League Targets

[Adam84]

For Australian rugby there is the potential for it to be positive simply because it may strengthen the Wallabies. If the money on offer is similar to what's being reported then a few of the very top NRL players (at least those most suited to rugby) will switch. A handful of Nathan Cleary tier players switching over, just in time for a full year in the sport before the 2027 world cup.

World rugby/SANZAAR isn't changing the global rugby calendar before 2027, realistic time frame is 2028 at the earliest to effect a change like playing the TRC in Feb-Mar.

Yes there’s potential for a positive, there’s there’s also the chance it’ll be incredibly disruptive with a negative impact if SANZAAR players are signed up in the 3 seasons before change can be effected. A proportionally greater impact than it would have on the NRL which was my original point.

 

[Omar Comin']

World rugby/SANZAAR isn't changing the global rugby calendar before 2027, realistic time frame is 2028 at the earliest to effect a change like playing the TRC in Feb-Mar.

Yes there’s potential for a positive, there’s there’s also the chance it’ll be incredibly disruptive with a negative impact if SANZAAR players are signed up in the 3 seasons before change can be effected. A proportionally greater impact than it would have on the NRL which was my original point.

R360 is targeting a September 2026 launch, and there's no Rugby Championship in 2026 (because of the South Africa/All Blacks tour). Whatever season R360 have in 2027 there's no way it will clash with the world cup. Who knows what happens after that, but in the super short term, if a bunch of state of origin level leaguies are recruited to rugby in 2026 this is a very good thing for the Wallabies leading into the world cup (both to strengthen their squad, and to build hype). It would probably be worth the disruption, and in that time frame it won't be that big anyway as a lot of the current Wallabies are signed to the end of 2027 or later.

(I still think the whole thing is more likely to be blocked, delayed or cancelled).

 

[Rebel man]

World rugby/SANZAAR isn't changing the global rugby calendar before 2027, realistic time frame is 2028 at the earliest to effect a change like playing the TRC in Feb-Mar.

Yes there’s potential for a positive, there’s there’s also the chance it’ll be incredibly disruptive with a negative impact if SANZAAR players are signed up in the 3 seasons before change can be effected. A proportionally greater impact than it would have on the NRL which was my original point.

That doesn’t change players eligibility for the World Cup. If players come across and play next year and the year after in the new comp surely they will be assessed on the merits of their performance for the 27 WC. I have no issue with us picking NRL converts I just don’t think with the financial position the game is in here it is a strategy RA should follow.

But if someone else is willing to pay them to play union and they are wallabies eligible I’d look at them

 

[Adam84]

That doesn’t change players eligibility for the World Cup. If players come across and play next year and the year after in the new comp surely they will be assessed on the merits of their performance for the 27 WC. I have no issue with us picking NRL converts I just don’t think with the financial position the game is in here it is a strategy RA should follow.

But if someone else is willing to pay them to play union and they are wallabies eligible I’d look at them

I’m not commenting on NRL player eligibility…

I’m making the point that the impacts of R360 to Australian Rugby will extend well beyond just recruiting a few NRL players, whilst that may be a potential benefit, the negative impact of scheduling clash and diminishing existing products like the TRC and Super Rugby is massive.

Any major disruptor like this will take years to effect change to the global rugby calendar, which are committed to years ahead. I’m interested to see where it goes, but I’m cautious about the negative fallout which there will be plenty based on current scheduling.

 

[Rebel man]

I’m not commenting on NRL player eligibility…

I’m making the point that the impacts of R360 to Australian Rugby will extend well beyond just recruiting a few NRL players, whilst that may be a potential benefit, the negative impact of scheduling clash and diminishing existing products like the TRC and Super Rugby is massive.

Any major disruptor like this will take years to effect change to the global rugby calendar, which are committed to years ahead. I’m interested to see where it goes, but I’m cautious about the negative fallout which there will be plenty based on current scheduling.

Australian players in Super Rugby are already taking less to stay in Aus we hardly have any stars here hence our struggles.

NZ are in danger of losing players out of Super Rugby and the All Blacks a lot more than we are and while I don’t want to win by default maybe a more balanced competition is more appealing

 

[KOB1987]

I get and agree with Adam's point that the NRL losing half a dozen players to R360 is not going to be as detrimental to playing stocks as it would be to rugby, but in terms of the headlines it creates if players like Cleary and Papanhuyzen are 'jumping codes' it will be a PR disaster for them.

I think there is a way for this concept to be a net positive for the Southern Hemisphere. Move the RC to the first half of the year, which would finally incorporate the ANZAC Day Bledisloe and also during this time Super Rugby AU and the NPC are held - the finals of these are then not clashing with the AFL and NRL. And then full blown Super Rugby kicks off after the July Tests over the 17 weeks from late July to mid-November. It's possible the first round or 2 would be without test players but no one will care about that come finals time, which again will have a free ride in terms of eyeballs.

 

[Strewthcobber]

I get and agree with Adam's point that the NRL losing half a dozen players to R360 is not going to be as detrimental to playing stocks as it would be to rugby, but in terms of the headlines it creates if players like Cleary and Papanhuyzen are 'jumping codes' it will be a PR disaster for them.

I think there is a way for this concept to be a net positive for the Southern Hemisphere. Move the RC to the first half of the year, which would finally incorporate the ANZAC Day Bledisloe and also during this time Super Rugby AU and the NPC are held - the finals of these are then not clashing with the AFL and NRL. And then full blown Super Rugby kicks off after the July Tests over the 17 weeks from late July to mid-November. It's possible the first round or 2 would be without test players but no one will care about that come finals time, which again will have a free ride in terms of eyeballs.

R360 will run straight after the current six nations window (6 weeks from early Feb), so any of April through June won't work for TRC - unless you want to do it without highest profile stars playing R360?

Under this model you probably need to start TRC in late January, and have it wrap up in late March

 

[Wilson]

Major Australian participation (and New Zealand if it shifted their eligibility rules) in R360 would effectively kill off any hope of an ANZAC test happening in the future. The best that could be hoped for is a prospective Australian and New Zealand franchise in the comp played each other in an Australian or New Zealand leg for an ANZAC day clash, but all indications are it'll only be a combined Australia/New Zealand team (or even a broader Pasifika one) from the start.

It remains to be seen if there would even be a local leg for us though, everything about this competition is geared towards a Northern Hemisphere market and they may not want to cop the inconvenient time zone, at least not until the competition expands (which brings with it more issues). That is the major issue with this comp from an Australian and New Zealand perspective, everything about it - the schedule, the locations, the people involved, they're all geared to a Northern Hemisphere (and particularly European) market. This is not going to be a product that serves fans here particularly well, and that is not going to help the health of the game.

 

[KOB1987]

R360 will run straight after the current six nations window (6 weeks from early Feb), so any of April through June won't work for TRC - unless you want to do it without highest profile stars playing R360?

Under this model you probably need to start TRC in late January, and have it wrap up in late March

OK got it, I knew there must have been something wrong with my thinking there. It could still potentially work but would mean (here at least) favouring the southern states for the RC early on (Arg & SAF would favour altitude), and saving Brisbane/Perth for March and/or the July tests. So we'd have us doing our tour of ARG &/or SAF first up, the other of those go to NZ, and then we switch legs for the second half. NZ at least has a climate for all seasons, Tassie might even feature on our calendar for the odd Arg test. It's doable.