Former England and Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has thrown his weight behind the controversial R360 league, a new rebel rugby competition aiming to shake up the sport. The league, which will include six to eight men’s teams and four women’s teams, is looking to lure elite players from across the globe to its franchises despite facing strong opposition from national unions.
Last week, the rugby establishment struck a significant blow to R360, declaring that players who join the rebel league will be banned from participating in Test matches. Despite this, the league continues to find advocates, including Jones, who currently coaches Japan's national team.
"I think we need it, mate,"
Jones remarked in an interview with The Times. He drew parallels between R360 and historical disruptors in other sports, saying,
"You think about what World Series Cricket did for cricket. It changed the whole game from being a drab game to being an exciting game that people wanted to get involved in."
Jones believes that while Test match rugby remains crucial, there's a pressing need for an alternative platform that prioritizes entertainment and could potentially boost fan engagement, sponsorship, and commercial interest in rugby. This, he argues, would support the more traditional levels of the sport.
However, Jones also expressed concerns about the future of rugby as it stands, particularly at the domestic levels outside of France and Japan, where financial struggles are ongoing. "We know in most of the countries now, apart from maybe France and Japan, domestic rugby is really struggling financially," he explained. The R360 league seems poised to fill a void in these struggling markets, potentially revitalizing interest and investment in local competitions.
Jones also suggested that rugby might need to adopt a structure similar to football, with specific international windows that allow domestic leagues to flourish without the constant pull of international duties on players. This restructuring could help stabilize the financial and competitive aspects of domestic rugby leagues worldwide.
As the debate rages on, the future of R360 and its potential impact on global rugby remains a hot topic. Will this rebel league be the catalyst for a new era in rugby, or will it face insurmountable opposition from the sport's traditional gatekeepers? Only time will tell, but with influential figures like Eddie Jones in its corner, R360 may just be a game-changer.
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Former England and Wallabies coach Eddie Jones has thrown his weight behind the controversial R360 league, a new rebel rugby competition aiming to shake up the sport. The league, which will include six to eight men’s teams and four women’s teams, is looking to lure elite players from across the globe to its franchises despite facing strong opposition from national unions.
Last week, the rugby establishment struck a significant blow to R360, declaring that players who join the rebel league will be banned from participating in Test matches. Despite this, the league continues to find advocates, including Jones, who currently coaches Japan's national team.
"I think we need it, mate,"
Jones remarked in an interview with The Times. He drew parallels between R360 and historical disruptors in other sports, saying,"You think about what World Series Cricket did for cricket. It changed the whole game from being a drab game to being an exciting game that people wanted to get involved in."
Jones believes that while Test match rugby remains crucial, there's a pressing need for an alternative platform that prioritizes entertainment and could potentially boost fan engagement, sponsorship, and commercial interest in rugby. This, he argues, would support the more traditional levels of the sport.
However, Jones also expressed concerns about the future of rugby as it stands, particularly at the domestic levels outside of France and Japan, where financial struggles are ongoing. "We know in most of the countries now, apart from maybe France and Japan, domestic rugby is really struggling financially," he explained. The R360 league seems poised to fill a void in these struggling markets, potentially revitalizing interest and investment in local competitions.
Jones also suggested that rugby might need to adopt a structure similar to football, with specific international windows that allow domestic leagues to flourish without the constant pull of international duties on players. This restructuring could help stabilize the financial and competitive aspects of domestic rugby leagues worldwide.
As the debate rages on, the future of R360 and its potential impact on global rugby remains a hot topic. Will this rebel league be the catalyst for a new era in rugby, or will it face insurmountable opposition from the sport's traditional gatekeepers? Only time will tell, but with influential figures like Eddie Jones in its corner, R360 may just be a game-changer.