Star Metro - French Top 14 chief calls R360 rebel league an 'abomination'

Four leading South African players have been linked with joining the revolutionary competition, that would start next year, according to British newspaper the Telegraph.

Last week, former New Zealand centre Roger Tuivasa-Sheck confirmed he had held talks with the organisers, which include ex-England centre and 2003 Rugby World Cup winner Mike Tindall.

"It seems like a total abomination at three levels," French national league (LNR) boss Roubert told AFP.

"From what I've understood, I don't know much about the subject, I see a philosophical and destructive abomination.

"It's also a sporting abomination," the Frenchman added.

According to reports, R360 would include 12 franchises playing games in two periods of the year, April-June and August-September, at venues across the world.

It hopes to attract 300 men's and women's players with salaries thought to be double that of the traditional club game, with financial backing from team owners in sports such as the NFL and Formula One.

"Firstly, philosophically, because we're talking about private investors who pick up from the work done by structures that have been put in place by clubs and global unions," Roubert said.

"It also seems a destructive project, with short-term vision, to have players, who currently play for a town, a territory, a region, play for businesses or billionaires instead.

"Whenever it's on, it would kill domestic competitions across the world but also international competitions like the Nations Cup."

Roubert added the economics of R360 just don't add up for him.

"Finally, economically, I find it hard to understand how you can pay 12 times 30 players more than 500,000 euros ($586,000)," he said. "As well as rent stadiums, which clubs don't usually play at, and the logistical costs."

J.Campbell--SMC