By Ben James

Copyright walesonline

The Welsh Rugby Union have stopped short of joining other national unions in stating that signing for rebel league R360 would make them ineligible to play for their national teams. A joint statement from the governing bodies of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Italy confirmed that players would be warned that men’s and women’s players who participated in the new league, which is aiming to launch in October 2026, would be “ineligible for international selection”. Having not agreed on that statement, the WRU’s statement simply stated that they “reserve the right not to select men’s and women’s players for international duty if they participate in this competition”. The softened stance comes as the WRU complete a consultation process into the number of professional teams in Wales. The vast majority of players are understood to be against the WRU’s proposed two-club model, with a very high percentage of Welsh players having also said they would likely look for opportunities elsewhere if the number of clubs was reduced to two. A number of high-profile Welsh players are understood to have already been targeted by R360, who claim they have already agreed deals with nearly 200 male players. Wales captain Jac Morgan is understood to be one of the players targeted by the rebel league, with the back-row having told the WRU that he would leave Welsh rugby if the Ospreys no longer existed in their new model. Sign up to Inside Welsh rugby on Substack to get exclusive news stories and insight from behind the scenes in Welsh rugby. Welsh players looking to join R360 could well be encouraged by the WRU’s stance compared to other governing bodies, who issued a strong joint statement. “As a group of national rugby unions, we are urging extreme caution for players and support staff considering joining the proposed R360 competition,” read the statement agreed by the unions of New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Ireland, England, Scotland, France and Italy. “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. “Among our roles as national unions, we must take a wider view on new propositions and assess their impact on a range of areas, including whether they add to rugby’s global ecosystem, for which we are all responsible, or whether they are a net negative to the game. “R360 has given us no indication as to how it plans to manage player welfare; how players would fulfil their aspirations of representing their countries, and how the competition would coexist with the international and domestic calendars so painstakingly negotiated in recent years for both our men’s and women’s games. “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. Join WalesOnline Rugby’s WhatsApp Channel here to get the breaking news sent straight to your phone for free “These are all issues that would have been much better discussed collaboratively, but those behind the proposed competition have not engaged with or met all unions to explain and better understand their business and operating model. “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.” In response to the joint statement, the WRU issued their own statement, explaining why they weren’t as categoric as other governing bodies: “The Welsh Rugby Union supports this statement, and we are considering changes we may need to make to qualification rules in Wales as part of ongoing analysis following our recent consultation process. “As we continue to analyse and understand the proposals, we reserve the right not to select men’s and women’s players for international duty if they participate in this competition.” There are other factors behind the WRU’s stance. As well as the consultation process, which means Welsh rugby currently doesn’t know how many teams it will have moving forward, The statements from governing bodies come shortly after players were warned by player unions to seek legal advice before signing deals with R360. The league, spearheaded by former England World Cup winner Mike Tindall, has offered big contracts and a reduced fixture list to play for new franchises in a global series. As well as nearly 200 male players, it’s been reported R360 is targeting a number of stars from the recent Women’s World Cup. However, the International Rugby Players Association (IRPA) has advised players to exercise caution. The organisation that links players unions from the UK, France, Australia, New Zealand and other nations, has emphasised that R360’s complete proposals remain unclear. Get the latest breaking Welsh rugby news stories sent straight to your inbox with our FREE daily newsletter. Sign up here. “Detailed information about the competition remains outstanding and the competition does not currently have World Rugby regulatory approval,” said the IRPA in a statement. “Players are encouraged to speak to their player association or, where no player association exists, directly to IRPA or a legal advisor, prior to signing any contract pertaining to the competition.” R360 is continuing in discussions with the IRPA and, while it is keen to have player union support, it is confident it can launch without it. “Our global series puts players first and we will continue to engage extensively with stakeholders including IRPA,” said an R360 spokesperson. “We’ve engaged directly with players and their closest advisors. We’re truly excited to launch next year and showcase incredible male and female talent, excite fans and help to grow the game we love.”