Overview
- The shift was communicated to players and agents by email, which also confirmed the termination of conditional player contracts tied to the earlier timetable.
- High-profile targets such as Zac Lomax and Ryan Papenhuyzen now face uncertain playing futures after arranging exits with NRL clubs for a 2026 start that will not proceed.
- R360 publicly named Martin Gilbert as a non-executive chairman and investor, marking the project’s first confirmed backer.
- The venture still lacks World Rugby sanction, and it faces selection bans from eight leading unions and the British & Irish Lions, with the NRL threatening a 10-year ban for defectors.
- Organizers say they will pivot from the previously mooted shortened seasons in 2026–27 to a full-season debut in 2028 to align with the calendar and reduce pressure on players, following weeks of agent concerns over funding and readiness.