With the first Rugby Championship games on this weekend and the women’s RWC about to start. Let’s look at the quiet big news running around the rugby world ATM.
Breakaway R360 League
R360 want to produce ‘generational change’ by creating a league made up of eight new franchise teams who will play around the world starting next year. Let’s look at some of the economics. Rugby is between the second and fifth most followed sports in the world. The largest is obviously soccer (or football, for some), the next tier is rugby, NFL, basketball and baseball.
The average EPL player is paid $4,7 million USD.
The average MLB player is paid $4.66 million USD.
The average NFL player is paid $2.8 million USD.
The average NBA player is paid $11.9 million USD.
The average Top 14 player is paid $432,000 USD.
I’m not going to get into means, medians and modes of the numbers; however, in relation to the level of interest in a sport I think it’s apparent from an investor’s perspective that in relative terms rugby players are underpaid and the costs associated with being a disruptor in this space is relatively low.
The highest paid players in rugby earn approximately $1.3 million USD p.a.
Much like the shift to professionalism after RWC1995, the movement to a this new league could be slow and then suddenly very quick.
The Sell from R360
Drawing on the financial ambition and disruption pioneered by the Indian Premier League (IPL) and LIV Golf, R360 proposes a radical shift in how rugby is structured and sold. The league has attracted interest from potential backers across the Premier League, Formula 1 and the NFL, with multiple bids for franchise slots already under consideration.
R360 promises a fresh format built for digital platforms and global broadcasters, with fast-paced matches, city festivals, and fan-first experiences. R360 draws heavily on the IPL and NFL: city-based franchises, no relegation, cost caps for parity and a short, dynamic calendar.
WHO IS INVOLVED?
R360 is led by Mike Tindall, a former World Cup winner and royal family member, and investors, some of which are reportedly from the cashed-up Saudi Arabia. Tindall is joined by Bath Rugby executives Stuart Hooper and John Loffhagen, the ex-legal counsellor of the LIV Golf Tour, as the architects of R360 and its mission to drive a generational change to Rugby Union.
My Thoughts
The logistics don’t work at the moment; however, with the state of rugby finances ATM I could foresee a position where most of big nations could have a joint venture arrangement worked out to help retain and share the best talent while keeping the international calendar.
Red Bull Newcastle
Jamie Noon’s explanation of the excitement around Red Bull’s imminent takeover of Newcastle is succinct – but accurate.
“I just can’t imagine Red Bull coming in and doing a half-arsed job,” says the former England centre, who made 203 appearances for the club. “That’s not their style. There is huge potential there and the investment Red Bull are making won’t just be financial, but also the expertise and professionalism from other sports.”
It is hard to argue with Noon. Given Red Bull’s record of turning struggling football and Formula 1 teams into superpowers and heavyweight investment in top-end cycling and ice hockey, the Austrian energy drink giant is surely not going to stand for scraping the bottom of the Premiership for long.
Newcastle fans are certainly dreaming. When the club opened season ticket sales last week, they recorded the highest demand for 10 years, up 197% on 2024’s first-day trading. “In a football-mad town, we kind of felt a little bit like [former Newcastle manager Kevin] Keegan, in trying to score one more than they did as a backline. It’s so exciting that everybody’s talking Newcastle again and the buzz is flying around. But it’s only great if they can perform on the field as well.”
The difficult bit begins with a Premiership Cup game against Harlequins on 12 September, before Newcastle start their top-flight campaign at home to Saracens on 26 September.
Christchurch’s new One New Zealand Stadium taking shape
Christchurch’s new 30,000-seat indoor stadium, One New Zealand Stadium, continues to take shape. The stadium is located in the block between Madras, Hereford, Barbadoes and Tuam Streets in the central city, about five minutes walk from Cathedral Square.
The project remains within budget and on track to open in April 2026, which will be about four years after it approved the project to proceed following public consultation as to whether a further $150 million should be invested, taking the total cost to $683 million. The covered stadium will have 30,000 seat capacity for sports matches, made up of 25,000 permanent seats and a further 5000 temporary seats when required.
After Super Round was held in Melbourne for the first three years the move to Christchurch’s new inner-city stadium was announced on Monday. Capacity for concerts and other events will be about 36,000.
The stadium will be the new home of the Crusaders and is sure to attract big All Blacks tests, which have largely eluded Christchurch since the 2011 earthquake put an end to Lancaster Park.
Hoss is back tomorrow
