Australia's National Rugby League threatens 10-year bans for R360 defectors
SYDNEY :Australia's National Rugby League acted decisively in response to the threat to their playing talent presented by the rebel franchise league R360 on Wednesday by promising 10-year bans to any potential defectors.
Fronted by former England rugby union centre Mike Tindall, R360 is due to launch in 2026 and media reports have linked it with big-money offers for top rugby union and rugby league players.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) said any NRL player negotiating or signing an agreement with a "football competition, league, or organisation not recognised by the ARLC as a national sporting federation" would be banned for a decade.
The statement said any NRL-registered player agent who "acts for, assists, represents, or advises a player in any capacity" in relation to such a league would also be banned for 10 years.
"The commission has a clear duty to act in the best interests of rugby league and its fans and we will take all necessary steps to protect the future of the game," said ARLC chairman Peter V'landys.
"Unfortunately, there will always be organisations that seek to pirate our game for potential financial gain. They don't invest in pathways or the development of players, they simply exploit the hard work of others, putting players at risk of financial loss while profiting themselves."
In a statement, R360 co-CEO Mark Spoors said the league had anticipated pushback.
"History shows that when athletes are offered free choice and given fresh opportunities for them and their families then threats to those sportsmen and women follow," he added.
"R360 is about empowering players, giving them, rugby lovers and the next generation of fans opportunities and new platforms to enjoy the sport we love.
"We know there is much interest in understanding more about the global series we're building. We remain on plan and look forward to sharing and discussing the detail in the coming months."
The threat of R360 appears to have united rugby league and rugby union in a way rarely seen since they split into two codes in a row over professionalism in 1895.
The rugby unions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Italy earlier this month issued a joint statement ruling that players who defected to R360 would be ineligible for international selection.
The unions said R360 had given no indication as to how it planned to manage player welfare or how the competition would coexist with the international and domestic rugby union calendars.
R360 responded to the unions by saying it wanted to work within the existing global rugby union calendar and that easing the workload for players was one of the key reasons for creating the global series.
The league hopes to establish eight men's teams and four women's teams who will compete in a condensed season format in grand prix-style events around the world.
