International ban for players joining franchise league, national unions say
Rugby Union - Six Nations Championship - Italy v France - Stadio Olimpico, Rome, Italy - February 23, 2025 General view during a line out REUTERS/Remo Casilli
Players who join the R360 global franchise league will be ineligible for international selection, the rugby unions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Italy said on Tuesday.
The R360 league, fronted by former England centre Mike Tindall, is due to launch in 2026 and media reports have linked it with big-money offers for top rugby union and league players, but the unions are united in their opposition.
"As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition," the unions said in a rare joint statement.
"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."
The unions say that R360 has given them no indication as to how it plans to manage player welfare, how players would fulfil their aspirations of representing their countries, or how the competition would coexist with the international and domestic calendars.
They also say that the R360 model appears designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, and those behind the proposed competition have not engaged with all unions to explain their business and operating model.
"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 statement concluded.
R360 responded to the unions' statement, saying it wanted to work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar.
It added that player welfare was one of the key reasons for creating the global series, which it said would greatly reduce player load and capture the attention of a new generation of fans globally.
"It's not always easy to embrace new opportunities, but as we've seen throughout history, it's essential for any sport to grow," a statement said.
"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?"
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.
The International Rugby Players Association (IRPA) has also told their members to be cautious about R360, urging them to speak to their player association, to the IRPA or a legal advisor before signing any contract with the new league.
"Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding," the IRPA said in a statement.
"And the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval."
