R360 rugby start-up faces dissolution over overdue accounts

The company behind R360, the controversial all-star rugby start-up, has been ordered to publish overdue accounts or face being dissolved.

R360 originally had a launch date of October 2026, but has postponed its inaugural edition until 2028 after a concerted move against it by eight leading Test nations and the British and Irish Lions.

AOTG Sport was scheduled to file accounts with Companies House in July, covering a period up to the end of December 2025.

Earlier this week, it was served with a strike-off notice, giving two months to hand over the overdue paperwork or be put out of business.

AOTG says the delay is an error by its accountants and will be resolved by early next week, with the proposed global series still on track to become reality in 2028.

"We remain absolutely determined to bring R360 to life at full scale and with maximum global impact," said former England centre Mike Tindall, the public face of the project, last November when its postponement was announced.

"We're building something bold and new that will resonate globally - and we cannot wait to show the world in 2028."

R360 was intended as a five-month F1-style circuit of events in major world cities, with eight men's and four women's teams, featuring some of the sport's biggest names, competing in some of the most prestigious venues.

New York's 82,000-capacity MetLife Stadium, which hosted this year's football World Cup final, Barcelona's remodelled Nou Camp and Dublin's Croke Park were all floated as possible stages for matches.

Organisers claimed to have contracts signed with close to 200 men's players to take part, but clashes with existing international tournaments were hard to resolve.

Ratification from World Rugby, the game's governing body, was not forthcoming without a guarantee of players' release for the Test window, while England, Ireland and Scotland were among the teams to issue a blanket ban on selecting those who signed up to the new global series.

Several high-profile players, such as England fly-halves George Ford and Fin Smith, opted to stay with their current clubs, rather than take up interest from R360.

Organisers will require a hefty budget to secure top-end talent and venues, while also marketing a brand-new event outside of rugby's usual heartlands.

As of December, the majority of shares in AOTG Sport were owned by directors Stuart Hooper, the former Bath coach, and Mark Spoors, a prominent player agent.

United Arab Emirates-based investment firm 885 Capital, which also is involved in influencer-heavy football event Baller League, has the largest stake of any outside investor.