Too much cricket? Why don't you give Rugby Premier League a try instead

India Today

10 hours ago

The Indian audience has been bombarded with cricket of late. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy between November and January, the England white-ball series right after that, then the Champions Trophy and the Indian Premier League - it has seriously become too much.And it's not like that was the end of it. The World Test Championship Final took place between June 11–15, and after just a week's escape, the Test calendar resumes once again when India take on England in a 5-match Test series starting on June 20.advertisementThankfully, in the new India, if you are getting bored with cricket, there are other options. One of them is the ongoing Ultimate Table Tennis championship in Ahmedabad, where some of the top players of the world are participating right now.
UTT is in its sixth season, with the final scheduled on June 15, Sunday. However, if you have already missed that bus, India Today can recommend something else - a league that is being played for the first time.
What is the new sport, you ask? It is the Rugby Premier League, India's first-ever franchise-based Rugby Sevens league. The tournament is taking place at the Andheri Sports Complex in Mumbai and will run till June 29.advertisementBengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and Mumbai Dreamers are the six franchises competing for the championship.The RPL will feature 30 premier international players from major Rugby Sevens nations including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, the United States, and Spain. Furthermore, the competition will include 18 foreign players from Canada, Hong Kong, and Germany, increasing the league's competitive depth. In addition to the foreign luminaries, the GMR RPL will include 30 Indian players.India Today caught up with the tournament's most expensive player - Mohit Khatri, sold at ?4.75 lakh in the first-ever RPL auction.ExcerptsWhy should a person watch rugby?Rugby is a combination of several sports. You will get to see flashes of several different games. You will find athletics, you will find kabaddi, football - there are skills of various games involved in the sport. Most importantly, it is a contact sport, and that attracts people. If by chance, you switch the channel, I think people will enjoy this very much and they will get hooked to the sport.In terms of the sum of money, is that good in terms of rugby?See, I'll tell you what. The amount is decent if I consider it from the point of view of the first season. I did not expect anything. I thought that if the league happens, it will be great. The sport will gain some popularity. This is a game that can become big. I was not thinking about a big or small amount.advertisementThis is the start of a new era of rugby for India. This will change a lot of things for the sport and the players. This will help the national team as well. Once it runs for 2–3 seasons, professionalism will come, and things will improve. After it gets good momentum, I will think about what could be a good amount.
Is this a money-intensive sport?Not at the start. You can wear just shoes, get the kit and start playing. But at the professional level, the cost of the diet is very big, the professional training costs a lot, strength and conditioning coaches cost a lot, you will need a very good gym trainer as well - only then you will be able to see the result.advertisementWhat has been Mohit Khatri's journey in the sport of rugby?I was in class 6–7 when I was introduced to the sport. One of my elder brothers played the sport. One day, he was going for training, he caught me when I was going to play cricket. He said, 'Why do you play this cricket and football? Come, play rugby with me.' I went because I would have an outing, hang out and relax. And then slowly, I think I took up the sport. Once I started playing year-round, I started thinking, 'What am I training for? What is the end goal here?' At the start, I lost a lot. Then it was just about finding that one win. Once I started winning regularly with the team, then the focus shifted to levelling up the game, levelling up the nutrition, levelling up the training.In 2015, I went to the national team camp and since then I have represented the country in both rugby sevens and fifteens. Recently, in 2024, I was handed the captaincy of the national team.advertisementWhy is Haryana such a hotbed of athletes in India right now?Mostly in Haryana, the mindset is - when you have free time, get into a physical activity - be it running, gym or taking up a sport. If you take up a sport, you end up falling in love with it so much that you want to reach the peak of that. You start at district, then state and then the national team.Once you fall in love with the game, nothing can stop you.Do parents instil this mentality in Haryana? Or do you take inspiration from a figure?See, if you get inspired by someone, or look up to someone, that lasts about 15 days. It is like a New Year's resolution - that I will hit the gym. But some start in desperation - to improve their family condition, some want to improve themselves, some want to establish their identity. In Haryana, you will find open support from homes.Think about wrestling - they have such a big diet that they take loans to help them maintain their nutrition. I have seen parents support this endeavour in Haryana. Once the child sees that, they more often than not want to give back to the parents, through the sport.advertisementWe do not let efforts go to waste - there is a sense of responsibility.Can you tell us about the standard of Indian rugby?The Indian rugby team is ranked 13th in Asia. The Rugby Premier League will have 5 marquee players - Olympic-level players in each team. Three players will be from Hong Kong, Canada and Germany and 5 other players are Indian, in each team.The rule of the game is that at least 2 players from each category will have to play in the team. When we train with them, we will be able to find out the gaps in our game. We will adapt the good things, learn the skills, and hopefully that will raise the standard of Indian rugby. This will be of huge help to the youngsters, who will get exposure early in their careers.Rugby Premier League: Rules and Livestream DetailsEach side will have 13 players, with two Indians needed to be on the field at all times throughout the game. At any given time, seven players will be on the pitch of play. The seven players are subsequently divided into three forwards and four backs. The GMR RPL's starting seven players will include two international players, two international bridge players, two Indian players, and one coach's choice. Each game will consist of four quarters, each lasting four minutes, with a two-minute rest between each phase.One game is planned to last no more than 22 minutes.Season 1 of the RPL will be broadcast live on Star Sports' Select 1 and Select 1 HD TV channels in India. Along with this, the league will also be streamed live on JioHotstar.