Rugby breakaway league coming. (R360)

[Which Tyler]

It won't.
It's a house of cards.
The only real question is how much damage it'll do before it collapses
,y guess - it'll collapse before it has the chance to do any damage to the sport, and maybe a dozen players will have to fire their agents, and live off savings for a year or so

 

[Rugbyfan564]

It’s sounds like many in the NRL are pretty concerned by it poaching enough players to dent it’s quality. Union leagues across the world meanwhile don’t seem as concerned,

 

[Ddanno]

Still don't see how it will make money. If you have 360 players, I accept not all will be earning £1,000.000, but if the average wage is £500,000 then that is £180,000,000 per year plus other costs.

You can probably double that with the other costs as you mentioned. No TV deal is going to cover that and the games are never going to attract enough ticket buying fans. This is going to die before it gets anywhere

 

[mdaclarke]

You can probably double that with the other costs as you mentioned. No TV deal is going to cover that and the games are never going to attract enough ticket buying fans. This is going to die before it gets anywhere

Agreed, in my opinion, the only way it could possibly "work" is as a massive sports-washing exercise.

 

[Which Tyler]

Agreed, in my opinion, the only way it could possibly "work" is as a massive sports-washing exercise.

Oh. That's exactly what it is.
Trouble is, rugby isn't anywhere near popular enough to make a reputational difference

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Future tours not threatened by rebel R360 league, insists Lions chief

British & Irish Lions executives have insisted future tours are not under threat from the breakaway R360 league despite being ignored by the rebels

www.theguardian.com

 

[Rugbyfan564]

In fact there must be a chance if it is somehow successful the Lions squad becomes the only place to see many players playing international rugby as it’s unlikely England and Ireland will change their rules to allow R360 players to play international rugby for them.

 

[TRF_Olyy]

Read only that Tindall is 1.5m in debt

This whole thing makes more sense now

 

[mdaclarke]

Oh. That's exactly what it is.
Trouble is, rugby isn't anywhere near popular enough to make a reputational difference

Still doesn't make sense though, my limited understanding of sports-washing, especially when it comes to the middle east countries is that it a tool to keep their younger population happy, given the lack of democracy. Hence why there is so much Football, Boxing, Motor racing etc hosted in the middle east.

So if they were to "sports-wash" with rugby then they would likely set up a league in the middle east and pay players big money to play and keep the home crowds entertained. R360 is not this.

Also the sports that are targeted for sports washing are sports with world wide reach. Football, motor racing for example. Cricket doesn't have this but is wildly popular in the areas that want to sports wash.

As you say Rugby doesn't have this reach.

I can't imagine corporations will tolerate their brands being associated with empty stadiums either.

The more I think about it the more I don't see what they are looking to achieve.

Bizarrely the only person I could see welcoming this is Rassie Erasmus. It would be a good way to park his established players to ensure they are kept in big money without playing loads of games and therefore protecting them from injuries. The South Africans have so much talent coming through they could easily fill the gaps and it would give youth more of a chance.

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Rugby news 2025: R360 rebel league, Australia response, NRL and Lions players targeted by Mike Tindall-led organisation

Sounds like Australia is thinking of allowing players to join R360 and still play international rugby,

 

[Rugbyfan564]

‘Rather than ignoring the danger, the Lions should engage with the R360 (break-away league) people – get ahead of it and be in the conversation. Don't be blind-sided or complacent enough to think it won't be an issue, because big salaries for modest workloads will make it an issue. Players are queuing up…’
This quote in the Daily Mail’s article about the lions tour might explain why it could be successful more than what anyone in here expects or wants.The lower workload could make even missing out on international rugby worth it to some players.

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

'Rather than ignoring the danger, the Lions should engage with the R360 (break-away league) people – get ahead of it and be in the conversation. Don't be blind-sided or complacent enough to think it won't be an issue, because big salaries for modest workloads will make it an issue. Players are queuing up…'
This quote in the Daily Mail's article about the lions tour might explain why it could be successful more than what anyone in here expects or wants.The lower workload could make even missing out on international rugby worth it to some players.

That’s not true.

 

[Reiser99]

 

[TommiG88]

This thread is cringey

 

[Don't Skip Leg Day]

This thread is cringey

The poster has some kind of link/ interest in rugby 369 or whatever the hell it’s called. I call for a ban!

 

[Rugbyfan564]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/08/07/the-12m-all-black-offer-148-deals-done-wallabies-in-their-sights-and-nrl-spooked-but-is-r360-real/

148 players have apparently signed contracts that will be trigged after September 30th if certain conditions are reached. Michael Cheika and Antonie Dupoint have allegedly been approached to coach/play respectively.

Imagine that includes the 10 English players the Times have claimed have signed,

 

[Kiwiwomble]

https://www.theroar.com.au/2025/08/07/the-12m-all-black-offer-148-deals-done-wallabies-in-their-sights-and-nrl-spooked-but-is-r360-real/

148 players have apparently signed contracts that will be trigged after September 30th if certain conditions are reached. Michael Cheika and Antonie Dupoint have allegedly been approached to coach/play respectively.

Imagine that includes the 10 English players the Times have claimed have signed,

....so...to summarise....

Earlier this year, before re-signing in New Zealand, one current All Blacks star was offered a jaw-dropping deal worth around $12 million over three years to join R360. He turned it down.

....the first line...the big news....is the failure to sign the big name AB

all the big names and almost all the next cab off the rank have signed through the world cup....and anyone from NZ they sign are either former AB's or young guys that have too many people in front of them

 

[TRF_Olyy]

if certain conditions are reached

lol

 

[Reiser99]

if certain conditions are reached.

Like, actually existing in a real format, not just on paper?

 

[Rugbyfan564]

Four leading Springboks sign up for rugby’s R360 global league

Exclusive: Around 160 men have signed pre-contractual agreements with league – including 10 players who have represented England

www.telegraph.co.uk

'It is understood that R360 and the RFU were involved in informal conversations in Australia. Another source declared themselves "95 per cent confident" that the initiative would come to pass, suggesting that the key question has become "will it work?" rather than "will it happen?"'

Louis Rees-Zammit the only person mentioned as likely to sign up, Cheslin Kolbe, Henry Pollock and Wallace Sititi said to have not signed up. Irish and NZ players not being attracted but English, South African, Argentine and Pacific Islanders ones are with 10 unnamed ones having signed up (Could be massive headaches for Steve Hrothwixk in October when those could be named).

Feels like in terms of the World Cup England could be most affected because all the others being said fo be getting players signed up don't have total bans on selection if not playing at home.