Mike Tindall, the former England captain and 2003 World Cup winner, has come out in defence of the decision to delay the launch of his breakaway R360 franchise league until 2028.
The competition had originally been slated to get underway this autumn, but those plans have now been shelved.
Mr Tindall, who is spearheading the venture alongside former Bath director of rugby Stuart Hooper, pointed to player welfare as a key factor behind the postponement.
The project had already secured more than 200 provisional deals with players drawn from both codes of rugby before the decision was taken to push the timeline back.
Mike Tindall, the former England captain and 2003 World Cup winner, has come out in defence of the decision to delay the launch of his breakaway R360 franchise league until 2028
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The league’s ambition is to bring about what its organisers describe as “generational change” within the sport.
Under the R360 blueprint, 12 new franchise teams would be established in cities across the globe, with Tokyo, London, Dubai, Cape Town, Boston and Miami among the locations reportedly under consideration.
The financial incentives on offer are substantial, with players said to have been offered deals worth as much as $1million, roughly £740,000, per season.
The inaugural campaign has been designed with player workload firmly in mind. Participants would feature in just eight matches during the first season and would also be guaranteed 12 weeks of rest.
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The model is intended to attract the world’s elite talent while ensuring that the physical demands placed on players remain manageable – a central pillar of the league’s pitch to prospective recruits.
Mr Tindall told The Rugby Paper that aligning the league with the post-2027 World Cup window had strengthened its position.
“Having to push it back to post the 2027 World Cup makes it more appealing to the Unions and makes us more appealing to everyone in the game,” he said. “We’re working hard to pull it together and fit it into the game.”
He stressed that the physical toll on top-level players demanded action, with some facing between 11 and 15 international fixtures annually.
Mike competing in the Rugby World Cup in 2003 | PA
“So something has to give somewhere. We are trying to make sure the best players in the world don’t hit those levels of games and also get rewarded for it,” he added.
Mr Tindall argued that a significant gap exists in the rugby calendar between World Cups and the Six Nations, one that a new elite-level tournament could fill. He maintained that the sport had stagnated for too long, failing to cultivate the worldwide following it merits.
Reflecting on the most recent Six Nations, Mr Tindall praised the championship as a showcase for the sport’s potential.
“Everyone who watched the last Six Nations saw just how good a product it can be in terms of excitement, entertainment and real drama. It’s an emotional roller coaster which was amazing from start to finish,” he said.
He drew a parallel with cricket’s The Hundred, suggesting it offered a template for how rugby could embrace a similar transformation. “There is precedent there for rugby to have that sort of change. R360 can,” he said.
Mr Tindall struck a bullish tone about what lies ahead. “We remain absolutely determined to bring R360 to life at full scale and with maximum global impact,” he declared.
“We’re building something bold and new that will resonate globally and we cannot wait to show the world in 2028.”