Roger Tuivasa-Sheck set for stunning $1m move to ‘Saudi-backed’ rebel league

Another of the NRL’s superstars has been linked with a move to rugby union: with Roger Tuivasa-Sheck the latest to consider a code switch.

However, Tuivasa-Sheck will not head to one of union’s major domestic competitions Down Under or even relocate to European rugby: he is closing in on a deal worth $1,000,000 per season – almost double what he earns now with the Warriors – in the newly-created Rugby 360 competition.

Reports have suggested that the rebel breakaway rugby league is being backed by Saudi investment, and that the top players in the league could earn up to $2million per season if they sign.

Various reports in Australia, including one from the Sydney Morning Herald, have confirmed that Tuivasa-Sheck is one of the players who has held possible talks about heading to R360 in 2027 when his deal with the Warriors ends.

There is no suggestion Tuivasa-Sheck would walk out on the final year of his contract in the NRL next year, meaning he could still play in the World Cup at the end of 2026, too.

But a second exit from the competition to go and play rugby union is now on the cards. Tuivasa-Sheck played in Super Rugby for the Auckland Blues before coming back to the NRL.

R360 is designed to shake up the world of rugby union. It will feature 12 franchises and hundreds of players who will take part in games across Europe, with players to be bid for at auctions in a similar theme to cricket’s Indian Premier League.

Tuivasa-Sheck remains one of the NRL’s big stars, but it appears he is now set to return to union with an explosive move to a competition that is set to send shockwaves through both codes of rugby, it seems.

Various other players are set to be linked with moves too as some of rugby league’s biggest names are targeted.