National team rugby remains the pinnacle of the sport, and franchise leagues that do not offer players the opportunity to participate in it will hardly attract the best talent, according to World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin. The global franchise league R360, driven by former England center Mike Tindall, is scheduled to launch in 2026. Media reports have linked it to million-dollar offers for top-tier rugby union and league players. According to reports, this includes Melbourne Storm star Ryan Papenhuyzen, who met with Tindall and other R360 executives while the British and Irish Lions were in Melbourne last week. Papenhuyzen is the third NRL player linked with a move to R360, after Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kalyn Ponga were also contacted by the league. However, Gilpin stated that he was open to dialogue with R360, and that the game’s global administrators welcome any investment in the sport, as long as it creates a more financially sustainable game for players and the “overall ecosystem.”
These were Gilpin’s words at the launch of the ticket sales program for the 2027 Rugby World Cup. “It’s true that not in all sports, but in ours, the international game is the pinnacle of the game,” he added. World Rugby Regulation 9 mandates the release of players for national team rugby from any recognized competition, and Gilpin stated that the governing body would continue to insist on their availability for all international windows. This would include the men’s and women’s British & Irish Lions tours, both Rugby World Cups and the sevens competition at the Olympic Games. Gilpin has left the door open to conversations with those responsible for R360, especially given the investment that could flow into rugby at a time when it is desperately needed. “We need to dialogue with those guys when they’re ready to do it,” Gilpin said. “We always say that rugby needs investment; Australia is a great example, isn’t it? “Rugby is in a very competitive environment worldwide. All sports and beyond sports compete for an increasingly difficult attention economy. So investment in the game is great as long as that investment is directed to the right areas, as long as it is creating a more financially sustainable game for the players, for the ecosystem in general, then we encourage it. “But we have to understand what that means in the case of R360, I think.”Our stance is that, regardless of the competitions that arise, we know that players want to play international rugby.
Alan Gilpin
