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Mint
11 hours ago
- Sport
- Mint
Can India fall in love with rugby? The Rugby Premier League bets big on speed, power and spectacle
Arun Janardhan A new Indian rugby league backed by GMR, foreign Olympians, and grassroots ambition is betting on the game's speed, spectacle, and a short format. Can the RPL succeed in Ind where so many other leagues have failed? Bengaluru Bravehearts' Spanish player Pol Pla is tackled by Delhi Redz's Spanish player Alejandro Laforga. Gift this article 'It's four minutes per quarter. There are tackles, running, muscle, shouting, grunting, people fall, blood is oozing out—kabaddi will not see that. Kabaddi only has some holding." 'It's four minutes per quarter. There are tackles, running, muscle, shouting, grunting, people fall, blood is oozing out—kabaddi will not see that. Kabaddi only has some holding." Srinath Chittoori's description of rugby 7s is not a criticism of kabaddi, but as a reference marker of what he wants audiences to expect. The co-owner of KLO Sports has just bought a team, Hyderabad Heroes, in the GMR Rugby Premier League (RPL), the latest in the assembly line of sports leagues that sprout periodically—and optimistically—in the country. On Sunday, at Mumbai's Andheri Sports Complex, on the opening evening of the league that ends on 29 June, a few hundred people gathered under a cloudy sky to watch the first three matches of the RPL. Some in the audience, first-time viewers of rugby, squealed and shuddered at the sheer physicality of the tackles, the speed of the runs and the muscle that Srinath mentions. Three matches wrapped up in under two hours, despite the intermittent drizzle, which only adds more chutzpah to the players' slides. The results of the matches matter less than what has transpired—and will over the next two weeks—which is India showcasing and playing a sport that many believe we don't. The shorter format of the sport—like T20 cricket—each team in rugby 7s has seven players. A match is 14 minutes long—or 22 minutes, including breaks. Its brevity, the RPL's organisers believe, is its superpower. The RPL has six teams, each with 13 players, including eight foreigners, playing up to 12 matches over 15 days. Of the 48 international players participating, more than 20 are Olympians or world champions. Teams are owned by some of the leading investors in sport, like Dream Sports (Mumbai Dreamers), KLO (which has teams in Ultimate Kho Kho, Legends League Cricket), besides newcomers like real estate developers RMZ (Delhi Redz) and mining company AvidSys (Chennai Bulls). PLAYING BALL From the moment he enters the sporting arena, Rahul Bose gets accosted—for a photograph, for a quick instruction, for a deep discussion. For years, as a player, he has been the face of Indian rugby. Over the last few years, he is also the president of the Indian Rugby Football Union (IRFU) or Rugby India, the governing body of the sport. The actor known for films like English August, Mr and Mrs Iyer, among others, has been explaining rugby's fine virtues to whoever is willing to listen from the time he went to Sri Lanka for the Indian national team's first international 7s match, two-and-a-half decades ago. The RPL, almost everyone who spoke to Lounge says, is the result of his efforts—finding the schedule window from World Rugby, getting some well-known names to play in it, convincing GMR and the others to put in the money. 'The kind of preparation we have done," Bose says, 'has been marked by intellect, by analysis and by heart." Also Read Reliving India's historic 1975 Hockey World Cup win The reason Bose has been at the forefront of pursuing a league is because, as one stakeholder says, 'just because you don't see it (rugby) does not mean it doesn't exist". Bose avers to the over a 100,000 registered players, over 250 districts that play the sport across 25 states as a sign of its popularity. A match between Hyderabad Heroes and Kalinga Black. The RPL's been about two years in the making, Bose says. The teams first got their coaches, organised by IRFU, World Rugby and a little by luck of the draw, before an auction in April assembled the players. 'The roster of coaches and players—categorised as marquee, bridge and Indian players—was done by IRFU and made available to all as a menu," says Vikrant Mudaliar, the chief marketing officer of Dream Sports. Bose adds, 'Elite athletes are snobs and I appreciate that. This is where we pulled the rabbit. When we told players that these are the six coaches, they realised we are not messing around." The franchise fees has been kept low compared to other leagues, adds Satyam Trivedi, chief executive officer for GMR Sports, with player purses capped at ₹ 77-80 lakh. All matches will be in Mumbai, instead of a home-and-away format, to save costs. 'This season we have a centralised system, a plug-and-play model, making this financial model efficient," he says, adding that the league will travel to a different city next season. While most sports leagues in the country, barring the IPL, the Star Sports-backed Pro Kabaddi League and Indian Super League have stuttered or shut down, RPL's organisers believe they may have cracked the code While most sports leagues in the country, barring the IPL, the Star Sports-backed Pro Kabaddi League (PKL) and Indian Super League (ISL), have stuttered, shut down or existed in the margins, RPL's organisers believe they may have cracked the code here, having studied others' failures and successes. 'A league has to be a team sport," explains Bose. 'It's difficult to gain fan loyalty unless it's a team sport. Individual sports don't lend to tribalism." 