R360 issues forthright response after international unions warn players about joining rebel competition
Former England centre Mike Tindall is one of the key players behind R360.
Rugby360 (R360) has issued a statement in response to the international unions’ warning that players who switch to the proposed rebel competition will not be eligible for selection at the Test level.
Four months ago, it was revealed that former England centre and 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall was one of the key players behind R360, which is designed to take the game around the world and make the sport more appealing to a wider audience.
There have been numerous reports of leading rugby union and league players receiving big-money offers to join R360, and the rebel competition’s organisers have stressed they want to work in tandem with unions and that player welfare is their top priority.
However, on Tuesday, New Zealand, South Africa, England, France, Australia, Ireland, Scotland, and Italy united in their opposition to R360, issuing a joint statement, warning players that they would not be eligible to play Test rugby if they joined the rebel league.
‘Urging extreme caution for players and support staff’
“As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition,” the unions said.
“We all welcome new investment and innovation 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.
“Among our roles as national unions, we must take a wider view on new propositions and assess their impact on a range of areas, including whether they add to rugby’s global ecosystem, for which we are all responsible, or whether they are a net negative to the game.
“R360 has given us no indication as to how it plans to manage player welfare; how players would fulfil their aspirations of representing their countries, and how the competition would coexist with the international and domestic calendars so painstakingly negotiated in recent years for both our men’s and women’s games.
“The R360 model, as outlined publicly, rather appears designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out 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 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.
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“These are all issues that would have been much better discussed collaboratively, but those behind the proposed competition have not engaged with or met all unions to explain and better understand their business and operating model.
“Each of the national unions will therefore be advising men’s and women’s players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection.”
‘Not always easy to embrace new opportunities’
R360 have subsequently issued their response to the unions’ position and questioned why they would ‘stand in their way’.
“It’s not always easy to embrace new opportunities, but as we’ve throughout history, it’s essential to grow any sport,” read the R360 statement.
“So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game, and we can’t wait to kick-off next year. Player welfare is one of the key reasons for creating our global series, which will greatly reduce player load and capture the attention of a new generation of fans globally.
“We want to work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar.
“The series is designed with bespoke schedules for men’s and women’s teams, and R360 will release all players for international matches, as written into their contracts.
“Our philosophy is clear – if players want to play for their country, they should have that opportunity. Why would unions stand in their way?
“We look forward to submitting to the next World Rugby Council for sanctioning next summer as planned.”
