Melbourne BBL Teams Stay Separate, Merger Plans Put on Hold

For now, there will be no merger. The Melbourne Stars and Melbourne Renegades will continue as separate teams in the Big Bash League and Women’s Big Bash League.

The news comes after a meeting between Cricket Australia and the six state associations. They discussed the future of the BBL and the move toward privatisation. Cricket Victoria clarified that the upcoming season will still feature both teams as they are.

Earlier this month, there were talks about rebranding the two teams into one unit. The idea was to sell 100 per cent of the Renegades’ licence to a private investor. That would have meant one Melbourne team instead of two.

But those plans have been paused. Both clubs said the timeline for BBL privatisation is too long, so a rebranded team will not happen for now.

Cricket Victoria has applied to IP Australia to trademark three potential names for a future rebranded team: Rangers, Magic and Blazers. If a merger happens later, one of these names could be the new identity.

Last season, the Stars made the playoffs. They finished fourth and lost to Hobart Hurricanes. The Renegades had a tougher year, finishing seventh out of eight teams.

For now, fans of both teams can breathe easy. Their clubs will stay separate, at least for one more season.

                                               

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