R360 launch postponed from 2026 to 2028, after players withdraw due to threats of NRL bans
Zac Lomax left Parramatta two weeks ago after months of speculation about a switch to R360. (AAP: Joel Carrett)
In short:
Rebel rugby union league R360 says it has postponed its inaugural season from 2026 to 2028
Organisers said "only a handful of players … withdrew from the project" when threatened with a 10-year ban from the NRL.
A statement from the R360 board said the delay in launching was to allow "stronger market conditions, greater commercial certainty, and a significantly more favourable environment".
Proposed rebel rugby competition R360 has announced it will postpone its initial launch season until 2028.
The competition had previously stated it intended to launch in 2026.
A statement by the R360 board said a full launch in 2028 offered "stronger market conditions, greater commercial certainty, and a significantly more favourable environment for players, fans, partners and the broader rugby community".
"This decision will provide the necessary runway to strengthen R360's credibility, continue collaborative discussions and partnerships with rugby's stakeholders, and position the league to launch at full scale with maximum global impact from the outset," the statement said.
The 2028 launch would allow the series to enter the sports market at full strength, under the optimal commercial and market conditions, the board said.
R360 has been linked to numerous NRL players, including Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuyzen, who have both granted early releases from their contracts with Parramatta and Melbourne respectively since the season ended.
Ryan Papenhuyzen was granted a release from the last year of his contract shortly after the Melbourne Storm's grand final loss. (AAP: Mark Evans)
"No doubt today's news will create a level of disappointment amongst the player pool, but we're determined to launch in 2028 with a product players will fully support," R360 said in its statement.
Despite widespread speculation in the past year about the league poaching NRL and NRLW players by throwing big money offers at them, scant details had been publicly revealed.
The R360 concept was to create a global club competition with eight men's teams and four women's teams playing for franchises based in London, Miami, Tokyo, Dubai, Boston, Cape Town, Lisbon and Madrid.
Rugby union and rugby league bosses moved earlier this year to issue warnings and proposed bans to any players who tried to cross to R360.
The NRL has also said that any players that signed with R360 would be ineligible from re-entering that competition for 10 years.
The world's leading rugby unions have said any player who signed with the rebel league would be ineligible for international selection.
"As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition," the unions said in a joint statement.
In its statement, R360 said the proposed bans had resulted in "only a handful of players from around the world" withdrawing from the project.
"In the same period, R360 added a further dozen Test match players to its ranks," the statement said.
This decision means the first season would come after the men's 2027 Rugby World Cup.
The face of the R360 board, former England international Mike Tindall, insisted the decision to postpone the launch to 2028 was not about a lack of player interest.
"Launching under compressed timelines would not meet the standards we set for R360, nor would it deliver the long-term commercial impact that the sport deserves," Tindall said.
"Many of the world's best female and male players continue to express strong interest in joining R360.
"We want them to thrive — not be placed under unnecessary pressure.
"Ensuring player welfare, supporting their international ambitions, and working collaboratively with the global game remain core to our approach."
R360 said misinformation about the proposed competition had made its way into the public sphere, but the rebel competition has failed to provide any details about its structure or funding when asked.
It has also refused to answer questions about the competition's backers, saying some investors wanted to remain confidential.
"R360 has kept its counsel to minimise the resultant impact on players and rugby stakeholders," R360 said.
It said its "full proposition" on launch would have involved more than 200 leading players many of whom had represented their nations in the Autumn rugby internationals or who played at the Women's Rugby World Cup.
It did not say whether those players had signed contracts with R360.
The statement revealed Scottish financier Martin Gilbert as chairman and an investor in the R360 project.