Rugby Football Union Preparing to Prohibit Male Players Joining R360 Competition from National Representation
The Rugby Football Union is poised to announce that male players agreeing to deals with the new R360 competition will be barred from playing for the national team, with a formal announcement anticipated possibly by next week.
Breakaway Competition Faces Resistance from Established Rugby Authorities
The Mike Tindall-supported rebel series has obtained funding from private equity companies to begin a shortened competition next October, but the established rugby authorities are preparing to oppose them.
The global players' association has informed its members that it will not endorse the upcoming competition.
Our goal is for every player to play in R360 and be able to play internationally if selected, which is why we have designed the series to not conflict with national team schedules.
Rugby Football Union Pushing for Joint Response from Worldwide Unions
England's rugby body is reportedly pushing for a unified stance from global rugby associations, and has proposed a joint statement stating that any athlete joining R360 will not be selected for international rugby.
Nonetheless, a formal agreement has yet to be reached.
Women's League Remains Unclear as the Union Awaits Clarity
The governing body's stance on the women's competition is less clear, as it has obtained conflicting information from R360 over when it will take place.
Although the first competition is scheduled to begin next October, in 2027 a longer R360 is planned to start in April, overlapping with the women’s Six Nations Championship.
The RFU will not permit any of its 32 centrally contracted national women's squad to skip the Six Nations, but with R360 reportedly offering six-figure salaries to several Red Roses stars, an accommodation could be reached if a clash is prevented.
Possible Split in Champion Squad Poses Significant Problem
The potential for division among the coach's champion team creates a major issue for English rugby, and the money available may compel it to be more flexible.
The first R360 tournament next year is scheduled to feature four women’s teams and eight men’s sides, with the opening games planned for 2 October 2026.
Global Association Refuses to Endorse R360
R360 faced further opposition when the global players' union (the association), which acts for leading male and female athletes in the northern and southern hemispheres, informed its players that it would not endorse the tournament.
While IPRA representatives met with R360 on the sidelines of the British and Irish Lions tour last summer, their communication to players described the discussions as a fact-finding mission.
In recent months, various information has been in the public domain about the proposed R360 competition and we understand that more recently, a proposed draft long-form player contract may have been circulated by R360 to athletes and/or player agents.
Whilst IRPA and IRPA members have had some discussions with R360 representatives, these conversations have been centered on fact-finding to understand the substantive detail about the financial structure, the competition, its delivery and its interplay with the current rugby landscape.
Detailed information about the league remains unavailable and the competition does not at present have official sanction from World Rugby.
World Rugby Sanction Still Awaited
R360 is still awaiting approval by World Rugby, with reports revealing that it had withdrawn a planned application in September.
Proposals are scheduled for resubmission in June next year, but sources have indicated that the competition will launch the following year regardless of whether they receive formal approval.
The inability to balance moving to the new global franchise tournament with an international career could have a significant effect on R360's player acquisition strategy.
R360 is understood to have agreed pre-contract agreements with more than 200 athletes, eighty percent of whom have represented their countries in the past two years.
