Prem Rugby Chief Executive Simon Massie-Taylor has committed to investing in the league in a bid to prevent players defecting to R360.
In an interview with The Times’ rugby podcast The Ruck, Massie-Taylor admitted Prem Rugby needs to “raise standards and create a better experience for fans”, suggesting to close the league by extending the number of teams from 10 to 16.
This was proposed during a Rugby Football Union (RFU) council meeting on September 22 when discussing investment opportunities for Prem League.
The proposed expanded league will look to keep the current 10 teams while inviting six teams from the lower leagues. The Prem League is reportedly looking to invite teams who are financially sustainable and based in attractive UK markets for investment.
Early suggestions have earmarked Coventry RFC, Doncaster Kings and Worcester Warriors to be invited to the expanded league.
“We needed to position ourselves in a more modern way,” Massie-Taylor said during the podcast.
“We needed to raise standards and create a better experience for fans. We needed to generate more investment into the league, hence Red Bull, and create something that fans want and is competitive.”
Red Bull made its first foray into rugby by taking an ownership stake in the Newcastle Falcons, contributing significant investment to clear the Falcons’ debt, support the fan experience, and lead the club’s future growth strategy.
Rebranded as Newcastle Red Bull for the upcoming 2025/26 Prem League season, the investment came at a pivotal time not just for Newcastle, but for Rugby Union overall.
There have been widespread calls for the league to explore new commercial opportunities after a series of high-profile collapses in recent years, such as London Wasps and London Irish, have plagued Prem League.
Rugby Union’s commercial and investment struggles in recent years also birthed the idea from England World Cup winner Mike Tindall to launch R360, a breakaway rugby league that promises to be a commercialised and modern approach to Rugby Union.
R360 challenges Prem League’s approach
Tindall revealed to The Telegraph in June 2025 that he intends to create a “global grand prix” of 16 teams across 16 international venues for R30 franchises to compete in.
Joining the former England rugby champion are Bath Rugby executive Stuart Hooper and John Loffhagen, once legal counsellor for LIV Golf, with the group inspired by the commercial models of the Indian Premier League and LIV Golf.
Greater player incentives have also been suggested for the R360, promising players upwards of £740,000 per-year to compete in the league. That is almost three-times more than the average player salary of £232,000 in the Prem League for fly-halfs – the highest-paid position.
While R360 is yet to receive its clearance by World Rugby to be ratified as a competition, its intended launch date of late 2026 has caught the attention of Prem League and Massie-Taylor.
“As a player, you need to think more broadly,” said Massie-Taylor. “It’s not necessarily just current players now who may have the opportunity to go and play elsewhere, whether that’s in France or Japan, but it’s future players as well.
“What we’re really proud of in the English system is everything that starts off from the relationship that academies have with schools and colleges and grassroots clubs.”
With reported investment interest in R360 from stakeholders in Premier League and Formula One teams, Prem League will be hoping for more investment from the likes of Red Bull in order to compete financially, but also for fan attention.
