Tickets finally to go on sale for Rebels’ Super Rugby season opener on Friday

Tickets for the Melbourne Rebels’ round one Super Rugby Pacific match are finally ready to go on sale after Rugby Australia (RA) reached an agreement with the venue operators of AAMI Park.

The Rebels host the ACT Brumbies on Friday night but just days out fans have been unable to buy seats.

With the club in administration and carrying debts of more than $20 million, RA had to renegotiate with the Melbourne and Olympic Parks Trust (MOPT) – which oversees the ground – as well as caterers believed to be among the parties owed money.

RA have now confirmed the fixture will go ahead at AAMI Park, with tickets available to purchase from 3 pm AEDT Monday.

“RA and MOPT have executed a new venue agreement for the remainder of 2024 – this agreement incorporates suppliers such as caterers,” the RA statement said.

“The Rebels have worked closely with Ticketek to expedite tickets going on sale following the execution of the venue agreement.”

Head office is expected to make a decision on the future of the club as soon as next month, although RA has guaranteed the Rebels will play out the current season.

The administrators, PricewaterhouseCoopers, last week cut 10 staff including long-serving chief executive Baden Stephenson.

RA re-contracted men’s coach Kevin Foote and the high-performance team on four-month deals, while player contracts are secure.

The Melbourne ground will also host Super Round, which involves all 12 teams in the competition, in round two with matches held Friday to Sunday over the weekend of March 1-3.

There have been no ticketing issues for round two, with the weekend run by the competition rather than the Rebels.