This was published 14 years ago
The Queensland Rugby Club has lodged an application in Brisbane Supreme Court to have the company liquidated.
Brisbanetimes.com.au reported last Thursday the QRC’s $13 million Rugby Quay venue on Brisbane’s CBD riverside was closed, with the status of the future of the club itself – or its smaller second venue at Ballymore – unknown.
However the Queensland Rugby Union Club Incorporation has filed an originating application to have the company wound up.
The application was granted in the Supreme Court this afternoon by Justice Margaret Wilson, who also granted an application by the club that its liquidation not be advertised.
The QRC was represented by Nick Humzy-Hancock from HWL Ebsworth who said the board had put the QRC into voluntary liquidation because it was “likely to become insolvent soon”.
He argued the liquidation did not need to be advertised as the company had put itself into liquidation and the advertisement was usually used to notify the company.
The administrator is Sydney based firm Grant Thornton.
It is understood the QRC is yet to make contact with members to notify them of the club’s troubles.
Both club members and those who had booked events at Rugby Quay, including weddings, have received no communication from the QRC in the past week.
Last week, the club deactivated its websites and Facebook page and has not released any information on the closure, other than posting a sign in the window of Rugby Quay it was closed ‘until further notice’. Calls to its various phone lines are going unanswered.
Today a spokeswoman for Queensland Rugby Union, which is affiliated with the QRC but is a seperate organisation, said the QRU was ”disappointed for the Queensland Rugby Club and all who have been affected by its closure.
”We are aware that the Queensland Rugby Club has been working tirelessly to build Rugby Quay as a valuable asset for the use of not only the rugby community, but to the community at large.
”However, due to a series of unfortunate events as a consequence of the 2010/11 floods, it became increasingly more difficult for them to continue in the current financial circumstances. It is a shame to see another venue close its doors in the Eagle Street precinct.”
The Supreme Court application was the first official indication from the QRC of any trouble within the company.
Brisbane couples have been left reeling after finding out through the media that Rugby Quay, which they had booked for their upcoming weddings, had closed.
Several couples contacted brisbanetimes.com.au to report they had paid thousands of dollars in deposits for their wedding at the venue. None of them had been contacted by the Queensland Rugby Club to notify them the venue had closed.
”How Brisbane’s most sought after and exclusive wedding venue … could find themselves in this situation beggars belief,” one couple, who had paid a $5000 deposit for a September wedding, wrote.
Another couple wrote: “While more fortunate than some unlucky couples our wedding is not until late December … we are very annoyed at QRC not having the courtesy of informing us of their impending closure instead of finding out by word of mouth.”
The couple said they had paid a $2000 deposit for the wedding eight days before Rugby Quay closed.
Corporate events have also been affected. One Brisbane company booked a Christmas party for December, paying a $1000 deposit.
”The most disappointing thing is that we have received no communication or replies to emails … about what is happening,” according to the same company.
”We had dinner booked for last [Friday] night which was a package deal with the [Queensland Reds versus Highlanders] game and received a message advising that the club had cancelled the function.
”It’s disappointing that we have received no information about our function and that they were still asking for payment in advance days before [they closed] their doors.
”We are lucky, I really feel for the poor couples that have booked their weddings and lost everything without any notice. We had just purchased two memberships too only within the past few weeks which we will never get to use.”
Queensland’s Liberal National Party has also been affected. The LNP is holding its 2012 Convention in Brisbane this weekend and had put a ‘Cocktails on the River’ event, to be held at The Strand at Rugby Quay, on the agenda for Saturday night from 6-8pm. The event has now been rescheduled for the Stamford Plaza.
The Queensland Rugby Club was established in 1962, first opening on Charlotte Street in the CBD, moving to Ballymore in 1970. The club was set to celebrate its 50th anniversary later this year.
It is understood the club had been in financial strife since the 2011 flood. While Rugby Quay itself sustained only minor damage to its car parks, it was closed for several weeks due to loss of power.
However the club had recently extended its lease on the riverside site for a further 10 years, to 2023.
In January this year, the club wrote to its members asking them to pay a ‘flood levy’ of $350. Annual membership to the club for a city resident was $360, while for country residents it was $150.
The club’s most elite members – individuals or organisations – could pay a one-off fee of $10,000 (plus GST) to the club, for which they would receive access to the ‘Benefactor Lounge’ which the QRC promoted as being similar to an airline business class lounge, attended to by a ”dedicated full-time butler/concierge”, with ”full business lounge facilities and services”. Benefactor membership was limited to 250 members.
It is understood the levy was not a popular initiative, with QRC president Mark Shulman later writing to members of the club and acknowledging the levy ”took…