RFU ready to ban any male player who joins R360 league from international duty

The Rugby Football Union is preparing to confirm that male players who sign contracts to join R360 will be banned from playing for England with a formal announcement expected as soon as next week.

The Mike Tindall-backed rebel league has secured funding from private equity firms to launch a shortened competition next October, but the sport’s traditional powerbrokers are lining up to oppose them, with the international players’ union telling their members they will not endorse the new competition.

The RFU is understood to be pushing for a coordinated response from the northern and southern hemisphere unions, and has suggested a joint statement stating that all players who join R360 will not be selected to play international rugby, although a formal agreement has yet to be reached.

The RFU may break ranks and go public without the support of the other unions however, as they are adamant that male players who join R360 will not be selected for England. The governing body’s position on the women’s competition is less clearcut, though, as it has received contradictory information from R360 over when it will take place.

While the inaugural competition is due to start next October, in 2027 a longer R360 has been scheduled to begin in April in a direct clash with the women’s Six Nations Championship. The RFU will not permit any of their 32 centrally contracted England players to miss the Six Nations, but with R360 reputedly offering six-figure salaries to several Red Roses stars an accommodation could be reached if a clash is avoided.

The potential for division among John Mitchell’s World Cup-winning squad presents a major problem for the RFU, and the money on offer may force it to be more flexible.

The first R360 tournament next year is due to feature four women’s teams and eight men’s sides, with the first matches planned for 2 October 2026.

The RFU’s approach to the men’s competition is more straightforward in a significant boost to the Gallagher Prem clubs, who are vulnerable given the start-up is offering players multiples of the salaries they receive in the domestic game for less than half the matches.

The inability to combine moving to the new global franchise tournament with an international career could have a major impact on R360’s recruitment plans. R360 is understood to have signed pre-contract agreements with over 200 players, 80% of whom have played international rugby in the past two years.

R360 suffered another setback yesterday when the International Rugby Players Association (IPRA), which represents leading men and women’s players in the northern and southern hemisphere, informed its members that they would not endorse the tournament. While IPRA representatives held talks with R360 during the British and Irish Lions tour last summer, their statement to members characterised the discussions as a fact-finding mission.

“In recent months, various information has been in the public domain about the proposed R360 competition and we understand that more recently, a proposed draft long-form player contract may have been circulated by R360 to players and/or player agents,” the statement read. “Whilst IRPA and IRPA members have had some discussions with R360 representatives, these conversations have been focused on fact finding to understand the substantive detail about the business model, the competition, its delivery and its interplay with the existing ecosystem.

“Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding and the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval. IRPA wishes to confirm that the competition and any associated player contracts are not endorsed by IRPA or IRPA members, and references to IRPA within any contract does not have IRPA permission.”

R360 is also yet to be sanctioned by World Rugby, with the Guardian revealing last month that they had withdrawn a planned application in September. Plans are due to be resubmitted next June, but sources have indicated that the competition will launch next year regardless of whether they receive formal approval.