R360 League Athletes Face Decade-Long Ban from National Rugby League

Rugby league's administration has declared that players who join the “rebel” R360 league will be banned for a decade.

The proposed competition, scheduled to begin in 2026, is seeking to lure players from union and league with lucrative deals and a slimmed-down game calendar.

Leading rugby league stars have allegedly been contacted by the breakaway group, which will feature six or eight men's sides and four women's sides located in key urban centers around the world.

Samoa's the player, who represents the Warriors in the competition, has confirmed he has had discussions with the breakaway league.

Ryan Papenhuyzen, Zac Lomax, Haas and Jye Gray are also believed to be thinking about signing the new competition.

Several leading union teams, such as Australia, earlier announced a restriction on players joining R360 appearing in global fixtures.

“We have consulted our teams and we've taken firm action,” stated ARLC chairman the official.

“Unfortunately, there will persistently exist entities that try to exploit our sport for economic benefit.

“They fail to contribute in talent pipelines or the growth of athletes. They merely capitalize on the efforts of other organizations, putting players at risk of economic hardship while profiting themselves.

“Essentially, they are, imitating the sport.”

The league is co-founded by retired international Mike Tindall and funded by private investors.

After the potential union bans were announced earlier, it commented: “We want to work together as integrated into the worldwide fixture list.

“The event is designed with tailored timetables for men's and women's teams and R360 will release all players for international matches, as specified in their contracts.”

The new league will seek approval for its proposals from the international authority, union's governing body, at its official gathering in the coming year.