V'Landys Defends R360 Bans Amid Legal Scrutiny

LeagueNews.co | Jess Malloy

Australian Rugby League Commission chairman Peter V'Landys has expressed confidence that the NRL's ten-year bans for players or agents engaging with R360 will withstand any potential legal challenges.

Recently, the NRL announced that any player or agent who negotiates, signs, or enters a letter of intent with an unrecognized competition, such as R360, will face a decade-long ban. The NRL's official statement clarified, "Any NRL Player who negotiates, signs, or enters into a Letter of Intent, Playing Contract, or any other form of agreement-whether verbal or written-with a football competition, league, or organisation not recognised by the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) as a national sporting federation, will be banned from participation in the NRL and any ARLC-sanctioned competitions for a period of ten (10) years."

While the NRL has the discretion to lift these bans, details on when that might occur remain unspecified.

R360 poses a significant challenge to the NRL, with several players reportedly approached by the Saudi Arabian-backed competition, prompting considerable financial offers. Concerns have been raised regarding the legality of the NRL enforcing bans against players involved with R360, but V'Landys reaffirmed the legality of the bans in an interview with 9 News, emphasizing the intent to "protect players against themselves."

He stated, "Look, we won't do anything without getting it tested legally, ourselves. We're very confident in the legal position," during a discussion on Nine's Today Show.

Menu
LeagueNews.co | Contact Us
All rights are owned by their respective owners
Terms & Conditions of Use