Major nations warn players over breakaway R360 competition

THE national rugby unions of eight of the sport's major nations released a statement on Tuesday warning players and support staff against joining the rebel R360 competition.

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The R360 competition has backing from private investors, with former England centre and 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall serving as the public face of the project, which remains shrouded in secrecy.

Few details are known about the plans, but reports suggest it would involve six to eight men’s teams and four women’s teams, with ambitions to attract top players from around the world to compete for its franchises.

However, there are growing concerns about where the competition would fit into an already congested calendar.

In response, the national rugby unions of Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France, and Italy said in a joint statement on Tuesday that players who joined the R360 project would make themselves ineligible for national team selection.