Rugby: Stars banned from selection by R360 league, blow to the competition

Rugby Blow: International Stars Reject the R360 League

The international rugby powers have joined forces to deal a harsh blow to the proposed R360 league, announcing that any player involved will be excluded from selection in international matches. In an unprecedented statement, the Six Nations unions, except Wales, along with South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, strongly criticized the rebel competition, urging “extreme caution” to anyone considering joining. R360, led by 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall, is also accused of being designed to benefit “a very small elite”, rather than the game in general. This announcement, which comes a few days after the International Rugby Players’ Association advised its members to seek legal advice before signing a contract, is a major setback for a league that planned to launch in October of next year. If R360 goes ahead, something that seems increasingly unlikely, it will have to do so without the biggest stars in the sport.

“As a group of national rugby unions, we urge extreme caution to players and support staff who are considering joining the proposed R360 competition,” reads the joint statement.

Joint Statement of the Unions

“We all welcome new investments and innovations 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 it has been publicly presented, seems rather designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, which could undermine 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 underpins all levels of the game, from grassroots participation to elite performance. Undermining that ecosystem could be hugely detrimental to the health of our sport. Therefore, each of the national unions will inform male and female players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection. The Welsh Rugby Union, which is in the midst of restructuring its national game, has expressed its support for the statement and reserves the right not to select players for international service if they are involved in R360. The plans for the rebel league include 12 franchised teams, eight male and four female, that will participate in a global Grand Prix-style competition that will see matches in cities like London, Miami, Tokyo, and Lisbon. It is believed that up to 200 players have signed pre-contracts worth up to £750,000, but none have made their participation public, nor are there details of who is investing in the event. R360 is confident that it will launch next year despite the unions’ show of force.

“Many players love what R360 can do for them and for the game, and we are looking forward to next year,” said the R360 organizers in a statement; they will seek World Rugby approval next summer.

Statement from R360 Organizers

“We want to work in collaboration as part of the world rugby calendar. The series is designed with custom schedules for men’s and women’s teams and R360 will release all players for international matches, as written in their contracts.”