Melbourne Rebels #REBvBLU Official Program by MelbourneRebels

OFFICIAL PROGRAM #REBvBLU

MELBOURNE REBELS V

BLUES 7:30PM THURS 23RD FEB AAMI PARK, MELBOURNE PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY

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WELCOME REBELS V BLUES THU 23 FEB PROGRAM CONTENTS

This is an exciting time of year for players, coaches and fans alike.

Welcome 1 Feature Story

U20s Story

Meet #OurRebels

Team Lists

Week by Week

Training Gallery

Dewar Shield Rebels U20s Draw

20 21

Ladder 23 Partners 24

The hard work of pre-season over the hot summer months done for another year. It’s time to put those early morning training sessions and gruelling fitness tests into action with competition points on the line for the first time this season. And, what better place to kick off the 2017 Vodafone Super Rugby season than in the sporting capital of the world at AAMI Park. It’s the third time that the Rebels have contested the opening game of the season but first at home against a New Zealand opponent. Tonight we renew our close and fierce rivalry against the Blues. As the head-to-head record suggests, little has separated our two sides since the first meeting in 2011 with the hosts winning in all five previous fixtures at an average of 63.6 points per game. The last time these two sides met at AAMI Park, the Rebels scored a 42-22 victory in 2015 before the

Blues responded last season to claim a thrilling six-point win at Eden Park in Auckland. There’s no doubt that our squad will be tested early in the season with a number of injuries to key players but with injury comes opportunity. Tonight presents a chance for players to roll up their sleeves and stake their claim for positions so early in the season. Despite the loss of regular starters Toby Smith, James Hanson, Sean McMahon and Sefa Naivalu for the opening round, the starting 15 still boast more than 500 games of Super Rugby experience. It’s not going to be an easy start to the season but we’re excited by the challenge and look forward to testing ourselves so early in the season. Thank you to our beloved Rebel Army for your support in 2017. Enjoy the game.

#OurRebels

Design & Pre-Press Daniel McEvoy Content Creation Chris Gottaas Images Getty Images, Mike Baker, Dave Callow, Michael Rummery, Andrew Stevenson Printing MPrint

FEATURE STORY

WORDS BY CHRIS GOTTAAS

But it was anything but a typical offseason for the Rebels. Beach holidays and golf clubs were replaced by Wallabies tours and awards. The 2016 Super Rugby season may have wrapped up 223 days ago but the Rebels were never far from the action as the clubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s record equalling season was recognised with honours. The post-season was highlighted by three Wallabies debutants, a record number of Rebels on the Spring Tour, a host of award honours and a third consecutive finals appearance for Rising.

Reece Hodgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s meteoric rise continued on the international stage when the 22-year-old announced his Wallabies arrival with a booming penalty from half-way against the All Blacks in Wellington. Teammates Lopeti Timani and Sefa Naivalu quickly followed suit to join Hodge in the Wallabies gold shortly after. Timani came off the bench against Argentina in Perth before Naivalu became the Wallabies 900th representative when he made his debut against South Africa in Pretoria during The Rugby Championship.

Another club record was broken in October when six Rebels were included in the Wallabies squad for the Spring Tour of Europe with Hodge, Timani and Naivalu joined by Sean McMahon, James Hanson and new recruit Marika Koroibete. That number increased to eight when captain Nic Strizaker and prop Toby Smith joined the Australian squad for the Wallaby XV tour game in France after they completed their Barbarians three-Test series. On a stage of a different kind, the Rebels were honoured during the Super Rugby awards season. They kicked off with the John Eales Medal in Sydney where McMahon was named Super Rugby Player of the Year and Hodge crowed Super Rugby Rookie of the Year. The pair doubled their awards collection at the Rebels club function before Hodge became the third consecutive Rebels player to be named the Rugby Union Players Association (RUPA) newcomer of the year, following Naivalu (2015) and McMahon (2014). Back on the field, the Melbourne Rising became the first team in the Buildcorp National Rugby Championship to content a third consecutive finals series.

The awards season kicked off with McMahon named Super Rugby Player of the Year and Hodge crowned Super Rugby Rookie of the Year at the 2016 John Eales Medal. While the Rising were knocked out of the semi-finals by eventual champions Northern NSW, the competition provided an opportunity for the club’s rising stars to develop their game, including our Round 1 debutants Tyrel Lomax and Jordan Uelese. The Rebels wrapped up their pre-season with news that Hodge became the first Australian player to re-sign with the Rebels until 2020 when he put pen to paper at last week’s Season Launch. It may be seven months since the Rebels were last in action but, as they say, time flies when you’re having fun. Here’s to another big 12 months for the Rebels.

