R360: The Rebel Rugby League Shaking Up the World of Sport

The Rebel League R360: A Challenge to Traditional Rugby

Rumors and news about the R360 rugby league continue to generate excitement. According to reports, the league has confirmed securing funding for three years, preparing for its launch in 2026. The initial conditions provided that the funding would be ready by October 1st, the date on which 200 players were informed that the deadline had been met with the financing secured. However, the league has suffered a significant setback after several of the main unions announced that players participating in the rebel league would not be eligible to represent their national teams, which would essentially exclude them from the 2027 World Cup in Australia. Wallabies center Len Ikitau has already revealed that he is unlikely to join the competition if that means missing the World Cup in his country. Northampton and England fly-half, Fin Smith, has also ruled out the possibility of joining the R360, after renewing with his club. Although he understands the temptation of money for other players.

My priority was to stay in England and have the opportunity to play for my country and, hopefully, go to a World Cup. Most players, when their contracts end, have options, but I was very clear from the beginning that I wanted to stay in England and I am very happy with my decision to stay in Northampton.

Fin Smith

What is Rugby360?

Driven by former England center Mike Tindall, Bath executive Stuart Hooper, Mark Spoors, an executive at Wasserman, an American sports marketing and talent management agency, and former LIV Golf lawyer John Loffhagen, the competition seeks to be a level above club rugby. The competition will include eight men’s and four women’s teams, who will compete in a condensed season format, with the league being played in “Grand Prix” style events around the world in a 16-match competition. The concept is inspired by the Indian Premier League (IPL) and LIV Golf as sports disruptors. According to reports, the league has already received interest from sponsors of the Premier League, Formula 1 and the NFL.

Where does the money come from?

The competition’s funding includes sports-dedicated investment funds and private investment from Saudi Arabia, the United States, and the United Kingdom. According to a City AM report, the competition has already received all the necessary funding to begin in 2026, with the goal of being profitable in 2027. According to Sky News, an investor in Baller League and the Professional Fighters League is helping to fund the launch.

Who’s signing up? How much could they earn?

Players from around the world, both rugby and rugby league, have been targeted, and some have been offered contracts of up to 12 million Australian dollars over a three-year period. According to Sky Sports, some pre-contracts were worth up to £750,000 (1.5 million Australian dollars). The Australian NRL competition is also a hunting ground for competition, with Broncos championship winner Reece Walsh and three-time champion Nathan Cleary reportedly topping a secret list of rugby league stars. According to Code Sports, other NRL players include Cameron Munster, Ryan Papenhuyzen, and Xavier Coates from the Melbourne Storm, Payne Haas and Deine Mariner from the Brisbane Broncos, New Zealand Warriors fullback Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, Zac Lomax from the Parramatta Eels, and Jye Gray from the South Sydney Rabbitohs. According to reports, Haas was due to meet with the league in October to discuss a potential code switch, reportedly demanding at least 3 million Australian dollars to consider the move, but delayed the meeting with his management team seeking clarification on his obligations to the NRL first. However, the NRL has taken the extraordinary step of legislating 10-year bans for any player who moves to R360, while also establishing the same sanction for any accredited agent who negotiates a transfer to the rebel league for their client. Canterbury-Bankstown, and rugby league figure Phil Gould, posted on X:

Phil Gould’s post on X

Meanwhile, France scrum-half Antoine Dupoint has been contacted, as has former Wallabies and Argentina coach Michael Cheika. The top superstars from the Springboks, All Blacks, and Pumas have also been targeted. R360 has stated that the new format “would greatly reduce the burden on players and capture the attention of a new generation of fans worldwide”.

Eligibility and International Representation

In one of the biggest developments for the league, eight of the main rugby unions (England, Ireland, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia and South Africa) issued a joint statement declaring that any player who signed with the rebel league would be ineligible for international selection.

They accused the league of seeking profits for a small group, exposing the foundations of the game, while stating that they had not been informed of R360’s plans regarding the well-being of the players or how the competition would fit into the current international calendar. “The R360 model appears to be designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially undermining the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development, and pathways to participation.” While the Welsh Rugby Union did not sign the statement, it did declare that players who sign with the league could become ineligible for national selection. “We reserve the right not to select male and female players for international service if they participate in this competition.” The rebel league hastened to criticize the joint declaration and stated that it wanted to work alongside the global calendar.

Our philosophy is clear: if players want to play for their country, they should have that opportunity. Why would unions stand in their way? So many players love what R360 can do for them and for the game.

R360 Statement

“We want to work in collaboration as part of the global rugby calendar.”

Where will R360 be held?

R360 has plans to take place worldwide, including locations such as the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, Barcelona’s Nou Camp, and Sao Paulo’s MorumBIS, while New York and Los Angeles have also been mentioned, and franchise locations are expected to be in London, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Boston, Cape Town, Lisbon, and Madrid.

When will R360 be held?

The original reports had the competition looking at two game windows from April to June and from August to September, but this has since changed, and the league is now determined to start in October 2026. However, this could be delayed again, as the competition has not yet obtained World Rugby sanction. While the competition, according to reports, has secured funding for at least three seasons, the start in October would coincide with the new global women’s WXV series, while future editions may overlap with the Rugby Championship or even matches leading up to the 2027 Rugby World Cup. An official approval request that was to be discussed by the World Rugby council on September 23 was withdrawn, with the competition postponing its sanction request until at least next June, raising doubts about whether it can launch on time.

Why was R360 developed?

It’s no secret that rugby worldwide is struggling, with at least 12 professional teams going bankrupt 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 agreements, such as those seen in Australia and the UK, have placed rugby behind a paywall that has reduced spectator participation. According to Tindall, “rugby is feeling the consequences of recent years with poor financial management, 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. The lack of innovation and the rugby’s capacity for change risks losing its appeal to new audiences and its youngest market.”