Australian Business Owner & Entrepreneur

It seems the President of the United States is enamoured with our meat — following Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s historic visit to Washington this week, Queensland-based Pure Blue Meats will now exclusively supply Australian Wagyu to Blair House, Washington’s official state guest house.

Former Brisbane Bombers bid team director Bill Rae is rumoured to be the mystery man behind a consortium circling the sinking Titans. Rumours suggested two consortiums were lurking ready to lodge applications with the NRL should Titans owner Michael Searle - facing wind-up proceedings over reported debts of $35 million - have his licence pulled by the NRL.

Brisbane Bombers bid team founder Bill Rae has emerged as the head of one of two consortiums wanting to buy the financially stricken Gold Coast Titans. However, Titans boss Michael Searle intends to maintain control of the football club and is focused on trying to sell the Centre of Excellence and Titanium Bar, while continuing talks with potential investors in Papua New Guinea.

Bunkered down in an office in the Brisbane suburb of Chermside sat Craig Davison, Bill Rae and Nicholas Livermore, son of Queensland Rugby League boss Ross Livermore. Three men armed with a battle plan that would forever change the Brisbane rugby league landscape.

THE ARL Commission's contingency plans for the Titans have suffered a jolt with the Bill Rae consortium withdrawing a $25 million proposal to rescue the financially stricken club. Queensland businessman Rae last night confirmed he had pulled his multimillion-dollar bailout offer as the Commission gives Titans boss Michael Searle every opportunity to save his ailing Gold Coast empire.

A potential white knight has gone public with his proposal to save embattled NRL club Gold Coast from financial ruin. Bill Rae, a former director with expansion bid team Brisbane Bombers, said his consortium’s interest in taking on the Titans franchise was genuine. Debts reportedly ranging from $25-$35 million – mainly due to failed investments relating to the group’s property arm – have left the Titans on the brink of collapse. But Rae, whose company RCI Military Logistics – which was last year awarded a multi-million defence contract with the Australian government, said he was ready to step in.

A potential white knight has gone public with his proposal to save embattled NRL club Gold Coast from financial ruin. Bill Rae, a former director with expansion bid team Brisbane Bombers, said his consortium's interest in taking on the Titans franchise was genuine. Debts reportedly ranging from $25 to $35 million - mainly due to failed investments relating to the group's property arm - have left the Titans on the brink of collapse. But Rae, whose company RCI Military Logistics - which was last year awarded a multi-million dollar defence contract with the Australian government - today said he was ready to step in.

The Brisbane bid team has made official moves to poach Sonny Bill Williams and Quade Cooper from rugby union as the prospective NRL franchise tries to lure them with a multimillion-dollar package deal. The consortium formally contacted the pair's manager, Khoder Nasser, last week expressing a desire to bring them to the NRL for their proposed entry in 2013. 'We don't know whether we're in or not, but we have approached Quade and Sonny,' Brisbane bid delegate Bill Rae said

The group behind a proposed Brisbane-based NRL franchise is hoping to secure the services of union stars Sonny Bill Williams and Quade Cooper for their new enterprise. The Brisbane outfit's application is expected to be confirmed later this year, with a view to actually competing in the NRL in 2013. And, according to Bill Rae, one of the delegates involved in the bid, contact has already been made with Khoder Nasser, who manages both New Zealand centre Williams and Wallabies fly-half Cooper.

The Brisbane NRL expansion bid team have officially kick-started their push to have a second team in Brisbane by 2013 with a highly professional and highly impressive launch at Suncorp Stadium. Bid directors Craig Davison, Nicholas Livermore and Bill Rae mounted an impressive case for the inclusion of a side to rival the Broncos, guaranteeing their financial viability and touting the commitment of four major sponsors - Centrebet, Canterbury, Bundaberg Distilling Co. and Austereo brand b105.

A consortium attempting to get the newly-named Brisbane Bombers accepted into the expanding National Rugby League (NRL) has received backing from Jeep Australia, while AFL side Essendon are unhappy with the team’s choice of name. As the automotive supporter of the bid, Chrysler’s Jeep brand will support the Bombers’ effort to join city-rivals the Broncos in the NRL, building on its existing sponsorship portfolio, which includes the AFL’s Richmond Tigers, Greg Crick of the Australian GT Championship and world-leading kite surfer Ben Wilson.

One of the teams vying for inclusion in an expanded NRL competition hope to take off as early as 2013 as the Brisbane Bombers. That's the name that bid chairman Craig Davison is tipped to unveil, along with the team's official playing colours of navy blue and orange, at a major announcement this morning at Albion Park Raceway in Brisbane. Several potential names were suggested by 12,000 fans including Braves, Bayliners and Barracudas, before market research strongly recommended Bombers.

Dual international Lote Tuqiri says Quade Cooper has sounded him out for advice over a potential code switch, in which he may play for a second Brisbane team if they are admitted to the NRL in 2013. The Brisbane expansion consortium announced on Tuesday that several NRL players had already agreed to join the proposed franchise. They have made no secret of their desire to lure Wallabies five-eighth Cooper and All Blacks star Sonny Bill Williams as marquee signings. Bid team director Bill Rae met Cooper's manager, Khoder Nasser, as recently as last Sunday.