Eight of the most powerful rugby unions have come together to deal a significant blow to the proposed breakaway R360 league by announcing that any player involved in the rebel competition will be banned from playing for their country.
The unions of England, Ireland, France, Scotland, Italy, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia released a joint statement warning potential participants of the consequences of signing up to R360, which the nations believe is being set up to profit the “very small elite,” rather than the game in general.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
The group said: “We all welcome new investment and innovation in rugby and support ideas that can help the game evolve and reach new audiences, but any new competition must strengthen the sport as a whole, not fragment or weaken it.
“The R360 model, as outlined publicly, rather appears designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development, and participation pathways.
“International rugby and our major competitions remain the financial and cultural engine that sustains every level of the game – from grassroots participation to elite performance. Undermining that ecosystem could be enormously harmful to the health of our sport.
“Each of the national unions will therefore be advising men's and women's players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection.”
US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?
Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.
By GlobalDataWales and Argentina are the only Tier 1 nations not included in the statement, with Wales currently in consultation over the future of rugby in the country.
However, the Welsh Rugby Union said while they were unable to sign the statement, they did support it, adding they “reserve the right not to select men's and women's players for international duty if they participate in this competition.”
R360, fronted by English World Cup winner Mike Tindall, has been looking to lure players away from their current clubs to participate in its global franchise league, offering large contracts and a slimmed-down playing schedule.
Few details have been confirmed, but reports have suggested the league will involve 12 teams that will represent major cities around the world, with the competition running in a similar fashion to motor racing’s Formula 1, with weekend events moving around the globe.
Organizers of the league said they have already locked in agreements with close to 200 men’s players, while offers have been made to stars of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup to participate in the women’s edition.
The move has been compared to that of Saudi-backed LIV Golf, which used lucrative contracts to tempt top players from the established PGA Tour and DP World Tour.
It was reported by news outlet Sky Sports last week that Tindall had informed players that funding had been secured with the help of Oakvale Capital, a financial advisor specializing in sports and gaming.
The globe-trotting league is looking to launch next year, but details, including fixture schedules, have not yet been released. The competition has also not been sanctioned by the international governing body World Rugby, with R360 looking to apply for approval next summer.
Responding to the statement by the unions, R360 said: “So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game, and we can't wait to kick off next year.
“We want to work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar. The series is designed with bespoke schedules for men's and women's teams, and R360 will release all players for international matches, as written into their contracts.”
The statements come shortly after the International Rugby Players Association, the umbrella group connecting the player unions in the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand, and elsewhere, urged players to proceed with caution over signing up for the league.
It said: “Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding, and the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval.
“Players are encouraged to speak to their player association or, where no player association exists, directly to IRPA or a legal advisor, prior to signing any contract pertaining to the competition.”
