R360 League Players Subject to Decade-Long Exclusion from NRL

Rugby league's administration has declared that participants who sign with the “counterfeit” R360 league will be banned for 10 years.

R360, set to start in October 2026, is hoping to draw players from union and league with lucrative deals and a condensed game calendar.

Leading NRL athletes have reportedly received offers by the breakaway group, which will feature six or eight men's clubs and four women's sides located in major cities around the world.

Samoa's Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, who plays for the Warriors in the league, has said he has had talks with the breakaway league.

Papenhuyzen, Lomax, Haas and Jye Gray are also reported to be weighing up offers from the new competition.

A group of rugby union teams, among them Australia, last week imposed a ban on R360 recruits playing global fixtures.

“We have consulted our teams and we've acted decisively,” stated Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys.

“Regrettably, there will always be entities that seek to pirate our code for monetary profit.

“They don't invest in development systems or the advancement of players. They merely capitalize on the hard work of existing bodies, jeopardizing careers of economic hardship while profiting themselves.

“They are, in reality, counterfeiting a code.”

The organization is launched by ex-England star Tindall and backed by commercial backers.

After the potential union prohibitions were revealed recently, it commented: “We want to work collaboratively as part of the international rugby schedule.

“The event is designed with customized calendars for men's and women's teams and we will allow all athletes for test matches, as specified in their contracts.”

The breakaway group will request authorization for its proposals from World Rugby, the sport's regulatory group, at its official gathering next year.