Rugby Australia to target top NRL talent

[BuffaloRules]

They did. The Saudi backing is purely an NRL/Australian media invention.

Media from traditional Rugby Union countries largely ignore R360, and if they don',t they don't mention anything to do with Saudi Arabia.

We still dont know for certain who is backing it … but I did raise this story earlier ( from UK media) which shows a UAE connection .

There is a bit of mystery around the financial backers still….this article references 885 Capital as “injecting funding “ which I understand is a UAE based enterprise …

Breakaway rugby league R360 scrums down with 885 backing

An investor in Baller League and the Professional Fighters League is to help fund next year's launch of R360, a new rugby format which is aiming to entice some of the world's leading professional players. Sky News has learnt that 885 Capital, an investment firm founded by Sudeep Ramnani and Jai...

uk.news.yahoo.com

 

[Dogs Of War]

We still dont know for certain who is backing it … but I did raise this story earlier ( from UK media) which shows a UAE connection .

Those guys are Indians.

 

[kurt faulk]

.

When rumours came out about the Saudis backing r360 they put out a statement refuting it and saying they aren't an atm machine

They're how much they thought of the concept.

.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Those guys are Indians.

Lot of Indians work in the UAE …

UAE Investor 885 Capital Emerges as Sports Force With PFL Stake

The Professional Fighters League has a long list of well-known investors, including financial heavy-hitters Ares, Elysian Park and the Saudi-backed SURJ, as well as team owners David Blitzer, Ted Leonsis and Mark Lerner. But relatively few know of one of PFL’s most significant shareholders: 885...

sports.yahoo.com

 

[Chins]

Bad news for the Bears on the surface but once it falls over they might do well out of this

 

[BuffaloRules]

.

and saying they aren't an atm machine

Lol… who are they trying to kid ?

 

[Wizardman]

The NRL will be absolutely fine. Fan support will not be keen in this part of the world for R360. Heck, not even a franchise is planned to come from here.

Most of our absolute top end players won't leave for the circus. It will attract the next tier down type players but I don't anticipate we'll lose many players.

It could very well hurt Union though.

While the Saudi's have money to burn, I fail to see how this Idea will work. The Saudi track record with other sports has not been good. LIV golf is probably the most successful example but even that as that is moderately successful. The players are getting bucketfuls of money but the actual product is just doing okay., The Saudi soccer is an absolute fail and soccer is a lot easier to sell to a world audience than Union.

The two sports which they mysteriously leave alone are basketball and american football.

 

[Billythekid]

I think the main threat to the NRL is losing some talent in the short term at a time when we're expanding which makes keeping the quality of all teams more difficult (just look at the NRL). It'll only become more of a threat if it somehow defies the odds and becomes a big success.

It seems to be a big threat to union especially in our neck of the woods. This has the potential to poach a lot of talent from an already ailing scene Aus/NZ. Not only that but the closest team to Australia is based in Japan and most of the timezones won't match ours. Super rugby was already in dire straits and this looks like a dagger straight to the heart.

 

[Perth Red]

The NRL will be absolutely fine. Fan support will not be keen in this part of the world for R360. Heck, not even a franchise is planned to come from here.

Most of our absolute top end players won't leave for the circus. It will attract the next tier down type players but I don't anticipate we'll lose many players.

It could very well hurt Union though.

While the Saudi's have money to burn, I fail to see how this Idea will work. The Saudi track record with other sports has not been good. LIV golf is probably the most successful example but even that as that is moderately successful. The players are getting bucketfuls of money but the actual product is just doing okay., The Saudi soccer is an absolute fail and soccer is a lot easier to sell to a world audience than Union.

The two sports which they mysteriously leave alone are basketball and american football.

Thyev got their fingers in sports clubs and companies across a iwde range of sports. EPL, cricket, tennis, golf, boxing, motorsport and so it goes on. Last year Saudis had 910 sponsorships across 36 sports!

Doubt they'll be interested in the B class players, they'll want the stars.

If 2 or 3 go it wont make a cent of difference, if 10-20 go it certainly will.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Thyev got their fingers in sports clubs and companies across a iwde range of sports. EPL, cricket, tennis, golf, boxing, motorsport and so it goes on. Last year Saudis had 910 sponsorships across 36 sports!

Doubt they'll be interested in the B class players, they'll want the stars.

If 2 or 3 go it wont make a cent of difference, if 10-20 go it certainly will.

Again, the Saudis aren't involved in this

 

[Perth Red]

Some interesting (pie in the sky) figures in this article.

