R360 has been forced to terminate all player contracts and delay the launch of its global franchise league until 2028 in order to “strengthen its credibility”.
The breakaway, featuring eight men’s franchises and four women’s teams, was scheduled to start on October 2 next year, initially with a reduced 12-week calendar. The top 40 players were being promised at least $1million (about £750,000) a year, with contracts that would permit them to play international rugby.
But R360 has run out of time. Eight major unions, including England, Ireland, France and Scotland, issued a joint statement barring any player who joined the league from international selection. The NRL followed suit, warning rugby league stars they would be blocked from returning to the competition for ten years.
That level of opposition would have made it harder for R360 to gain World Rugby approval at the next council meeting in June.
Tindall, part of England’s World Cup-winning squad in 2003, is the man behind the breakaway competition
MATTHEW HORWOOD/GETTY IMAGES
R360 said that only a handful of the 200 players who had signed provisional contracts had pulled out after the governing bodies flexed their muscles. But in an email sent to players, R360 has admitted that delaying the launch would buy them it time to persuade the unions to lift their ban on international selection.
“We appreciate this will be a shock for some and disappointing for all but we’d like to explain the reasoning behind the decision,” Stuart Hooper, the former Bath director of rugby and R360 board member, wrote.
“We had detailed plans to launch in late 2026. A full season launch in 2028 means that we can: go straight into a full season rather than starting with two shortened seasons; spend more time speaking with rugby stakeholders to ensure you are not penalised with your international careers for choosing where you want to play club rugby; continue to build a commercial model that sees you paid fairly for the value you bring to the game.”
This decision follows reports that influential player agents in Australia and New Zealand had threatened to break off negotiations on December 1 if they did not receive more financial information about the league.
R360 responded on Friday by confirming the identity of one investor: its non-executive chairman Martin Gilbert, the co-founder of Aberdeen Group and former chairman of the financial technology company Revolut. The financier, Roger Mitchell, has said he is a board member and seed funder of R360, through his company Albachiara, A Dubai-based investment firm, 885 Capital, has also been linked with the venture.
The rebel league appears to have recognised that there is too much uncertainty about the launch of its new competition at a time of year when Europe-based players need to be finalising contracts for next season, and so it has put its plans on ice.
Louis Rees-Zammit, for example, signed a one-year deal with Bristol Bears when he returned to rugby from the NFL. The expectation was that he would join R360, particularly with the Welsh Rugby Union not explicitly barring its players, but Rees-Zammit, 24, can now explore an extension with Bristol or a move elsewhere.
The expectation was that Rees-Zammit would join R360 after his return to rugby from NFL, but that may not now be the case
ANDREW ORCHARD SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY/ALAMY
Mike Tindall, an R360 board member and World Cup-winner with England, said the delay would ensure that players are not “placed under unnecessary pressure”.
R360 added it would “provide the necessary runway to strengthen R360’s credibility, continue collaborative discussions and partnerships with rugby’s stakeholders, and position the league to launch at full scale with maximum global impact from the outset”.
It would also, Hooper said in his email, “create greater commercial certainty . . . align the competition more cleanly with the global rugby calendar and ensure we enter the market at maximum strength to continue the momentum from the 2027 men’s Rugby World Cup and 2027 women’s British & Irish Lions tour”.
R360’s timescale always looked prohibitive if it wanted to launch with a cast of the biggest names. One by one, the hurdles have been put up by the establishment and players who were targeted by the rebels have signed elsewhere.
Antoine Dupont, the France captain, has re-signed with Toulouse until 2032. George Ford has committed to Sale Sharks. Fin Smith, Alex Mitchell, Alex Coles and Fraser Dingwall have signed new deals with Northampton Saints
“R360 has always been about supporting the long-term growth of the sport we love. Our aim is to create a global showcase league that sits between international and club rugby — a competition that keeps fans engaged year-round, brings new audiences into the game, and elevates both male and female players on a global stage,” Tindall said.
Dupont has pledged his future to Toulouse for another seven years
DAN SHERIDAN/INPHO
“International rugby attracts huge audiences and is one of the most compelling products in world sport. But most players outside the biggest fixtures aren’t yet household names. Club rugby is vital to the rugby ecosystem, however its reach remains limited to the core fans. There is a clear gap for a global, innovative competition that can broaden rugby’s appeal and inspire a new generation of fans — and our data consistently supports that need.
“As per many other sports, evolution is critical to broadening its appeal, finding new talent and realising commercial value. Cricket, Formula 1, football, sailing, golf, boxing, darts — to name a few — are all finding new ways to tell new stories to new audiences and building a stronger sport. This is rugby’s opportunity.
“The decision to shift our launch to 2028 is a strategic decision based on timing. 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.
“From day one, our commitment to players has been unwavering. Many of the world’s best female and male players continue to express strong interest in joining R360. We want them to thrive, not be placed under unnecessary pressure. Ensuring player welfare, supporting their international ambitions, and working collaboratively with the global game remain core to our approach.
“As a board we remain absolutely determined to bring R360 to life at full scale and with maximum global impact. We’re building something bold and new that will resonate globally — and we cannot wait to show the world in 2028.”