ENGLAND has joined multiple international rugby giants against breakaway league R360 – by declaring any player involved will be barred from test selection.
A statement released by all the Six Nations unions except Wales, as well as South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, slammed the rebel competition, urging “extreme caution” to anyone considering signing up.
Former England star Mike Tindall is at the forefront of the breakaway proposal[/caption]
R360, fronted by 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall, is also accused of being set up to profit “a very small elite”, rather than the game in general.
The news comes just days after the International Rugby Players Association told its members to seek legal advice before agreeing a contract.
The measures marked a major setback to the league, which was planning to launch in October next year.
If the breakaway is to go ahead – which seems increasingly unlikely – then it must do so without the game’s biggest stars.
The statement read: “As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition.
“We all welcome new investment and innovation in rugby and support ideas that can help the game evolve and reach new audiences, but any new competition must strengthen the sport as a whole, not fragment or weaken it.
“The R360 model, as outlined publicly, rather appears designed to generate profits and return them to a very small elite, potentially hollowing out the investment that national unions and existing leagues make in community rugby, player development and participation pathways.
“International rugby and our major competitions remain the financial and cultural engine that sustains every level of the game – from grassroots participation to elite performance. Undermining that ecosystem could be enormously harmful to the health of our sport.
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“Each of the national unions will therefore be advising men’s and women’s players that participation in R360 would make them ineligible for international selection.”
The Welsh Rugby Union, currently in the midst of restructuring its domestic game, has expressed support for the statement and reserves the right not to select players for international duty if they are involved in R360.
Plans for the rebel league involve 12 franchised teams – eight men’s and four women’s – taking part in a global grand prix-type competition that will see matches take place in cities such as London, Miami, Tokyo and Lisbon.
As many as 200 players are believed to have signed pre-contracts worth up to £750,000, but none have made their involvement public as yet.
There are also no details of who is investing into the event.
R360 is confident it will be launched next year despite the unions’ display of power, and organisers are set to apply for sanctioning to World Rugby next summer.
They released a statement that read: “So many players love what R360 can do for them and the game and we can’t wait to kick-off next year.
“We want to work collaboratively as part of the global rugby calendar. The series is designed with bespoke schedules for men’s and women’s teams and R360 will release all players for international matches, as written into their contracts.”
Inside life of most relatable royal couple Zara and Mike Tindall
YOU might expect to find royalty spending their evenings eating fancy food, wearing designer gowns and dripping in diamonds.
But for one royal couple, life is a lot more ‘normal’ than you’d imagine – we’re talking curry and beer nights and muddy dog walks.
From Ann Summers parties and tongue piercings to sibling spats in the royal box, here we take a look at how the Tindall clan has carved out a reputation as Britain’s most relatable royals.
Mike and Zara met in Australia in 2003 during the Rugby World Cup, after they were introduced to each other in a bar in Sydney by Zara’s cousin Prince Harry.
The couple’s relationship blossomed back in the UK, but it wasn’t all big elaborate romantic gestures – things happened naturally.
Mike later told the Daily Mail: “We got introduced but didn’t speak that much.
“Later on, [rugby player] Austin Healey gave me her number and said, ‘She wants you to text her, to say where you’re all going out after the final so she can come along.’”
Unlike Kate Middleton and Prince William, Mike and Zara have never shied away from a PDA and happily show their love for each other.
But when it comes to dates, they reportedly love nothing more than a night in front of the telly.
According to reports, Mike proposed at home while Zara was watching TV.
It was this level of normality which the Queen was said to have adored about her eldest granddaughter and her family.
One royal source said: “Zara and Mike relax in their dog-strewn home with a box-set, a good curry and some lagers.”
If they do fancy a night out, it’s understood Princess Anne babysits so they can enjoy a date at the local pub near where they live in Gloucester.
