Big bucks.

Reports have emerged this morning of a brand new club rugby competition that is in the works in what is being described as “rugby’s version of the IPL.”

The Indian Premier League was established in cricket back in 2022. It has attracted some of the sport’s top players and has become a global powerhouse competition in the sporting world.

Rugby’s answer could be set to debut in the USA as early as 2026 with some of the sport’s biggest names being targeted.

South African outlet, The Rapport states that around 280 male players will be contracted with starting salaries as high as $900,000-a-season.

“The plan is to contract around 280 men’s players worldwide and around 140 women’s players for rugby’s version of the IPL,” a source told Rapport.

“They’re talking about starting salaries as high as $900,000. An effort is being made to get some of the world’s top players to sign contracts.”

How this potential competition could work in the current calendar is a tricky one with fixture lists already stacked. We’ll take this with a pinch of salt for now.