Senior figures in global rugby believe the rebel R360 venture is all but dead unless it can find a way to appease the world's top nations. In a dramatic move, leading unions collectively made clear this week that players involved in the R360 competition would be ineligible for their national sides and have warned them to treat offers with 'extreme caution'.
Privately, there is a widespread view that those pushing the R360 concept, fronted by England World Cup winner Mike Tindall, now face a struggle to get the project off the ground if the world's top male and female players are required to forfeit their international futures to join the rebel league. The decision of the unions to issue a coordinated statement on Tuesday followed the announcement last week that the International Rugby Players Association was not backing the competition or any contracts offered to its members.
R360 has still to be officially sanctioned by World Rugby, the sport's governing body. While World Rugby cannot comment for procedural reasons relating to R360's pending official application that will not be heard until at least next June, the mood of leading rugby officials and union representatives is hardening. It is also understood that some pre-contract player agreements with R360 may have had deadlines attached that have either expired or are reaching that point.
Fin Smith, the Northampton and England fly-half who signed a new club contract last week, said he sympathised with players nearing the end of their careers who may have been tempted by the money on offer, but he said it was never an option for him. 'Most players, when they finish with their contracts, there are options but I was pretty clear from the start I wanted to stay in England and I'm really happy with my decision to stay with Northampton.'
The proposed R360 initiative is meant to kick off next October and involve a 12-team global franchise competition, with eight match weekends each year in cities such as London, Barcelona, Tokyo, Dubai, Cape Town, Boston and Miami. However, limited heed has been taken of domestic and Test windows in the women's game, with the Rugby Football Union particularly concerned about the possible implications.
