R360: Henry Slade admits new competition sounds ‘exciting’ but maintains UK aspirations after RFU warning | Rugby Union News

Henry Slade admits the new R360 competition ‘sounds exciting’ but says he still has the ‘fire’ to pursue his own ambitions for club and country.

On Tuesday, the government unions of eight countries, including England, Ireland and Scotland, released a joint statement warning that players who join the rebel circuit will not be eligible for international selection.

R360 is a new franchise league led by England’s 2003 World Cup winner Mike Tindall, comprising 12 teams in major cities around the world.

Slade, who has 73 Test caps for England, was one of the big names linked to the new competition.

“Well, no one’s heard much about it,” he said. “But I think given the premise of it, it sounds exciting for the game of rugby.

“I think people are always trying to find ways to get more people involved in the sport and get more and more fans involved and I think this might be a way to do that.

“I think, especially if you’re a younger player, you probably haven’t had the opportunity to achieve what you want to achieve yet. [so being ineligible for international selection may be a deterrent].

“But that fire never goes out, even as you get older. I can’t speak for everyone, everyone is different, we’ll see. The ambition to play for your country will never leave you.”

“Obviously a rugby player’s career is short, so you have to think about your family and your finances,” the 32-year-old said.

“But playing for England, yes, incredible.”

The Exeter Chiefs center missed out on the Lions squad over the summer but was part of England’s tour to Argentina where the Roses won both matches.

Slade hopes to be back in an England shirt for the Autumn Nations Series, with the first match against Australia at Twickenham on November 1.

“We have so much strength and depth,” Slade said. “Obviously the Lions boys were away this summer and they did well in Australia.

“But for the rest of us who went to Argentina, I think we showed real character to come away with the wins there.”

“I think the team is in a very good position and hopefully we can continue. There are so many good players on the pitch, but also in the centres.”

“There are a lot of options, so I just have to keep driving away, keep raising my hand, keep going as fast as I can and who knows.”

Slade will also be keen to continue to justify his place in the team as they progress towards the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Australia.

The prospect of making his third World Cup squad after missing out on 2023 is also an added motivator for the centre, but he acknowledged that “there is still a lot of rugby to be played until then.”

Henry Slade spoke to Sky Sports as part of the Tackle Diabetes campaign to raise awareness of type 1 diabetes, tackle misunderstandings and stigma and highlight the importance of early detection.