By Ross McNaughton, RNZ
Former England international Mike Tindall. Photo: Photosport
If the All Blacks have been approached to take part in the Rugby360 competition, they are certainly not letting on.
"Not at all, mate, no I haven't heard anything," All Blacks vice-captain Ardie Savea said.
"I'm unaware of any of that information," coach Scott Robertson said.
But according to veteran commentator Tony Johnson, R360 could be a legitimate threat to rugby's status quo.
"What I'm hearing now is that this thing is real, that the money is off the scale. There is a lot of money, there are interested parties. They're certainly talking to a lot of players and they believe they can get this thing going by next year. How realistic that is, I don't know," he said.
While solid details about R360 are scarce, the competition would reportedly operate eight men's and four women's teams, in a franchise system played across multiple countries.
Former England midfielder Mike Tindall is a spokesperson and the league is being financed by private investment from the US, the UK, and most importantly, Saudi Arabia.
It is estimated Rugby 360 will need to sign hundreds of players to operate.
Warriors star Roger Tuivasa-Sheck is one of several high-profile NRL players linked with a move to Rugby360. Photo: Photosport / Andrew Cornaga
Any wage bill though is minuscule, compared to the riches in the Saudi Public Investment Fund, according to professor Steve Jackson at the University of Otago.
"It's into the hundreds of billions, and that's just their investment strategy. And just in relation to sport, I think they're at about close to $50 billion just in the last two to three years," he said.
Critics have termed this strategy sportswashing. Effectively using sport as a means to cleanse a country's reputation.
And while it has gone for decades across many nations, the Saudis are the undisputed world champions.
"They can hide all the human rights abuses," Jackson said.
"Rugby is just another feather in the cap. You know, there's golf, there's, Formula 1. There's UFC. I mean, they've got links now with the IOC and the Olympics, FIFA. So they are gathering momentum."
New Zealand Rugby declined an interview request but provided a statement saying they're monitoring potential markets.
"We continue to see strong player retention, driven by a focus on environments and quality teams and competitions. Pleasingly, we have large number of players committed to the long-term which recognises the incredibly exciting domestic and international rugby calendar over the next four years."
World Rugby have also taken notice.
"World Rugby have had a meeting very recently about it," Johnson said.
"No one knows what has come out of that, but World Rugby will be under a lot of pressure from the likes of, the English Premiership, the Top 14 league in France, the Japan League, Super Rugby, because if this thing R360 gets off the ground, then those competitions will be decimated and it really will split the game."
World Rugby still holds a trump card though: Test rugby.
"What I understand is that no top rugby players are going to commit to this if they think there's any threat to them playing international rugby, no matter how big the money is. Or very few, which is why probably at the moment the names that are being banded around are rugby league players."
But the Saudis have the money to test anyone's loyalty. Top players were reportedly offered signing bonuses of more than US$100 million to join their LIV golf tour.
"We can have a lot of theories, but at the end of the day it's two words: money talks," Jackson said.
Whether that money gets a 'yes' from New Zealand's best rugby players, that will all come out in the wash.
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