Club rugby is undeniably facing serious challenges. Across the globe, clubs are struggling financially, with many relying heavily on the international game to stay afloat. In the English Premiership, for example, not a single club is turning a profit, and seven out of ten owe more than they own. The problem is widespread at least a dozen professional rugby teams worldwide have folded in recent years. This financial strain has led to calls for a fundamental overhaul of the club rugby system, with some now proposing radical solutions.
One of the boldest ideas on the table is the creation of a breakaway global league, known as R360. The concept is to establish two elite competitions one for men’s teams and one for women’s teams that would sit above the current club structure. The men’s competition would feature eight teams, while the women’s would have four, with each side playing a 16-match season split into two windows running from April to June and then August to September. The matches would be hosted in different cities around the world each week, offering a truly global spectacle.
The ambition behind R360 is massive. The organizers aim to sign up the top 360 players worldwide and pay them double their current salaries. They envision major cities like São Paulo, Barcelona, New York, and Los Angeles as host venues. Alongside the rugby matches, they plan to deliver a full week of live entertainment, including concerts before every game. To fund this, the group claims interest from investors linked to the Premier League, Formula 1, and the NFL. They also say dozens of players have expressed willingness to join the league by signing letters of intent.
However, the challenge of raising sufficient capital to make these plans a reality is daunting. Without major financial backing, the entire project risks becoming a pipe dream. Comparisons have been made to the Indian Premier League in cricket, which thrived in part due to India’s massive domestic market and lack of competing leagues, as well as to LIV Golf, which was launched with the backing of Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund and a political motive. Rugby, in contrast, faces the uphill task of convincing global governing bodies and national unions to support a competing competition that could potentially disrupt the existing game.
Rugby’s global fan base is estimated at around 800 million supporters, many of whom enjoy the sport in its current form. These fans may be reluctant to embrace a new competition that poaches their favorite players from traditional clubs or clashes with international Test schedules. Moreover, current rules mean that players who join such a breakaway league might become ineligible to represent their countries, unless exceptional circumstances are recognized by the sport’s governing body. Securing official recognition and sorting out regulatory issues such as anti-doping and insurance would be essential and those are formidable hurdles.
Without governing body approval, the project would have to rely heavily on gate receipts, merchandise, and in-venue spending to fund itself. The proposed business model includes significantly higher ticket prices, alongside premium pricing on food, beverages, and merchandise, aiming for attendees to spend several hundred pounds per match day. This approach could generate revenue but risks alienating traditional fans who may not be willing or able to pay such amounts.
The core of the R360 proposal recognizes the fundamental truth: club rugby in its current form is struggling and incremental tweaks have failed to reverse its decline. Radical change is necessary to save the sport at this level, but the path to that change is fraught with challenges. Money is needed on a scale rarely seen in rugby, and the plan must navigate complex relationships with unions, players, and fans.
Ultimately, the question remains whether R360 is the cure rugby needs or just another ambitious but flawed attempt to fix a deeply rooted problem. While it correctly diagnoses the illness, it has yet to prove it has the remedy. Without significant financial backing, widespread support, and a clear path through regulatory minefields, the breakaway league risks becoming just another costly experiment in rugby’s ongoing struggle for sustainability and growth.
