New "LIV Style" Global Rugby League

[Dctarget]

2027 season is reportedly April - September.

So will include players from RWC squads, but if they’re not released to play TRC or July test matches then it reduces their chance they’ll be flown straight in Tier 1 RWC squads.

Do we know if R360 players are WR (World Rugby) eligible?

I feel like I'm naive but if this gets off the ground this is a huge boon for the Wallabies.

We're about to have a separate league fund the training of Wallabies eligible players like Zac Lomax, Papenhuyzen, potentially Payne Haas?

 

[Strewthcobber]

Union, with a large Aus focus, is getting more funding?

Is there a large Aus focus?

They will want to maximise revenue, I'd imagine the vast majority of games will be played at ot around the GMT timezone, which means 3am rugby for us.

 

[Dctarget]

I dunno, I’m not sold.

it directly overlaps with all domestic rugby played on Australia, and it doesn’t have an Australian presence. So not only will Australia lose players from Test Rugby and Super Rugby, it’s not going to drive growth in the game domestically if it’s not played here.

We're bleeding players constantly to Japan/France. If it conflicts with test rugby then I'm dead against it but if it's another union domestic comp that will increase the Australian eligible players I'm for it. Especially if the players coming across are such high calibre.

By my read; Wallabies could have Papenhuyzen and Lomax playing for them at a home RWC.

 

[PhilClinton]

Do we know if R360 players are WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) eligible?

Yes I believe that was one of the potential issues holding up the 2026 start but it sounds like they've sorted it out and going live.

 

[Upthemaroon!]

So many people hating on this, but I can kinda see what audience this would appeal to. There is a MASSIVE gap of people watching international games, but not rugby as a comp (Super Rugby, the prem, URC). This is trying to capitalize this gap. It's not necessarily for anyone lurking around these dark corners of the internet.

 

[The Ghost of Raelene]

Do we know if R360 players are WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) eligible?

I feel like I'm naive but if this gets off the ground this is a huge boon for the Wallabies.

We're about to have a separate league fund the training of Wallabies eligible players like Zac Lomax, Papenhuyzen, potentially Payne Haas?

I'll be interested to see how RA approaches it. NRL is seemingly playing a hard line stance but that only lasts as long as the administration because the Clubs are King and if a talent is available they want them. SBW proved that when he walked out on the Dogs.

Stars will always get deals around the world and a fringe guy on an upswing like Jye Gray at the Bunnies could make life changing money when in reality he has a ceiling in the NRL. The little blokes almost always fizzle out after blistering starts. Super League 2.0

 

[Strewthcobber]

October - December 2026 & April - September 2027

These guys aren't paying massive dollars for them to be released to play international rugby during their season, so they will be directly competing against our test season

We may have Papenhuyzen and Lomax etc eligibile, but they won't be able to play for the Wallabies before the WC. I just can't see any coach picking them

 

[Adam84]

So many people hating on this, but I can kinda see what audience this would appeal to. There is a MASSIVE gap of people watching international games, but not rugby as a comp (Super Rugby, the prem, URC). This is trying to capitalize this gap. It's not necessarily for anyone lurking around these dark corners of the internet.

Not hating the concept, just the delivery.

South Hemisphere rugby calendar looks to suffer the most with this. Yet for the NH It doesn’t overlap with the 6 Nations nor the November tests hosted at home. NH countries are laughing, they get the best of both worlds.

It’s one thing to say players will be eligible for test rugby like the Spring Tour or TRC, but we’ve seen how that’s played out with Will Skelton and the Top14.

 

[Wilson]

Do we know if R360 players are WR (World Rugby) (World Rugby) eligible?

They withdrew their application for World Rugby sanctioning, delaying it until at June next year. It seems like the strategy is to force the issue by signing up a bunch of important players, but contracts may also have out clauses for those players (particularly the test capped one) if the approval doesn't come through.

 

[Omar Comin']

Is there a large Aus focus?

They will want to maximise revenue, I'd imagine the vast majority of games will be played at ot around the GMT timezone, which means 3am rugby for us.

