Rugby union’s proposed R360 breakaway league has deferred its application for sanctioning by World Rugby until at least next June in a setback for plans to launch next year.
An application for official approval that was due to be discussed by the World Rugby Council on September 23rd has been withdrawn, raising questions over whether the rebel league will be able to launch next September.
Under World Rugby regulations all cross-border competitions must apply to the governing body for sanctioning and satisfy legal requirements regarding player welfare, medical provision, respecting the existing calendar, particularly contractually agreed international windows, as well as providing reassurances over anti-doping compliance.
The next opportunity for R360 to make a sanctioning application is June next year, so a delay seems inevitable. Even if approval is granted at that point, setting up a 12-team global competition in three months appears unrealistic.
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Launching in 2027 would also be hugely problematic, as it would clash with the men’s Rugby World Cup in Australia, and almost inevitably lead to the withdrawal of dozens of leading international players.
The R360 vision, which is being fronted by England World Cup winner Mike Tindall, is for a 12-team global franchise competition following a Grand Prix-style international circuit, with eight match weekends each year in cities such as London, Barcelona, Tokyo, Dubai, Cape Town, Boston and Miami.
Sources have said that during informal discussions in recent weeks, R360 has been unable to answer all of World Rugby’s questions, leading to the application’s withdrawal.
World Rugby is understood to have requested detailed responses from R360 on a number of topics, including proposed venues and staging agreements, the level of compensation to be paid to clubs, player release for training camps ahead of international tournaments, and the new competition’s plans for player development.
The R360 women’s competition, which will initially consist of four franchises, has been flagged as a particular cause of concern, as the women’s international calendar is different and the initial proposal does not include a release window for the Six Nations and the World Cup. Given the talks have coincided with the biggest ever Women’s Rugby World Cup, which has generated record numbers in terms of ticket sales and viewing figures, that oversight is regarded as extremely problematic by World Rugby.
R360’s efforts to date have largely focused on recruitment, with around 160 players reported to have signed precontract agreements to join one of their eight franchises, putting them close to their initial target of signing 200 men’s players.
The league’s executives, led by former Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper and players’ agent Mark Spoors, are understood to have discussions with representatives from the Six Nations and southern hemisphere unions during this year’s Lions tour in an attempt to win them over.
Another issue facing R360 is the absence of a broadcast partner with Andrew Georgiou – president and managing director of WBD Sports Europe, which owns TNT Sports – describing their plans as “delusional” in June.
“The question is, how are they going to grow the revenue by putting this event on?” Georgiou said. “Where’s the money coming from? The media industry is going through a massive generational change.
“If these folks believe that they are going to grow the revenue by putting this thing on, I think they’re delusional..”
World Rugby declined to comment. – Guardian
