R360 Players Face 10-Season Exclusion from NRL

Australian rugby league's governing body has declared that athletes who enter the “counterfeit” R360 will be barred for a decade.

The new league, scheduled to begin in October 2026, is hoping to draw players from union and league with lucrative deals and a condensed game calendar.

Prominent National Rugby League athletes have reportedly been approached by R360, which will involve six or eight men's sides and four women's sides operating from key urban centers worldwide.

Representing Samoa the player, who plays for his NRL club in the NRL, has stated he has had discussions with the breakaway league.

Papenhuyzen, Zac Lomax, Payne Haas and Jye Gray are also said to be thinking about signing the rebel league.

Eight major union countries, among them Australia, last week declared a prohibition on athletes signing with R360 participating in global fixtures.

“We have consulted our teams and we've taken firm action,” said the league's chairman the official.

“Sadly, there will always be entities that try to exploit our code for potential financial gain.

“They don't invest in pathways or the advancement of players. They only leverage the dedication of other organizations, endangering athletes of financial loss while profiting themselves.

“Essentially, they are, copying the game.”

The organization is co-founded by retired international Tindall and supported by commercial backers.

Subsequent to the prospective union bans were declared earlier, it said: “We want to work together as a component of the global rugby calendar.

“The competition is designed with tailored timetables for men's and women's teams and the organization will allow all athletes for test matches, as specified in their deals.”

The breakaway group will request authorization for its initiatives from rugby union's governing body, union's regulatory group, at its official gathering next year.