If it's 4 games (6 including womens?) over a weekend then presumably it will be 3 matches in a row on both Saturday and Sunday. I imagine some of the games will be at watchable times for us even when held in Europe. And some legs will be in more favourable time zones (including potentially here). But there was also talk of it being broadcast over youtube, which means anyone would be able to watch it for free whenever it suits - first thing in the morning if you want to avoid being spoiled.

F1 and EPL etc do okay in Australia despite the timing of most events/games.

I wonder if Melbourne might be an attractive location for a franchise in this competition. Global city, diasporas from all the major rugby nations, big event town.

 

[Adam84]

If R360 came out and explicitly stated that they would protect the test windows by pausing the series through that, or ensuring it finishes prior, then I would be supportive. Until then, I think this will broadly be a net loss for rugby in Australia.

 

[Upthemaroon!]

Not hating the concept, just the delivery.

South Hemisphere rugby calendar looks to suffer the most with this. Yet for the NH It doesn’t overlap with the 6 Nations nor the November tests hosted at home. NH countries are laughing, they get the best of both worlds.

It’s one thing to say players will be eligible for test rugby like the Spring Tour or TRC, but we’ve seen how that’s played out with Will Skelton and the Top14.

Oh yeah it is massively NH skewed

 

[Adam84]

. But there was also talk of it being broadcast over youtube, which means anyone would be able to watch it for free whenever it suits - first thing in the morning if you want to avoid being spoiled.

They’re not paying $150million in players salaries by broadcasting it free

 

[Dctarget]

They'd be foolish not to align with the Test windows. A player loses his starpower if he's not playing for his country.

Also not sure how it benefits the NH when they have much much tighter eligibility requirements. I'd be amazed if Ireland/England/France pick players from R360 when they don't pick players from across the channel.

 

[Strewthcobber]

They will align with 6 nations and NH test windows, but all the comms so far have said it's getting played during the SH TRC window

 

[Omar Comin']

October - December 2026 & April - September 2027

These guys aren't paying massive dollars for them to be released to play international rugby during their season, so they will be directly competing against our test season

We may have Papenhuyzen and Lomax etc eligibile, but they won't be able to play for the Wallabies before the WC. I just can't see any coach picking them

April-September but for only 12 rounds. It will include pausing for the July window.

First season is supposedly 8 weeks so could also include a pause for the November window.

 

[Omar Comin']

They will align with 6 nations and NH test windows, but all the comms so far have said it's getting played during the SH TRC window

I can't remember which interview it was, but I saw Phil Waugh asked about this not long ago and he brought up the potential for the RC to be aligned with the 6 nations window. This is probably the easiest way to bring about a proper global season.

 

[PhilClinton]

Honestly in the short term, I think this is more of a disruptor for the NRL than rugby as they have never really had an entire competition coming to poach huge numbers of their best players with so much money (aside from RA during that early 2000s period). The NRL are looking to launch two new teams in the next 2 years and already have a competition where shit teams like the Titans and Tigers are stuck being shit due to lack of depth in certain positions.

The NRL have also created a market where they are severely overpaying for mediocre halves players, which means a bunch of the younger halves will start asking for more and more money and potentially leave for this competition or look to jump ship to rugby.

This initial setup of R360 is really focussing on the top level men's players, of which it seems like the NRL have more to lose. I don't think we'll see too many SRP (Super Rugby Pacific) squad players getting contracts until the competition expands.

 

[Dctarget]

They will align with 6 nations and NH test windows, but all the comms so far have said it's getting played during the SH TRC window

Well that sucks. Not that the TRC even exists anymore?

 

[Strewthcobber]

I can't remember which interview it was, but I saw Phil Waugh asked about this not long ago and he brought up the potential for the RC to be aligned with the 6 nations window. This is probably the easiest way to bring about a proper global season.

I agree that this is the solution that R360 will want, and would be the easiest way out, but I'm very unenthusiastic about test rugby in February, and I reckon, like Adam, it will lead to less interest in the game here