'Second, it has to be exciting on TV, not 90 minutes for a goalless draw. There is something every 45 seconds to a minute here, a score every minute. That's a dopamine hit. Someone is getting smashed, someone is breaking through, a high tackle… 'Finally, and this is non-negotiable, (the players) have to be the best in the world. If I can flip channel and watch a better version, why would I watch this?" A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN James Turner, a member of The Aussie 7s, would have been in Fiji with his partner and new-born or just playing putty (Australian rules football), had he not got an offer for RPL. When he heard about it, his first reaction was, 'This is different. I didn't realise that Indians liked rugby," he says, leaning his tall frame awkwardly on a round bar table at RPL's launch event. Also Read How Vivek Singh of Procam transformed India's running culture He immediately called up his Australian teammates, Henry Hutchison and Maurice Longbottom, and the three decided they were headed to the subcontinent. For Turner, familiar with the IPL and what it has done for the sport, the RPL presents an opportunity to be in the forefront of something nascent. Bollywood actor and President of Rugby India Rahul Bose. Mumbai also got Jerry Tuwai, a Fijian with two Olympic gold medals and World Rugby Sevens Player of the Year in 2019, 'the most decorated 7s player in the world," according to Mumbai's Australian coach Tim Walsh. 'I want to use his knowledge, share it with other players. Sevens is a game of moments, small moments that make big differences." For some players, the league provides an opportunity to stay in touch with the game when in many parts of the world this period is considered to be the off-season. Others want to ride the wave—if there is one—of a rugby revolution. 'My coach Paco (Francisco Hernandez, coach of Bengaluru) was coming too," says Spaniard Manuel Moreno, who plays for Hyderabad Heroes. 'He said to me, it's an opportunity to improve. It (RPL) was an easy choose." Also Read Harsh Jain of Dream Sports: Living the fantasy All teams practised for just two weeks prior to the start of the league. For the players, the challenge is not just to adjust to a short window of two weeks, but also the city's hot-humid-wet weather, which makes the air heavy, the ball slippery. 'All the marquee players equal each other out—give or take. The winner would be decided by how well the Indian boys play," says Turner, who signed up for Mumbai. THE LONG RUN Bose presents a rosy picture for the future, believing that at the end of this season, the teams would send scouts to scour the country for young talent, returning with 30-35 promising young men for next year. There would be 200 male—soon female—players training for the next season. When the ISL started over a decade ago, the inaugural season had some of the sport's biggest names—retired and semi-retired. Robert Pires, David James, Nicolas Anelka, Alessandro del Piero among others joined in, before the wave fizzled out. RPL's true test would be to sustain the flow, going past the initial momentum of season one. 'If you ask owners for RoI (returns on investment), the league will die," says Sanjith Shetty, one of the owners of the Bengaluru Bravehearts team and the president of Rugby Karnataka. 'Nobody will make crores—we will all lose money. But there is some business sense to it." Most team owners are looking for a 5-10-year run. Some talk of investing in the grassroots, others want to break the hegemony of cricket. There is perhaps a sense of altruism, while for Mihir Menda, a member of RMZ's supervisory board, RPL gives them a foot into the world of sport. 'The responsibility here is to grow the game," says Walsh. 'So that I can sit back and watch the Indian rugby team compete at the Olympics (which India has bid for) in 2036 for a medal." 'I can be smiling then, whether India wins it or Australia does." Arun Janardhan is a Mumbai-based journalist who covers sports, business leaders and lifestyle. Also Read The quiet triumph of D. Gukesh Topics You May Be Interested In
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Chennai Bulls continue unbeaten run; Delhi Redz register first win of the season at RPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI): The Chennai Bulls continued their unbeaten run at Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League (RPL), here on Wednesday at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex (Andheri Sports Complex), as per a release from RPL. Meanwhile, the Delhi Redz also picked up their first win of the competition against the Mumbai Dreamers, who are yet to win a game. The Chennai Buls and the Kalinga Black Tigers played out an absolute thriller which ended 26-26 in the opening game of the day, and after that the Delhi Redz defeated the Mumbai Dreamers by a margin of 20-7. The results will see the Chennai Bulls retain their top spot on the points table. It was the Kalinga Black Tigers, who were out of the blocks the fastest, with Perry Baker getting the first try of the game, and Maurice Longbottom promptly converted too. After that, the Chennai Bulls equalised Joaquin Pellandini's try and kick. That was the lull before the storm, as the Tigers went through the gears before half-time as Kyle Tremblay and James Thiel added a try each, and Longbottom managed to convert another kick. Just before the break, Aryan Dixit scored a try for the Bulls, as both teams took a breather with seven points between them. Early in the second half, the Bulls levelled things