It has been a big few weeks for rugby down here. Our international friends – and the Waratahs – joined us in Super Rugby, the British & Irish Lions Test tickets came and went (though Rebels tickets are still available!), and around Victoria, local clubs are back in full training, planning their assault on the VRU competition.

Congratulations, Rebels fans. For the first time in our three-year history, we have accrued more wins than losses. Better than that, we're undefeated, and for a short period of time – before the Reds started leaking points against the Brumbies – we were top of the league!

I was talking with some friends of mine about the upcoming Super Rugby season, which the Rebels have the honour of kicking off this Friday night, at AAMI Park. As I have for the past two years, I assured my friends that their efforts in talking up their teams were futile, and that the Super Rugby championship would be heading to Victoria this year.

Overcast conditions for much of the weekend cleared as hundreds of 'Little Rebels' and their families basked in a glorious Sunday afternoon in the annual Family Day at the Rebels HQ.

Eddie Aholelei, a veteran of over 200 first-grade appearances for the Manly Marlins, has been rewarded for his hard work by being handed his first professional rugby contract by the RaboDirect Melbourne Rebels ahead of the 2013 season.

ACT Brumbies legend, Melbourne Rebels pioneer, and former Wallabies captain Stirling Mortlock announced this week that he will retire from rugby at the end of the 2012 Super Rugby season.

Following a tough loss to the Brumbies in Canberra last weekend, it doesn’t get any easier for the RaboDirect Rebels this week.

Rebels fans were lucky to start a wonderful Easter weekend’s rugby way back on that particular Thursday afternoon.

Following rugby’s shift to professionalism in the mid-1990's, not only has the game changed but also its players.

Given the RaboDirect Rebels' recent trip to Invercargill, it makes you wonder just how tough this competition is.