Prices Blue:

Adult – $100 Junior – $36

Gold:

Adult – $207 Junior – $84

Platinum:

Adult – $268 Junior – $126

Grab yours at MelbourneRebels.com/membership

STORY

NEXT GEN REBELS KICK OFF SEASON Away from the glitz and glamour of AAMI Park, our next generation of Melbourne Rebels will kick off their 2017 Super 20s Championship campaign with a grand final rematch in Brisbane on Saturday.

they host the Western Force U20s at Gosch’s Paddock and an AAMI Park curtain-raiser against NSW Gen Blue U20s after the bye to finish the season.

The latest product of the Rebels U20s program Jordan Uelese, a graduate of The Rebels U20s will faceoff against the the class of 2016, is set to become the third Victorian to make his Super Rugby Queensland Reds U20s in the opening debut after being named on the bench round of the national five-week for tonight’s opening round of Vodafone underage competition, which returns Super Rugby. this weekend for a second season, at Crosby Park. “The Under-20s program is an important step in the players’ Rugby pathway with The Rebels U20s will begin their elite coaching, strength and conditioning campaign with consecutive games on and support for developing local talent in the road against the defending a professional high performance champions at the home of Brothers environment,” Rebels U20s head coach Rugby Club before they travel to Craig McGrath said. Canberra to meet the Brumbies U20s at Vikings Park. Every game of the 2017 Super U20s The Victorians return home to host their Championship will be streamed live on rugby.com.au. final two games of the season when

REBELS U20S SQUAD Kilisimasi Aholelei Jeremy Burrill Oisin Clarken Richard Clift Ben Collins Declan Cox Tom Da Forno Nicholas Donghi Austin Faamausili Dylan Faamausili Vaauli Faamausili Sunia Finefueaki Shaedyn Folau Ayden Hurst Callum Kent Manaia Koko Mark Lalotoa Andreas Livadaras Jay Lualua Alex Niedzwiecki Jake Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Brien Hunter Paisami Jowell Samatua Tana Savea Michael Sega Timothy Sippel Katinali Tai Afi Taivai Faasolo Tuala Sione Tui Elliot Turner Nathan Tusagi Taaga Mahe Vailanu Hinckley Halo Vaovasa-Tuiala Sean Wepener Jack Willoughby

Power House Melbourne Unicorns Moorabbin Trinity Grammar Melbourne University Northern Endeavour Hills Melbourne Unicorns Moorabbin Melbourne University Endeavour Hills Melbourne University Harlequins Harlequins Moorabbin Harlequins Moorabbin Footscray Melbourne University Harlequins Moorabbin Melbourne Unicorns Wyndham City Endeavour Hills Endeavour Hills Power House Box Hill Box Hill Harlequins Northern Moorabbin Harlequins

MEET #OURREBELS The extended playing squad to battle it out for Super Rugby glory

For more info on #OurRebels head to

melbournerebels.com

7:30PM THURS 23RD FEB AAMI PARK, MELBOURNE

MELBOURNE REBELS 1

Cruze Ah Nau

Pat Leafa

Laurie Weeks

Steve Cummins

Lopeti Timani

Jordy Reid

Colby Faingaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;a

Amanaki Mafi

Nic Stirzaker (C)

Jackson Garden-Bachop

Tom English

Reece Hodge

Mitch Inman

Jack Maddocks

Jack Debreczeni

KEEP SCORE TRIES PENALTY GOALS CONVERSIONS DROP GOALS TURNOVERS

LINEBREAKS

TOTAL

KEEP AN EYE ON... REECE HODGE

THE BENCH 16. Jordan Uelese 17. Tom Moloney 18. Tyrel Lomax 19. Culum Retallick 20. Jake Schatz 21. Ben Meehan 22. Sione Tuipulotu 23. Jonah Placid

OFF-FIELD TEAM Head Coach: Tony McGahan Asst. Coaches: Zane Hilton, Craig McGrath, Morgan Turinui Ath Performance: Damian Mednis S&C: Shane Lehane, Brendan Whelan Team Manager: Mark Rowe Analysts: Eoin Toolan, John Batina Doctor: Dr. Asheer Singh Asst Manager: Chris Thomson Head Physio: Cullan Ball Rehab: Nick Court GM Rugby: Baden Stephenson

TEAM LISTS

KEEP AN EYE ON... PIERS FRANCIS

THE BENCH 16.Hame Faiva 17. Sam Prattley 18. Charlie Faumuina 19. Scott Scrafton 20. Murphy Taramai 21. Sam Nock 22. George Moala 23. Rene Ranger

OFF-FIELD TEAM Management: Tana Umaga Al Rogers Steve Jackson Stephen Kara Mark Plummer Jason Price Troy Webber Richard Fry

STORMERS 1

Pauliasi Manu

Matt Moulds

Sione Mafileo

Jimmy Tupou (C)

