As the Super Rugby Pacific season continues to unfold, the Melbourne Rebels find themselves stuck in a precarious position between on-field hope and off-field turmoil, their Round 2 triumph over the Western Force delivering only momentary relief from the harrowing financial struggles that hang over the club like a dark cloud.
The Rebels' deflating 27-point loss to the Brumbies to bring in the new season -- with a grim crowd of just over 4,000 in attendance -- painted a bleak picture of a club on the edge of extinction, their cries for support seemingly falling on deaf ears.
But the first night of Super Round's festival of rugby may have been a turning point, a slight uptick in attendance with 10,582 in the stands and a hard-fought 48-34 win over the Force offering a glimmer of hope from the club's battle against severe adversity.
The Rebels were off to a flying start on Friday night when Andrew Kellaway stormed through for a terrific solo try to break the early deadlock. But the Force were quick to respond and raced to a 17-5 lead thanks largely to back-to-back tries from Chase Tiatia and Tom Horton. From there the two sides traded blows, Kellaway coming to the fore again during overtime to score his second try of the game and keep the Rebels within touching distance.
The Force's five-point half time lead was quickly pushed out to 15 thanks to a penalty goal and a Michael Wells try. And just when it all seemed lost for the home team, the deficit suddenly evaporated. A stunning try from Carter Gordon and double to Filipo Daugunu put the game well beyond doubt, loyal fans having something to savour in a season of dread.
The majority of Friday's attendance, as expected, was donning the colours of visiting clubs, navy blue and red recognised but not dominant in the stands. But the Rebels' passion, despite the off-field circumstances, was still obvious.
For head coach Kevin Foote and his besieged squad, the win is a rare moment of joy from what has been an otherwise tumultuous beginning to the campaign.
"Let's start with the fans -- that's important," Foote said post-game. "We want to play in front of a great crowd in Melbourne and we want to play a great brand of rugby, so when you see fans that have been coming for 14 years, they look tense throughout the game, we want to thank them and we want to play good rugby for them.
"I've spoken a lot about galvanising fans, supporters, the players, but we do feel like every one of these wins means that much more for people, and so we cherish them."
But even in the moments of celebration, the distressing reality that the Rebels are in a fight for survival still exists.
Debts exceeding $20 million mean the Rebels entered voluntary administration on the eve of the 2024 Super Rugby Pacific season, and with their license in the hands of Rugby Australia, hope of them existing beyond June is starting to dwindle.
"I want to acknowledge the board, they've been smashed over the last couple of months but these are people that have invested so heavily into our club and put their own money into the club, they're hurting," Foote said.
For long-time fan and foundation member Phil Bone, hearing his beloved Rebels went into voluntary administration was nothing short of heartbreaking.
"I was pretty shattered actually," he told ESPN ahead of Friday night's game. "I know they've struggled to get members for a long time, but I hope they don't end up disappearing altogether."
And if his worst nightmare comes true?
"I suppose then I'll put all my efforts into the AFL," he said. "There's no other club down here, so I'll just support the local teams.
"I think they don't have the same marketing behind them which is probably needed. The AFL has a major marketing push but the Rebels don't seem to be on the same level in my book.
"I hope they do survive, because I'll be shattered if they disappear altogether. I just hope Rugby Australia gets behind them, supports them, and gets them through this."
Since entering the competition in 2011, the cash-strapped Rebels have faced their share of adversity such as high-profile player departures, a lack of finals appearances, and recent job losses.
In February, Rebels CEO Baden Stephenson was among 10 administrative staff to be made redundant, while short-term contracts were given to remaining playing staff to see out the remainder of the season.
The only time the Rebels have reached the finals was during the re-branded Super Rugby AU competition in 2020, created after the Super Rugby season was abandoned due to COVID-19.
The harsh truth is the Rebels are contending not only against every competing team in Super Rugby Pacific, but the hearts and attention of Melbourne's sports fans, with rugby still playing third fiddle to the more popular NRL's Melbourne Storm and the state's AFL giants.
A win in what is going to be an arduous season for different reasons was critical, but Foote still faces an uphill battle to rally his outfit in the face of mounting adversity.
"The challenge for Rob (Leota) and myself is not to get too high, same as last week, we didn't get too low, we were obviously upset about it but next week is Moana and we have a full season ahead of us," he said.
"We have a goal of becoming the greatest Rebels team of all time, and that's what we are going to be focused on."
Their battle for survival has only just begun, and the stakes have never been higher, but if Super Round told us anything, it's that there is in fact a small ray of hope that rugby may still have a place in Melbourne.