in Victoria and to providing a pathway for all young girls (and boys) to professional Rugby. We are looking forward to a strong showing from the entire squad in 2019 as we continue to build towards a squad with more experience, depth and national representatives in years to come.
Following @melbournerebels? Through the end of 2018, the Melbourne Rebels marketing and communications team has reinvigorated our social media channels with tight style guidelines and looked to create more compelling content across our Instagram, Twitter and Facebook channels. The result has been double digit increases in followers and engagement in the last three months. Make sure you’re folliowing us @MelbourneRebels to stay up to date with all the latest news!
Membership Our 2019 membership campaign is off to a really good start, sitting at between 7-10% growth compared to the same time last year. Very pleasingly, we have already had 70% of our Weary Dunlop and Platinum members already renew their membership which is a terrific start and show of loyalty and support. Thomas Donaldson has worked diligently to re-build our membership packages on a new platform (TicketMaster) which has forced us to take the hard road by not allowing any auto-renewal of memberships. All members will receive their member packs in the first week of February, which will also feature new exclusive member merchandise produced by new partner, Yetimo. We need your help to promote and encourage your family, friends, rugby colleagues and sporting enthusiasts to join the Rebellion in 2019. Our goal is 15,000 members and this is going to take a big push from everyone as we draw closer to the season. Finally, it is great to report that all Melbourne Rebels and Rugby VIC staff have agreed to become financial members of the Rebels. It is one thing to spruik buying membership to the public but when all staff are putting their own hands in their pockets it symbolises a very committed and authentic confidence in our Club. Thank you to all staff for their support.
Fitness that’s fun and free for the whole family. That’s the simple message behind our new RugbyFit Program. In a truly innovative and exciting new initiative, the Melbourne Rebels are offering our fans, members and partners the opportunity to do their own ‘pre-season’ with family, friends and teammates. The RugbyFit Program, designed by our inClub Athletic Performance and S&C team, provides all registered RugbyFitters with an electronic six-week training program written featuring the same types of exercises completed regularly by professional rugby players. Each program - beginner, intermediate or advanced - includes three training routines per week, featuring body-weight and cardio based exercises.
Launching the RugbyFit Program has been a real whole of Club effort, from the vision of Chairman Paul Docherty, to Ambassadors, Dave Wessels, Will Markwick, Georgia Cormick, Matt Philip, Billy Meakes, Alice Tonumaivao and Jordan Uelese and our Marketing team. We are very proud of what we have achieved in such a short period of time and look forward to seeing RugbyFit come to life.
The RugbyFit Program based on the same principles and expertise that is making the Melbourne Rebels the fittest they have ever been in their drive towards winning the 2019 Super Rugby title. For more info - or to register for the six week program - www.RugbyFit.com.au
Key Q1 Dates
January
FebRuary
MARCH 1
Super Rugby R3 REBELS v HIGHLANDERS AAMI Park
3
Super-W R2 REBELS v BRUMBIES Canberra
15
Super Rugby R1 REBELS v BRUMBIES Canberra
8
Super-W R3 REBELS v FORCE AAMI Park
24
Super-W R1 REBELS v REDS Box Hill RUFC
8
Super Rugby R4 REBELS v BRUMBIES AAMI Park
25
Little Rebels Clinic Kiwi Hawthorn RC
1
Trial Match REBELS v REDS Ballarat
26
Trial Match REBELS v BRUMBIES Tuggeranong
7
2019 Season Launch Rod Laver Arena
16
Super Rugby R5 REBELS v LIONS Johannesburg
23
Super-W R5 REBELS v WARATAHS Sydney
23
Super Rugby R6 REBELS v SHARKS Durban
16
Super Rugby R7 REBELS v REDS Brisbane
Thanks to our loyal Partners