Several of the world’s top rugby unions, including England, have warned players tempted to join the proposed breakaway R360 league that doing so would make them ineligible for national selection.
A statement issued by the rugby unions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Italy on Tuesday laid out their concerns over the proposed model and issued an ultimatum.
R360 plans to launch in October 2026, with proposals suggesting a 12-team global franchise competition touring the world on a grand prix-style circuit, with players offered lucrative contracts and a shorter playing schedule.
Former England World Cup-winning centre Mike Tindall is among the venture’s backers.
Tuesday’s joint statement said the national rugby unions involved “all welcome new investment and innovation” in the sport, but raised concerns over player welfare and the financial impact the lucrative new league would have on the rugby ecosystem, including at grassroots level.
It said: “As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition.
“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.
“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.
“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.”
It concluded: “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."
The league’s organisers say close to 200 men’s players have agreed to take part in the league, while R360 has approached several top women’s players to participate in a women’s version.
Rugby chiefs recently warned the rebel league’s backers that the success of the recent Women’s Rugby World Cup showed that any innovative additions to global rugby should work within the sport’s existing frameworks to succeed.
R360 responded to the joint statement by the rugby unions later on Tuesday, reaffirming their wish to “work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar”.
It said: “It's not always easy to embrace new opportunities, but as we've seen throughout history, it's essential for any sport to grow.
“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 the unions stand in their way?
“We look forward to submitting to the World Rugby Council for sanctioning next summer as planned.”
