Cricket Victoria nears closer to new name for revamped BBL franchise

The new name for the merged Victorian BBL side has come down to three options.

SEN’s Tom Morris exclusively reported on Tuesday that Cricket Victoria would merge the Melbourne Stars and Renegades to create a ‘super’ Victorian franchise that will adopt the navy-blue colour synonymous with Victoria's state side.

This will allow the state body to sell the entirety of the Renegades’ license to private investors whilst maintaining 51% of the Stars' license, which will adopt the new moniker.

Following the news of the merger, News Corp’s Dan Cherny reported on Saturday that three nicknames have emerged as contenders, after initially starting with 220 options on a whiteboard.

The current favourite is the Melbourne Rangers, which could be seen as paying homage to the nickname of the men’s side between 1995 and 2018, when they were known as the Bushrangers.

The other options being considered include the Melbourne Magic and the Melbourne Blazers.

The nickname is expected to be adopted ahead of the upcoming BBL season.