Queensland out of the red

Brisbane - The Reds' recent success in Super Rugby has helped its state rugby union get back in the black financially.

In September 2010, the Australian Rugby Union provided the Queensland Rugby Union with a $3 million loan to help it out of financial difficulty.

The ARU said on Thursday that the Queensland union, "highlighted by the determination of the QRU to achieve success on and off the field," had repaid the loan two years early and that an advisory board to monitor the group's progress had been disbanded.

Former 40-Test lock Rod McCall, a member of the 1991 World Cup-winning Wallabies, is the QRU chairperson.

The Reds won the Super Rugby title last year but have lost their past three matches, two of them by large margins.