A major disruptor to both rugby and rugby league in the Southern Hemisphere now has its own disruption.
R360, the big-spending rebel rugby union competition, won’t kick off until 2028, having previously targeted a late 2026 start.
R360 board member and former England captain Mike Tindall says the move is“strategic”.
“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,” said Tindall.
A media release from R360 says the shortened seasons proposed for 2026 and 2027 will be replaced with a full season in 2028.
“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 revised start date is also significant in that it won’t be impacted by the upcoming 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia. Most major rugby countries have warned their players that signing with R360 would jeopardise their international eligibility – New Zealand included.
The new start date would make it more attractive for players who are assessing their post-World Cup careers, a situation that arises for the sport’s big names every four years. Many structure the length of their contracts to finish with the game’s international showpiece.
R360 has also had strong links with rugby league talent from the NRL.
Among those believed to have been heading to the global franchise competition were former Melbourne Storm fullback Ryan Papenhuyzen, former Parramatta Eels winger Zac Lomax and current New Zealand Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck.
A monster multimillion-dollar offer to Brisbane Broncos prop Payne Haas had also been rumoured in rugby league circles.
Ryan Papenhuyzen (right, pictured playing against the Warriors in 2024) left the Melbourne Storm after their NRL Grand Final loss last month. Photo / Photosport
Papenhuyzen left the Storm abruptly after their NRL Grand Final loss, while Lomax was released from a long-term contract with the Eels following the player’s request. Tuivasa-Sheck is in the final year of his contract with the Warriors and would have been a free agent by the time R360 was due to start.
In a leaked email, R360 confirmed it had terminated “conditional player contracts”. Where that leaves the likes of Papenhuyzen and Lomax remains to be seen. There had been rumours the pair would play in the United States before linking with R360.
Now they could become short-term targets for Rugby Australia ahead of the RWC.
Toa Samoa’s Roger Tuivasa-Sheck at the Pacific Championships Rugby League Fan Day. Photo / Photosport
For Tuivasa-Sheck, the delay could end his hopes of a big payday before retirement. One of the form wingers in the NRL this season, Tuivasa-Sheck will turn 35 in 2028 and will be less likely to attract the same sort of money that had been speculated about.
Mike Thorpe is a senior multimedia journalist for the Herald, based in Christchurch. He has been a broadcast journalist across television and radio for 20 years and joined the Herald in August 2024.
