World news – Finally home: Rebels enjoy Melbourne’s return after the brutal COVID year

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MELBOURNE: Emotions will be high and memories foggy when the Melbourne Rebels on March to their first game at their home stadium in 377 days on Friday after being driven from their trenches by a crazy spate of COVID-19 outbreaks.

The street weary rebels compete in a Super Rugby AU game at Melbourne Rectangular Stadium against the winless New South Wales Waratahs, a venue they last visited on March 7, 2020 when they defeated the South African Lions 37-17.

The Lions victory should be a springboard for an initial playoff campaign . Instead, due to the pandemic, Super Rugby was suspended and the rebel world turned upside down.

A second wave of COVID-19 in Melbourne in mid-2020 dashed rebel hopes for home games in Super Rugby AU’s inaugural season, and one Another group of cases last month brought them to Canberra earlier this season.

« We have new players who haven’t been on the field by Wednesday, » Melbourne Rebels chief executive Baden Stephenson told Reuters on Thursday .

« Some of our players weren’t too familiar with the stadium. But it’s great to be back. »

The rebels trained by Dave Wessels had to play all nine games of last year’s AU Super Rugby competition Street Challenge.

They won four games and drew another to secure a place in the playoffs. They lost to the eventual finalists Queensland Reds.

After COVID-19 was as good as eliminated in Australia, the rebels had been looking forward to a « normal » home and away season this year.

That was, until authorities announced an early five-day lockdown at a quarantine hotel in response to a minor community outbreak in February in response to a minor infection-related outbreak.

With a grim feeling of Deja Vu, the team and staff packed their bags and drove to Canberra, so as not to be excluded from other countries due to travel restrictions.

« The funny thing was that we should have a social function in the team, a campfire and a few beers that evening, because the guys on Friday a little earlier with the Training should be finished and we would all meet.

« Receiving the news that we were moving again was especially difficult for the staff who have young children.

« While Dave Wessels and I were saying, » Look, we’re going away for five days. « I think everyone knew it was going to take longer. Five days turned into five weeks and here we are. »

After opening the season with narrow losses to the Reds and ACT Brumbies, the rebels took the last one Weekend their first win 10-7 deficit against Western Force in Perth.

With a backline laden with wallabies, including winger Marika Koroibete and Utility Matt Toomua, they have a good chance of maintaining momentum against the rebuilt Waratahs.

The 30,000-seat rectangular stadium is limited to 50 percent capacity due to COVID rules, but the crowd is unlikely to exceed the threshold on Friday.

Australian Rules Football remains king and in Melbourne the rebels will face the inaugural game of the Collingwood Magpies against the Western Bulldogs in the AFL, a game that is expected to attract 50,000 players at the Melbourne Cricket Ground f across the street.

« My gut feeling is that it will take some time to get some momentum on and off the field, » said Stephenson.