up with Filipe Sauturaga scoring a try and converting as well. In the final quarter though, the Kalinga Black Tigers surged ahead as Ajay Deswal bagged a try and Longbottom, once again put in between the poles. Just as the Kalinga Black Tigers looked set for their first win of the season, Vaafauese Maliko scored a try and Joaquin Pellandini converted his kick from the wing, to ensure the Bulls would not lose the game. In the second game of the day, the Delhi Redz had the Mumbai Dreamers in front of them. It was the Dreamers who began strongly as James Turner scored a try and Akash Balmiki converted after that. From then on in, the Dreamers did well to hold onto the lead till half-time. After the break though, the Delhi Redz stormed back into the contest. Alejandro Laforga scored a try first while Jordan Conroy added two more, which was complemented by Deepak Punia's conversion with the final move of the game. Deepak Punia also scored a drop kick, which helped his side register a comprehensive 20-7 win on the night. (ANI)
India Gazette
2 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
Rugby Premier League preview for matches on June 18
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 18 (ANI): The first game of the day will see the Chennai Bulls square off against the Kalinga Black Tigers. The Bulls have been the most dominant teams so far with three wins in a row and are on top of the table as they look to extend their winning run. Meanwhile, the Black Tigers will be eager to bounce back after a tough defeat in their previous outing, according to a release from Rugby Premier League. In the second match, the Mumbai Dreamers take on the Delhi Redz. Dreamers will look to notch their first win of the tournament, while the Redz will be eyeing to register more points on board with just one draw under their belt. Top 5 Players to watch out for today at the Rugby Premier League Vaafauese Maliko (Chennai Bulls) The league leader in tries with five successful tries and joint highest points scorer in the tournament so far with 25 points to his name, Vaafauese Maliko is one of the most dominant players of the inaugural season of RPL and is key to Chennai Bulls' strong position in the standings. The 26-year-old Samoan hybrid player is in an exceptional vein of form. Terry Kennedy (Chennai Bulls) A prolific scorer and a key attacking threat, Terry Kennedy is one of the best players participating in the league and is surely living up to that potential. Third highest in points with 17 to his name and successfully converting three tries so far, the Irish hybrid powerhouse is a gamechanger in the ranks of Chennai Bulls. Matias Osadczuk (Delhi Redz) With 16 points in just two games, Matias Osadczuk can cause major troubles for the opposing sides on the field. The 28-year-old Argentine has also scored three conversions and is a major threat to the opposition's backline. Patrick Odongo (Delhi Redz) Another player from the Delhi Redz setup, Patrick Odongo is in a good run of form in the two games played so far. Apart from his defensive contributions at the back, Odongo is also a crucial player in the attack having scored two tries and winning ten points for his side in two appearances. Lucas Lacamp (Kalinga Black Tigers) Despite Kalinga Black Tigers' struggles on the pitch, Lucas Lacamp has impressed everyone with his defensive contributions. With eight tackles already, he is a difficult player to get past and will be critical for the Black Tigers as they face a strong opposition. (ANI)
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
RPL Season 1: Classy Chennai Bulls register third win, dominate Delhi Redz
Mumbai: The Chennai Bulls continued their strong run as they won three out of three games in Season 1 of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports Complex (Andheri Sports Complex) here on Tuesday and maintained their position at the top of the table. The Bulls were dominant and demolished the Delhi Redz, defeating them by a scoreline of 21-7 on Tuesday evening. For the Bulls, the duo of Vaafauese Maliko and Joaquin Pellandini led the charge with impressive individual performances. The Chennai Bulls were showing off their fantastic form yet again and dominated the contest from the get-go. The Delhi Redz hardly attacked in the early exchanges and were further pegged back by two tries from Vaafauese Maliko and Joaquin Pellandini's consequent conversions. Before the end of the first half, Terry Kennedy almost ran the length of the field to add a third try for the Chennai Bulls, after which Joaquin Pellandini calmly converted his kick. At half-time, the Bulls were cruising with a 21-0 lead. After that, the Bulls' unit kept things solid at the back and didn't concede to the Redz in the third quarter. However, with the last play of the game in the fourth quarter, Matias Osadczuk scored a try and then converted his kick for the Redz, to give the scoreline a different look. The Bulls had completely dominated their opponent on the day and walked away with a 21-7 win. Earlier on Monday, Chennai Bulls defeated Mumbai Dreamers on the second successive day to win two out of two and lead the points table, while the Bravehearts are second, with one win and a draw. The Bulls won comfortably with the score at 31-17. The Bulls were out of the blocks faster than their opponents, and pretty much kept the Mumbai Dreamers at arm's length. However, in the final quarter, the Dreamers got into their act and attempted what could have been a comeback for the ages, before the Bulls nipped it in the bud with a fine counter-attack in the final minutes of the contest.
