Melbourne Rebels owner Andrew Cox is confident the Rebels aren't on the Super Rugby chopping block, saying the Australian Rugby Union can't afford to cut them. One option is to cut an Australian team and Melbourne's woeful start to the Super Rugby season appears to have put them in the firing line, but Cox is not concerned. Cox questioned the priorities of the ARU and the Super Rugby competition. "It's got to come back to, `Is the sole purpose of the Super Rugby comp in Australia to provide players for the Wallabies?' Despite the Rebels losing their opening two rounds to the Blues and Hurricanes and conceding 127 points to anchor the ladder, Cox said Melbourne coach Tony McGahan had his full support.

Source: New Zealand Herald March 07, 2017 03:45 UTC