'A leading source told Mail Sport: 'I would be amazed if it doesn't happen now. This is going to be revolutionary for rugby. The British club game is in a bit of a mess - there are players queuing up to join.''
'Senior England stars Henry Slade, George Ford and Jamie George – who have a combined 277 England caps – are leading targets for R360. Slade was represented by Hinton prior to him leaving Wasserman. Hinton played professionally for Leeds and Newport Gwent Dragons before retiring in 2012.'
'is understood the eight men's teams will eventually have squads of 35 players each and be based in London, Tokyo, Dubai, Cape Town, Boston, Miami and two other venues still to be decided. In time, four women's sides will also be created.
To play in the first season of R360, players who sign must be out of contract with their existing club employers by the summer of 2026, which would rule out Lions and Premiership superstars Marcus Smith and Finn Russell for now as their deals expire in 2028. But it is understood R360 have a war chest available buy out existing contracts if needed.'
R360 is said to have already secured a title sponsor and broadcast deal with the tournament likely to be screened on free-to-air television initially, while partnership deals with Netflix, Amazon, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok are also being explored.