India Today
5 days ago
- Sport
- India Today
Rugby Premier League season 1: Schedule, teams and all you need to know
The Season 1 of the GMR Rugby Premier League is all set to get underway as Matchday 1 is upon us. The first-ever franchise-based Rugby Sevens league in the world, organised by Rugby India and GMR Sports, will host the who's who from the world of rugby, in Mumbai, and capture the imagination of the fans. Battling it out for top honours are six franchises: Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and the Mumbai Dreamers. The RPL will feature 30 marquee international players from powerhouse Rugby Sevens nations, including New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA and Spain. Additionally, 18 international players from Canada, Hong Kong, and Germany will also be part of the tournament, enhancing the league's competitive but not the least, the GMR RPL will also see 30 Indian players selected from an auction pool of 71, participating alongside the international Premier League 2025 teams and squads Delhi Redz: Matteo Graziano, Michael Coverdale, Raj Kumar, Moritz Noll, Matias Osadczuk, Alejandro Laforga, Deepak Punia, Sunil Chawan, Mohit, Rajdeep Saha, Patrick Okongo, Jordan Conroy; Coach: Tomasi CamaHyderabad Heroes: Manuel Asensi, Sambit Pradhan, Terio Veilawa, Max Roddick, Prince Khatri, Javed Hussein, Sukumar Hembrom, Sumit Roy, Joji Nasova; Coach: DJ ForbesKalinga Black Tigers: Kyle Tremblay, Harry McNulty, Deepraj Rajabhosale, Ethan Turner, Rosko Specman, James Thiel, Maurice Longbottom, Asis Sabar, Arjun Mahato, Ajay Deswal, Pardeep Singh, Lucas Lacamp, Perry Baker; Coach: Mike FridayChennai Bulls: Nikias Lohe, Muhammed Ep, Vinay A, Akhil Anand, Joaquin Pellandini, Filipe Sauturaga, Joseva Talacolo, Terry Kennedy, Alexander Davis, Vallabh Patil, Shanawaz Ahmed; Coach: Ben GollingsadvertisementMumbai Dreamers: Aaron Cummings, Elias Hancock, Rhys James, Neeraj, Devendra Padir, Nayan K, Waisea Nacuqu, Briar Barron, Henry Hutchison, James Turner, Ganesh Majhi, Akash Balmiki; Coach: Tim WalshBengaluru Bravehearts: Tone Shiu, Scott Curry, Suresh Kumar, Iowane Teba, Mak Chung, Akuila Rokolisoa, Liam Poulton, Mohit Khatri, Karan Rajbhar, Arpan Chhetri, Prashant Singh, Pol Pla; Coach: Francisco HernandezWhat is the squad composition?Each squad will have 13 players, with two Indians required to be on the field of play at all times during the game. At any given point in time, there will be seven players on the field of play. The seven is then divided into three forwards and four backs. The starting Seven players in the GMR RPL will feature two international players, two international Bridge Players + two Indian players + 1 Coaches is the format of the matches?Each game will be played in four quarters, which will be of four minutes each, with a break of two minutes in between each phase. The total time duration for one match is not expected to exceed 22 Full schedule Courtesy: RPL Where will the GMR RPL be played?Season 1 of the GMR Rugby Premier League kicks off on 15 June, with a final scheduled for 29 June, in Mumbai at the Shahaji Raje Bhosale Sports RPL: Where to watch in India?The season 1 of the RPL will be telecaster live on the Star Sports Select 1 and Star Sports Select 1 HD TV channels in India. The matches can also be livestreamed on JioHotstar.