It’s ‘game on’ for launch, says rugby’s breakaway R360 league – but how ready is it really? | Matt Hughes

Co-founder Mike Tindall insists the rebel league will launch next year but, with financial projections changing, will the numbers stack up?

www.theguardian.com

 

[BuffaloRules]

Some interesting (pie in the sky) figures in this article.

It’s ‘game on’ for launch, says rugby’s breakaway R360 league – but how ready is it really? | Matt Hughes

Co-founder Mike Tindall insists the rebel league will launch next year but, with financial projections changing, will the numbers stack up?

www.theguardian.com

Top salary is “ up to 740k GBP” which is about A$1.5m … they are going to need to throw more than that to get the elite NRL names …the likes of Haas , Cleary, Munster etc

that gibberer Paul Kent was saying Lomax was offered $3m a year …lol

 

[Wb1234]

Top salary is “ up to 740k GBP” which is about A$1.5m … they are going to need to throw more than that to get the elite NRL names …the likes of Haas , Cleary, Munster etc

that gibberer Paul Kent was saying Lomax was offered $3m a year …lol

No tax on their wages is what I read

 

[BuffaloRules]

No tax in Dubai which is where they are based

On the other hand ..It’s a plastic comp with no tradition …

 

[Wb1234]

On the other hand ..It’s a plastic comp with no tradition …

Can’t remember if it’s Dubai or sa based but being based there for part of the year and travelling to major capitals around the world each weekend will appeal to some

This is actually a time when playing union you get to see the world

Union fans are already starting to complain about this seeing the danger to their competitions

From 2027 it’s running head to head with super rugby which will kill off that comp, something the nrl should’ve done by now

 

[Dogs Of War]

Lot of Indians work in the UAE …

UAE Investor 885 Capital Emerges as Sports Force With PFL Stake

The Professional Fighters League has a long list of well-known investors, including financial heavy-hitters Ares, Elysian Park and the Saudi-backed SURJ, as well as team owners David Blitzer, Ted Leonsis and Mark Lerner. But relatively few know of one of PFL’s most significant shareholders: 885...

sports.yahoo.com

Did you look at the two names of the guys who own it?

Sudeep Ramnan and Jai Mahtani who are both Indians but educated in England, and have investments all over the world including Africa. It's just I'd suggest the UEA provides some better protections for them to base themselves there. It's not like India itself doesn't do a lot of investment into the UAE themselves. Geez all the IPL teams own and run games in the UAE all the time, it has it's own league.

Rich Indians are very different in the UAE than the plight of poor ones.

Don't get me wrong, they won't be taking all the risk and I'm sure some UAE money is goign into this. But ultimately that's what these guys do. As I said before, I suspect they are hoping that if it works they can sell these franchises for billions like IPL teams. It's why they even have a draft.

 

[BuffaloRules]

Can’t remember if it’s Dubai or sa based but being based there for part of the year and travelling to major capitals around the world each weekend will appeal to some

This is actually a time when playing union you get to see the world

Union fans are already starting to complain about this seeing the danger to their competitions

From 2027 it’s running head to head with super rugby which will kill off that comp, something the nrl should’ve done by now

People are different… the overseas thing will appeal to some no doubt … although I’m not sure it’s the lure that Union types types like Fitzsimmons think it is… lot of NRL boys are family men from an early age .. so travelling the world in these “interesting “ times we live in might not appeal to all…

 

[BuffaloRules]

Did you look at the two names of the guys who own it?

Sudeep Ramnan and Jai Mahtani who are both Indians but educated in England, and have investments all over the world including Africa. It's just I'd suggest the UEA provides some better protections for them to base themselves there. It's not like India itself doesn't do a lot of investment into the UAE themselves. Geez all the IPL teams own and run games in the UAE all the time, it has it's own league.

Rich Indians are very different in the UAE than the plight of poor ones.

Don't get me wrong, they won't be taking all the risk and I'm sure some UAE money is goign into this. But ultimately that's what these guys do. As I said before, I suspect they are hoping that if it works they can sell these franchises for billions like IPL teams. It's why they even have a draft.

I don’t know what will happen with R360 … but I cannot see the day ever where this competition is comparable to the IPL … a competition being played in the most populated country on earth concerning the one sport they are passionate about … that’s a unicorn right there

 

[JamesRustle]

I reckon R360 could get Ash Klown for about AUD 200k p.a.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

One thing PVL needs to do is allow a marquee player outside of the cap for each club. If a player war is coming and R360 get a dozen NRL players which then filter into the Wallabies team, it suddenly gives them a way back that they don't have at the moment.

A marquee player allowance at least gives clubs some ability to fight the big money offers on some sort of equal footing and not allow the ARU to rebuild the Wallabies on the back of the NRL.