LONDON — Global rugby administrators, buoyed by the success of the recent Women’s World Cup, have signaled that the proposed breakaway R360 league could still play a role in the women’s game, provided it aligns with the existing international fixture schedule. World Rugby is focused on building upon the momentum generated by the tournament, which set new records for attendance and ticket sales.
R360 League Must Align with International Calendar
R360, a planned 12-franchise competition co-fronted by men’s World Cup winner Mike Tindall and including four women’s teams, recently withdrew its application for World Rugby sanctioning and is now aiming for an October next-year launch.
However, World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin mentioned to SuperSport on Monday that, in the wake of the successful World Cup, “After what we’ve seen in the last five weeks, does rugby need to tear up all of its existing structures and do it completely differently? I’d argue no.”
Gilpin stressed the importance of fitting into the established international framework. “We know that a number of the nations playing in this World Cup have already said, and will continue to say, that players who play in other leagues that aren’t fitting within the schedules they have won’t be chosen for their international teams.” He added that with the new WXV Global Series providing “certainty” to national teams and players, he hopes R360 can be part of that platform for investment.
World Cup Hailed as a ‘Generational Sporting Moment’
The remarks follow the highly successful Women’s Rugby World Cup in England, which concluded with the hosts beating Canada in the final. World Rugby Chief Executive Alan Gilpin mentioned to SuperSport that the event was the “generational sporting moment we believed we could deliver.”
Key successes included:
- A record-breaking 444,465 tickets sold for the tournament.
- A record crowd of 81,885 attending the final between England and Canada at a sold-out Twickenham.
- The reported fact that 50 per cent of all spectators were attending a women’s rugby match for the first time.
- A “bolder” staging, including the opening match in Sunderland and a finals day at Twickenham, where watched the third-place play-off hours before the final.
Looking ahead to the next tournament, Women’s Rugby World Cup Managing Director Sarah Massey mentioned to SuperSport that her advice for the hosts in Australia is simple: “Go bigger and bolder. We had that ambition right from the start and you have to back yourself.”
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