A prospective future England international is being tipped to join the rebel rugby union R360 league, per reports.
The NRL are currently engaging in a fight to keep hold of some of their biggest stars amid interest from R360, which is a proposed rugby union competition set to launch in 2026.
One of the key backers of R360 is former England rugby union star Mike Tindall with the competition expected to run both men’s and women’s franchises in cities all across the globe.
It’s not just rugby league fighting off interest from R360 but also some rugby union federations warning that players who join will be deemed ineligible for international selection.
Whilst no NRL player has signed to play in R360 yet, Zac Lomax has been released from Parramatta Eels with many expecting the State of Origin winger to make the switch to the 15-man code competition.
Ryan Papenhuyzen, who was released from his Melbourne Storm contract, is another who has been touted as a high-profile signing for the rebel rugby union league.
Billy Smith set to be chased by rebel rugby union league
It’s now being reported in Australia by Wide World Of Sports that prospective England international Billy Smith is the “next player set to appear on the the R360 shopping list”.
In a report by The Mole, Smith is touted as one of those who the rugby union comp is chasing and that wouldn’t just have NRL repercussions, but also England repercussions.
That’s because Smith, who plays his club rugby league with Sydney Roosters, reached out to England head coach Shaun Wane to express his interest in representing England.
Shaun Wane revealed in August that Smith had reached out and declared an interest in playing in the Ashes and though not selected, there’s no reason why Smith wouldn’t still pursue hopes of playing for England in the future or even at the 2026 Rugby League World Cup.
Speaking on his England hopes, Smith noted his parent’s heritage whilst club teammate Victor Radley, who withdrew from selection for the Ashes, also spoke out about the conversations.
Radley told Wide World Of Sports: “He spoke to me two weeks ago and I said ‘let’s do it, ring Waney and let him know’.
“I didn’t really recruit Bill, I feel like he’s had it in the back of his mind and it’s his first opportunity – touch wood, I don’t want to jinx it – but he hasn’t really been available.
“He’s probably had it in his mind for years but hasn’t had the opportunity to, so it’s good to see him choose the motherland.”
Should Smith switch codes to R360 then it would obviously end any hopes of him representing England for as long as he was playing rugby union.
Check out the latest episode of The Serious About Rugby League Show on our YouTube channel here.
Eric T Cat
November 20, 2025 at 11:21 am
If they want to go play Union then the door is over there, just pay off your contract to your employer and go. But you’ll be bored witless, you’ll be penalised for virtually every tackle you make, you’ll sweat more in a League after match cool down than yhan playing 80 minutes of Union, the rule book is about 30cm thick, and as an ex League player every loss will be your fault, even when not playing. But, they money is good, careers are short, you can wasily lat til you are 40 barring injury if in top flight League fitness.
There’s no point keeping someone who wants to leave, as lng as they buy out their contracts, let them go. There’s will be others who step up and into their shoes. My ex-wife hated sport, all sport, but she tried to get used to watching League with me. One afternoon I took the kids to the Park to run off some energy, when we got back she was watching Bath vs Leicester, “What’scwrong with this? Where are all the fit young men with nice legs and sexy bums? Why is it so slow? They’re fat and old, and nothing happens, you could play this!, I wa 42 at tge time. “Oh, erm that’s a different sport”, “oh, is this for those not good, fit enough, or too old to play what you watch then?”, “It’scactadvmore complicated than that…”. One potted history of class oppression, schism, a nevsided war, lifetime bans, media and Establishment bias, she decided she wouldn’t watch Union, it was awful, but we could still watch “proper rugby”, her words not mine, as she was getting to like that. First game I took her to watch she sat quietly, second games he was on her feet screaming about offsides. Although I did think her choosing to support Leeds Rhinos was a bit much! For a start I’m a Hull KR fan, we lived a mile from Odsal, still st least she didn’t pick FC, or Wigan, or St Helens. Worked out the same with her, no point staying together if you both fundamentally need something different, plus her trying to murder me (not a joke, albeit I laugh about it now) wasn’t very nice! Intensive care is a scary place when you come to surround by monitors, with tubes everywhere and anywhere they can put one.