News and rumours of rugby’s rebel league R360 continue to bubble with the league reportedly confirming they have secured three years’ worth of funding ahead of a 2026 kick-off.
Pre-contract conditions stated funding had to be ready by October 1 with 200 contracted players informed the deadline had passed with funding in place.
However the league has since taken a major hit with several top unions collectively announcing any players taking part in the rebel league would be ineligible for their national sides, essentially ruling them out of the 2027 World Cup in Australia.
Already Wallabies centre Len Ikitau has revealed he is unlikely to sign with the competition if it means he will miss a home world cup.
While Northampton and England fly-half Fin Smith said signing with R360 was never on his horizon after he re-signed with his club, but said he sympathised with players who may have been tempted by the money on offer.
“[My agent] knew my priority was to stay in England and give myself a chance to play for my country and hopefully go to a World Cup,” he said. “Most players, when they finish with their contracts, there are options but I was pretty clear from the start I wanted to stay in England and I’m really happy with my decision to stay with Northampton.”
WHAT IS RUGBY360?
Fronted by former England centre Mike Tindall, Bath executive Stuart Hooper, Mark Spoors, an executive at Wasserman, a US sports marketing and talent management agency, and former LIV Golf lawyer John Loffhagen, the breakaway competition aims to be a tier above club rugby.
The competition is set to include eight men’s teams, and four women’s teams, to compete in a condensed season format, with the league to be played in ‘grand prix’ style events around the world in a 16-game competition.
The concept draws upon the Indian Premier League (IPL) and LIV Golf as sporting disruptors.
Already the league has reportedly received interest from backers across the Premier League, Formula One and the NFL.
WHERE IS THE MONEY COMING FROM?
Funding for the competition reportedly includes sports-dedicated investment funds and private investment from Saudi Arabia, the United States and the UK.
According to a report from City AM, the competition has already received all necessary funding to kick-off in 2026 with aims to be profitable by 2027.
According to Sky News, an investor in Baller League and the Professional Fighters League is reportedly helping to fund the launch.
WHO IS BEING TARGETED? HOW MUCH COULD THEY EARN?
Players from around the world in both rugby and rugby league have been targeted with some offered contracts reportedly as high as AUD$12 million over a three-year period (the Roar).
According to Sky Sports some pre-contracts were worth up to £750,000 (AUD$1.5 million).
Australia’s NRL competition is also a hunting ground for the competition with Broncos premiership winner Reece Walsh and three-time champion Nathan Cleary reportedly at the top of a secret hit list of rugby league stars.
According to Code Sports, other NRL players include Melbourne Storm’s Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Xavier Coates, Payne Haas and Deine Mariner of the Brisbrane Broncos, New Zealand Warriors fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Parramatta Eels Zac Lomax and Jye Gray of the South Sydney Rabbitohs have all been targeted.
Haas was reportedly set to meet with the league in October to discuss a potential code switch, reportedly demanding at least AUD$3 million to consider the move, but delayed the meeting with his management team seeking clarification of their obligations to the NRL first.
However, the NRL has since taken the extraordinary step of legislating 10-year bans for any player who defects to R360, while setting the same sanction for any accredited agent who brokers a move to the rebel league for their client.
“This morning the Australian Rugby League Commission met to discuss R360. This meeting followed earlier discussions with the Club Advisory Committee and on recent calls where Clubs voiced concerns regarding R360’s impact on our game and endorsed the ARLC taking a strong stance in response to this threat,” Canterbury-Bankstown supremo and long-time rugby league figure Phil Gould posted on X.
“At this morning’s meeting the ARLC approved the issuing of a formal policy statement that will prevent any player who participates in R360 from being able to re-enter the NRL for a period of 10 years. It will also operate to prevent any individual from being recognised as an accredited player agent for the same period of 10 years, if they broker arrangements for their client to participate in R360”.
Meanwhile, France halfback Antoine Dupoint has reportedly been approached, so too, former Wallabies and Argentina coach Michael Cheika. Top Springboks, All Blacks and Pumas superstars have also been targeted.
R360 have stated the new format would “greatly reduce player load and capture the attention of a new generation of fans globally.”
ELIGIBILITY AND INTERNATIONAL REPRESENTATION
In one of the biggest developments for the league, eight of rugby’s leading unions – England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa – issued a joint statement declaring any player signing with the rebel league would find themselves ineligible for international selection.
“As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition,” their statement read.
“Each of the national unions will be advising men’s and women’s players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection.”
They accused the league of seeking profits for a small group with the grassroots of the game to be left exposed, while they claimed they had not been informed of R360’s plans around player welfare or how the competition would fit around the current international calendar.
“R360 has given us no indication as to how it plans to manage player welfare, how players would fulfil their aspirations of representing their countries, and how the competition would coexist with the international and domestic calendars…”
“The R360 model 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.
“Each of the national unions will be advising men’s and women’s players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection.”
While Welsh Rugby Union failed to sign the statement, they did state players who sign with the league could make themselves ineligible for national selection.
“As we continue to analyse and understand the proposals, we reserve the right not to select men’s and women’s players for international duty if they participate in this competition.
“We reserve the right not to select men’s and women’s players for international duty if they participate in this competition.”
The rebel league was quick to lambast the joint statement, and claimed they wanted to work alongside the global calendar.z
“Our philosophy is clear – if players want to play for their country, they should have that opportunity,” their statement read. “Why would the unions stand in their way? So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game.”
“We want to work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar.”
WHERE WILL R360 BE HELD?
R360 has plans to take place around the globe including locations such as Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Nou Camp in Barcelona and MorumBIS in Sao Paulo, while New York and Los Angeles have also been mentioned, while franchise locations are expected to be based in London, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Boston, Cape Town, Lisbon, and Madrid.
WHEN WILL R360 BE HELD?
Reports originally had the competition eyeing two playing windows from April to June and August to September, but this has since changed with the league now determined to kick-off in October 2026. However, this could be delayed again with the competition yet to earn World Rugby sanctioning.
While the competition has reportedly secured funding for at least three seasons, the October kick-off would clash with the new WXV global women’s series, while future editions may overlap with the Rugby Championship or even pre 2027 Rugby World Cup fixtures.
An application for official approval was due to be discussed by the World Rugby council on 23 September was withdrawn, with the competition deferring its application for sanctioning until at least next June raising questions whether it can be launched on time.
WHY HAS R360 BEEN DEVELOPED?
It’s no secret rugby around the world is struggling with at least 12 professional sides going out of business in recent years – including the Melbourne Rebels in Super Rugby Pacific and the Wasps and Worcester RC in the Premiership – while seven out of 10 in the UK owe more than they own.
Meanwhile, broadcast deals such as those in Australia and the UK mean rugby has been placed behind a paywall, reducing viewer engagement.
According to Tindall “rugby is feeling the fallout of the last few years with financial mismanagement, declining investment in the club game and a product that is struggling to evolve.
“Clubs around the world are feeling the strain and are being propped up by the international game.
“Rugby’s lack of innovation and ability to change risks losing its appeal to new audiences and its younger market.”
