The launch of the proposed rebel rugby competition R360 has been postponed until 2028, organisers confirmed in a statement on Friday evening.
The new competition had been scheduled to kick off in October next year, featuring six men’s and four women’s teams.
R360 is aggressively attempting to recruit top talent from domestic and international structures in rugby league — especially the NRL — and rugby union.
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Zac Lomax’s release by the Eels has fuelled speculation of an R360 switch. Getty
Fronted by former England star Mike Tindall and backed by significant private investment, the new competition is poaching talent by offering lucrative pre-contracts despite currently lacking approval from World Rugby.
The competition had previously been attempting to lure stars like Zac Lomax, Ryan Papenhuyzen and Payne Haas, with offers reportedly up to $1.4 million a season.
The delay now leaves Lomax and Papenhuyzen, who sought release from their respective contracts with the Eels and Storm, in limbo for two years.
The news also means that Haas is now effectively compelled to remain in the NRL for the immediate future.
In a statement, the R360 board and its investors cited a need for “stronger market conditions and greater commercial certainty”. Seemingly, implicitly affording the competition more time to secure World Rugby approval.
“The decision to shift our launch to 2028 is a strategic decision based on timing,” Tindall said in the statement.
“Launching under compressed timelines would not meet the standards we set for R360, nor would it deliver the long-term commercial impact that the sport deserves.”
Franchises are planned for major international hubs like London, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Boston, Cape Town, Lisbon and Madrid.