Rugby 360

Not to be confused with NRL 360.

Rugby 360, known as R360, is a proposed breakaway global franchised based rugby union competition, headed by former England 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall, scheduled to begin in Autumn 2026. The competition is set to feature eight men's teams and four women's teams and will tour the globe in a Formula 1 Grand Prix style league system. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

The competition, not sanctioned by World Rugby, has met strong opposition. On 7 October 2025, eight leading unions of England, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Scotland, Australia, South Africa, and Italy jointly announced any player joining the competition would be banned from selection for their respective national teams. ^[5] The following week, Australia's rugby league counterparts announced any defecting players would receive a 10 year ban from playing in their domestic competition. ^{[6] [7]}

References

1. Kleinman, Mark. "Breakaway rugby league R360 scrums down with 885 backing". Sky News . Retrieved 15 October 2025.
2. Bull, Andy (3 June 2025). "Club rugby needs a radical fix – but is R360 breakaway league the cure to its ills?". The Guardian.
3. "R360 confident of autumn 2026 launch, will submit full plans to World Rugby next June". 8 September 2025.
4. "R360: Rugby's revolutionary moment - or will it be held up over the line?". Sky Sports . 9 October 2025.
5. Henson, Mike (7 October 2025). "R360: Nations issue international blanket ban on recruited players". BBC.
6. Brotherton, Alex (15 October 2025). "R360: NRL players will be banned for 10 years if they join breakaway league". BBC.
7. "'Counterfeiting a code': NRL announces 10-year ban for players who engage with R360". The Guardian . Australian Associated Press. 15 October 2025.