It was pitched as a solution to all of rugby’s apparent woes, but the R360 concept fronted by former England centre Mike Tindall – said to have the backing of a number of high-net-worth private investors – appears destined to be done before it's begun, writes TVNZ sports presenter Scotty Stevenson.
R360 had planned to enlist the biggest names in the game, using inflated salaries as the main hook to secure key signatures but, for all the big-money talk, the venture has thus far failed to attract the kind of supernova signing required to light the way for any kind of revolution.
That’s not to say they haven’t tried. Sources within New Zealand Rugby circles admit approaches have been made to a number of frontline players, many of whom were happy to proceed with heads of agreement as a first step. However, agents have taken a cautious approach to these overtures. As one experienced athlete agent put it, “it’s hard to compare real money with monopoly money”.
The question of money is an important one. For all the hype, it is still unclear from where or from whom R360 is sourcing its purported war chest. Several interested parties spoke to say they have repeatedly asked about the financial security of the endeavour, but have been met with radio silence. The original deadlines for key player announcements and the provision of a more detailed roadmap have long passed, too.
While doing their best not to throw gasoline on the fire, the tier one unions were quick to put down any potential revolt, agreeing to make any player who signed with R360 ineligible for international selection. The bloc-block essentially ruled out any chance of world rugby sanctioning the tournament, thus further imperilling its chances of success.
It is clear R360 had identified the National Rugby League (NRL) as a potential warehouse of talent should they be unable to attract the requisite interest from union players or, more likely, if they were met with the resistance they would have expected from the major rugby nations. If they thought that would be easy, they hadn’t counted on Peter V’Landys.
The Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) Chairman doubled down, stating they would place a 10-year NRL ban on any of their players who signed up to join R360. V’Landys also made it clear that any agent who brokered the deal would also face the same punishment. Whether such a stance would be enforceable is another story. Rugby League Players’ Association boss, Clint Newton, called V’Landys’ stance “short-sighted” and questioned the plan’s legal basis.
Newton claims the NRL could have been more proactive in their dialogue with the R360 organisers, asking why they would be so quick to “restrict players’ ability to use their IP”. That line is central to one of the main marketing levers the R360 organisers have leaned on: ensuring players have control over their image rights, which is essentially the key asset underpinning every professional sport and the key area of tension between any competition and its player pool.
Regardless of objections, it would appear V’Landys’ threat has been enough. While players like Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuysen had been linked to a move to R360, their agent, Clinton Schifcofske, has this week claimed he has ceased to deal with the organisers, presumably shutting down any such move. Another well-known player, Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, has been advised by his agent, Bruce Sharrock to follow suit.
Sharrock explained the decision to The Sydney Morning Herald, saying: “We want to have some oversight, as best we can, as to the financial stability and guarantees linked to the competition. In other words, before anyone puts pen to paper, we need to be satisfied, as their advisers, that there is a level of financial security tied up in the competition. And we’re still seeking that information”.
Such a public snub from an experienced agent like Sharrock will stand as a pivotal moment in this ongoing story. For starters, one of the central figures behind the R360 plan, former player agent Mark Spoors, was until recently a colleague of Sharrock’s through sporting agency Esportif International, which was acquired in 2022 by Wasserman, the American sport and talent behemoth. If Spoors thought he could lean on that relationship to more easily lure its talent pool – which also includes soon-to-return All Black, Richie Mo’unga – Sharrock’s comments must have dissuaded him from such a notion.
All of which brings us back to the money.
Sources say the latest concern is that investment appetite has waned significantly, given the collective resistance put up by both the international unions and the NRL. Their stance aside, with the runway to a Q326 start becoming shorter by the day, and the announcement of the Nations Cup and Nations Championship to begin in the middle of next year, either R360 fronts with the fine print, or flames out like a short-lived fever dream.
As one insider put it: “There is not a single recognised player in New Zealand looking to have a crack at this. There may be a couple of others who are interested, but that’s only because they have nothing else on the table.”
It's hard to run a rugby competition when no one wants to play it; on dates that don’t currently exist; in cities that remain unconfirmed; with a television deal yet to be secured; with money that no one has seen.
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