EIGHT of rugby’s most influential national unions have issued a warning against the emerging R360 competition, declaring that any players who sign with the breakaway league will be barred from international selection.
The unified stance, announced this week in a joint statement by the rugby unions of Ireland, England, Scotland, France, Italy, New Zealand, Australia, and South Africa, marks the most direct opposition yet to R360, a private league project spearheaded by former England captain Mike Tindall.
Set for a proposed launch in October 2026, R360 promised lucrative contracts and a lighter playing schedule for its athletes.
Organisers claim to have agreements in principle with around 200 male players and have reportedly targeted members of England’s Women’s World Cup-winning Red Roses squad.
But rugby’s traditional powerhouses have pushed back hard, criticising the new venture for what they describe as a lack of transparency, inadequate engagement with existing stakeholders, and a model seemingly focused on enriching a “very small elite” rather than supporting the broader game.
“We all welcome new investment and innovation in rugby,” the unions said in their joint statement.
“But any new competition must strengthen the sport as a whole, not fragment or weaken it.”
The Irish Rugby Football Union (IRFU) was among the first to confirm that any player who joins R360 will be rendered ineligible for Ireland selection.
This hardline approach has been echoed by the other unions involved in the statement.
The unions expressed serious concerns about R360’s failure to address key structural and welfare issues, including how the league would integrate with existing domestic and international calendars, how it would safeguard player health, and whether it would offer athletes meaningful pathways to national team representation.
“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,” the statement continued.
“Undermining that ecosystem could be enormously harmful to the health of our sport.”
In response, R360 defended its vision, insisting that the league aims to complement, not disrupt, the current rugby calendar.
“So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game,” the organisation said in a statement.
“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.”
Despite its optimism, the R360 leadership has yet to publicly present a comprehensive plan for how it will coexist with existing structures or gain approval from World Rugby, the sport’s global governing body.
One of the most pointed criticisms from the unions is that R360 has so far failed to engage meaningfully with national bodies.
“These are all issues that would have been much better discussed collaboratively,” the statement said.
“But those behind the proposed competition have not engaged with or met all unions to explain and better understand their business and operating model.”
As a result, national governing bodies have begun advising their players to avoid aligning with R360, reiterating that participation would come at the cost of international placement.