Gerard Cowley-Tuioti

Steven Luatua

Blake Gibson

Akira Ioane

Augustine Pulu

Ihaia West

Melani Nanai

Piers Francis

Rieko Ioane

Matt Duffie

Michael Collins

KEEP SCORE

TOTAL

TRIES PENALTY GOALS CONVERSIONS DROP GOALS TURNOVERS LINEBREAKS

WEEK BY WEEK

UPCOMING 2017 MATCHES

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2017 DEWAR SHIELD DRAW

V1 as at 23 Nov

Round 1 Moorabbin v Endeavour Hills v Footscray v Souths v Melbourne Uni v

25 March Power House Box Hill Melbourne Harlequins Bye

Round 10 Power House Box Hill Melbourne Harlequins Bye

Round 2 Melbourne Footscray Box Hill Souths Power House

1 April Endeavour Hills Harlequins Melbourne Uni Moorabbin Bye

Round 11 Endeavour Hills v Harlequins v Melbourne Uni v Moorabbin v Power House v

10 June Melbourne Footscray Box Hill Souths Bye

Round 3 Harlequins v Endeavour Hills v Moorabbin v Melbourne Uni v Box hill v

8 April Power House Souths Footscray Melbourne Bye

Round 12 Power House Souths Footscray Melbourne Bye

v v v v v

17 June Harlequins Endeavour Hills Moorabbin Melbourne Uni Box hill

Round 4 Souths v Melbourne v Box Hill v Footscray v Endeavour Hills v

22 April Melbourne Uni Moorabbin Harlequins Power House Bye

Round 13 Melbourne Uni Moorabbin Harlequins Power House Bye

v v v v v

24 June Souths Melbourne Box Hill Footscray Endeavour Hills

Round 5 Power House Harlequins Melbourne Uni Melbourne Bye

v v v v v

29 April Souths Moorabbin Endeavour Hills Box Hill Footscray

Round 14 Souths v Moorabbin v Endeavour Hills v Box Hill v Footscray v

1 July Power House Harlequins Melbourne Uni Melbourne Bye

Round 6 Harlequins v Moorabbin v Endeavour Hills v Box Hill v Souths v

6 May Melbourne Melbourne Uni Power House Footscray Bye

Round 15 Melbourne Melbourne Uni Power House Footscray Bye

8 July Harlequins Moorabbin Endeavour Hills Box Hill Souths

v v v v

v v v v v

3 June Moorabbin Endeavour Hills Footscray Souths Melbourne Uni

13 May Endeavour Hills Box Hill Footscray Melbourne Bye

Round 16 Endeavour Hills v Box Hill v Footscray v Melbourne v Bye v

15 July Moorabbin Power House Melbourne Uni Souths Harlequins

Round 8 Footscray v Box Hill v Power House v Endeavour Hills v Melbourne v

20 May Souths Moorabbin Melbourne Uni Harlequins Bye

Round 17 Souths Moorabbin Melbourne Uni Harlequins Bye

Round 9 Souths Melbourne Melbourne Uni Footscray Moorabbin

27 May Box Hill Power House Harlequins Endeavour Hills Bye

Round 7 Moorabbin Power House Melbourne Uni Souths Harlequins

v v v v v

Finals

P1, P2, P3 - Four Team Playoff 5 August - Semi Finals SF 1 - Team 1 v Team 2 SF 2 - Team 3 v Team 4 12 August - Preliminary Final Loser SF 1 v Winner SF 2 19 August â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Grand Final Winner SF1 v Winner PF Game Management Match Starting Times: Dewar Shield 3:10pm Premier 2 1:30pm Colts 12.00pm Premier 3 12:00pm (Field 2) Women 1.30pm (Field 2) Premier 4 3:00pm (Field 2) Match Duration Premier 1 & 2 Premier 3 & 4

Halves 40 Min 35 Min

Stoppage Time Yes Yes

Season Break : Easter (15 April) Melbourne Rebels Fixture Red denotes home match Opposition

Time (local)

Thus 23 Feb

Blues

19:30

Sun 4 Mar

Hurricanes

15:15

RND

Date

1 2

ROUND 3 BYE 4

Fri 17 Mar

Chiefs

17:30

Fri 24 Mar

Waratahs

19:30

Fri 31 Mar

Highlanders

17:35

ROUND 7 BYE 8

Sat15 April

Brumbies

19:30

Sun 23 Apr

Sharks

3.30

Sun 30 Apr

Kings

3.30

Sat 6 May

Lions

15:00

v v v v v

22 July Footscray Box Hill Power House Endeavour Hills Melbourne

Round 18 Box Hill v Power House v Harlequins v Endeavour Hills v Bye v

29 July Souths Melbourne Melbourne Uni Footscray Moorabbin

Sat 13 May

Reds