“We’re certainly not going to keep investing all that money into building a pathway, only for Mike Tindall every three or four years…to take the cream off the top of the milk again.
“I’m not saying the Curry boys [Sale and England flankers Tom and Ben] are going to 360 – I’m just using them as an example – but if they went, by the time they retire, Mike Tindall’s going to need to replace them and keep expecting me to replace them within my squad.
“Most clubs are being supported by wealthy individuals who love the sport, want to do their bit for the sport, but certainly aren’t that stupid to keep putting money in to creating a conveyor belt that’s going to fund R360 and get no compensation for it.”
R360’s organisers claim it will soon turn a profit, by drawing in fans who watch Test rugby but don’t follow the current club game, as well as attracting new audiences.
It views its recruitment of overseas stars as no different from the sort of policy pursued by Japan’s top-tier clubs.
All Blacks fly-half Richie Mo’unga and South Africa’s two-time world player of the year Pieter-Steph du Toit are among those attracted to Japan Rugby League One by high wages and low workloads.
However, publicly at least, R360 is yet to make significant headway in building its roster.
Sale’s George Ford and Northampton’s Fin Smith renewed their club contracts amid R360 interest, while superstars Finn Russell and Antoine Dupont have extended deals with Bath and Toulouse respectively.
