England among rugby nations planning sanctions for players in R360 breakaway league

Plans for the proposed breakaway competition R360 have been dealt a serious blow after leading rugby unions announced that any player involved will be barred from international selection.

A joint statement from the Six Nations unions (excluding Wales), alongside South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, urged “extreme caution” to players considering joining the new league. The unions accused R360 of being structured to benefit “a very small elite” rather than strengthening rugby at all levels.

"As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition," the joint statement read.

"We all welcome new investment and innovation in rugby and support ideas that can help the game evolve and reach new audiences, but any new competition must strengthen the sport as a whole, not fragment or weaken it.

"The R360 model, as outlined publicly, rather appears designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development and participation pathways.

"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.

"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 warning follows advice from the International Rugby Players Association, which told members to seek legal counsel before signing contracts. Reports suggest up to 200 players have signed pre-contracts worth as much as £750,000 each, though none have confirmed their involvement publicly.

The rebel league, fronted by 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall, has outlined plans for 12 franchised teams – eight men’s and four women’s – competing in major cities including London, Miami, Tokyo and Lisbon. Despite the backlash, R360 insists it will proceed and has pledged to release players for international duty under contract terms, subject to World Rugby approval.

The Welsh Rugby Union has not officially signed the joint statement but has indicated it reserves the right to exclude players from national duty if they participate in R360. For now, the unions’ unified stance leaves the competition’s future in serious doubt.