The proposed rebel rugby union tournament, R360, has suffered a major blow as most of the national rugby unions will ban any players who join. The major rugby nations showed unity as they fired a warning shot across the bows of any players considering signing up to the rebel circuit. The following Tier 1 nations issued a joint statement:
- England
- France
- New Zealand
- Scotland
- South Africa
- Australia
- Italy
- Ireland
Their statement said:
“As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition…”
Going on to suggest the R360 has given:
“no indication as to how it plans to manage player welfare” or “how the competition would co-exist with international and domestic calendars”.
Before looking in more detail at the implications of the ban, let’s first outline what the R360 competition is, who it might include, and when it’s scheduled to commence.
What is the R360 Rugby Tournament?
R360 is a new rugby franchise, similar in some ways to those that have proved successful in cricket (such as the IPL) and, less so, in golf (LIV Golf). Fronted by former England, Gloucester and Bath player Mike Tindall, the R360 competition has suggested that the competition aims to make rugby more appealing to the masses. But critics suggest it is a mechanism through which massive profits can be earned by the rebel competition’s financial backers.
R360 had been planning to launch in October 2026, and suggested they would not get in the way of players who wanted to represent their countries. A statement released by the R360 organisers said:
“Our philosophy is clear – if players want to play for their country, they should have that opportunity. Why would the unions stand in their way?”
The R360 organisers suggest they have agreements with around 200 players from the men’s game, and are in the process of making offers to female players too. But at the time of writing, the full details of how the competition would work have not been clarified, and while there are vague aims about increasing popularity and participation, as things stand, it is not immediately clear how the R360 competition would achieve that.
Based on the available information, R360 would consist of 12 teams that would be based in various cities around the world. Which cities would be used, the structure of the competition itself, and the welfare provisions that would be put in place for players are all unclear at the present time.
Will the R360 Competition Ever Happen?
At the time of writing, it’s difficult to assess whether the R360 competition will come to fruition, or whether the proposal to ban R360 players from competing for their nations will effectively kill it off. A lot might well depend on how deep the pockets are of the financial backers of R360. But as LIV Golf has discovered, even when there is an apparently endless supply of cash to lure players, many of them will reject it in favour of more traditional competitions. When it comes to rugby, we suspect many players would rather forego the piles of extra cash and compete for their countries.
As the statement from the Tier 1 nations suggested:
“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.”
Many rugby fans are inclined to agree with that sentiment, and would not look particularly kindly on players who put their bank balances ahead of their nations’ chances in the Six Nations or the Rugby World Cup.
Of course, if R360 has enough cash behind it, they might well come to some financial agreement with the national unions. But if that were the case, and the unions essentially sold out to R360, fans would not view it well either. It is possible the statement is an attempt by the unions to get a slice of what might be a sizeable financial pie. But on the other hand, they might be attempting to kill off the competition before it gets going. Time will tell whether R360 comes to fruition, or whether it withers on the vine as players choose not to gamble with their international rugby careers.