R360 Competition Players Subject to 10-Year Suspension from NRL

Australian rugby league's authority has announced that players who sign with the “rebel” R360 will be prohibited for a decade.

The new league, which plans to launch in 2026, is seeking to lure athletes from both codes with lucrative deals and a reduced fixture list.

Prominent rugby league players have reportedly received offers by the breakaway group, which will feature six or eight men's clubs and women's teams based in major cities around the world.

Samoa's Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who is with his NRL club in the NRL, has confirmed he has had negotiations involving the breakaway league.

Papenhuyzen, Lomax, Payne Haas and Gray are also said to be weighing up offers from R360.

A group of union countries, among them Australia, last week imposed a restriction on players joining R360 participating in global fixtures.

“We've listened to our franchises and we've acted decisively,” stated the league's chairman Peter V'Landys.

“Unfortunately, there will persistently exist organizations that seek to pirate our sport for monetary profit.

“They fail to contribute in development systems or the advancement of talent. They simply exploit the efforts of others, jeopardizing careers of financial loss while benefiting financially.

“In truth, they represent, counterfeiting a code.”

The organization is established by ex-England star Mike Tindall and backed by private investors.

Subsequent to the possible rugby union prohibitions were declared earlier, it commented: “We want to work together as part of the international rugby schedule.

“The competition is arranged with bespoke schedules for both genders and R360 will release all players for international matches, as written into their deals.”

The breakaway group will request authorization for its proposals from World Rugby, union's administrative organization, at its board session next year.