World Rugby CEO Alan Gilpin said Tuesday that Test Rugby is the pinnacle of a franchise league that doesn’t offer players the opportunity to play, and is unlikely to offer players the opportunity to play.
The R360 Global Franchise League, head-on by former England Centre Mike Tindall, is scheduled to be released in 2026, and media reports link it to Rugby Union and league players’ top money offers.
It reportedly included Melbourne’s storm star Ryan Pappenhuizen. On Tuesday, the Sydney Morning Herald said he met with Tyndal and other R360 executives while in Melbourne last week.
Papenhuyzen is the third NRL player linked with the switch to the R360 after it was reported that Roger Tuivasa-Sheck and Kalyn Ponga were approached by the startup league.
However, as far as World Rugby is concerned, Gilpin has embraced dialogue with the R360, and said the game’s global stewards welcomed investment in sports as long as they are creating a more financially sustainable game for the “wideer ecosystem” with the players.
“Our position knows that players want to play international rugby, whatever the competition is,” he said at the start of the 2027 Rugby World Cup ticketing program.
“This is not true for all sports, but in our sports, international games are the pinnacle of the game.
“Global rugby has a very tricky calendar, so it’s really important to give players the opportunity to do whatever they approve and invest in.
“And I think players will vote on their own feet, whatever they don’t give players the opportunity.”
Rule 9 of World Rugby has implemented releases of test rugby players from any competition, and said Gilpin will continue to insist on the availability of all international windows.
That includes the British and Ireland Lions Tour for both the Rugby World Cup and both the Sevens competition at the Olympics.
“Whatever the new concepts being discussed with players, whether it’s an R360 or not…the whole concept of player release in the international window defined in our sport is important,” he said.
“We need to make sure that players are able to play any contest, because they want to, they can play in those big moments.
However, Gilpin left Door Ajar for consultations with R360 officials, especially given the investment that could flow into rugby when desperately needed.
“We need to interact with those guys when they’re ready to do that,” Gilpin said. “We always say rugby needs to invest. Australia is a great example, right?
“Rugby is in a highly competitive environment around the world. All sports and beyond are competing for a more challenging attention economies. So, as long as its investments are heading towards the right field, we encourage it as long as it creates a more financially sustainable game for the wider ecosystem.
“But I think we have to understand what that means in the case of the R360.”