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RNZ News
7 hours ago
- Sport
- RNZ News
India Rugby backs sevens franchise for 10 years
Rugby India President Rahul Bose. Photo: AFP India Rugby and its partners have committed to backing the Rugby Premier League (RPL), the world's first franchise-based sevens league, for the next 10 years. President and Bollywood actor Rahul Bose told RNZ Pacific from Mumbai that all the six franchise teams plus their funders have signed on for the first event, which will kick off on 15 June, and the next nine events down the line. The tournament will take place in Mumbai at the Mumbai Football Arena and will feature 30 international players playing alongside local players. Six teams are representing the Indian cities of Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Bhubaneswar. The franchises are Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes, Kalinga Black Tigers, and the Mumbai Dreamers. The Mumbai Dreamers team. Photo: Mumbai Dreamers Thirty international players are now with the six teams, with five players per team from the field of 30 invited to play at the event. The list includes Fijians Jerry Tuwai, who will play for Mumbai Dreamers, along with Waisea Nacuqu, plus Australian pair Harry Hutchinson and James Turner. South African playmaker Rosco Speckman and his Australian counterpart Maurice Longbottom, who have clashed over numerous times on the world sevens circuit, will team up for the Kalinga Black Tigers. New Zealand players Akuila Rokolisea, Scott Curry and Tone Ng Shiu team up with Spain's star Pol Pla and Fijian Ioane Teba for the Bengaluru Bravehearts. All six head coaches are well-known on the world sevens rugby circuit and these are Mike Friday (former USA sevens head coach), Ben Gollings (England sevens legend and former Fiji sevens head coach), DJ Forbes (New Zealand sevens icon), Tomasi Cama (New Zealand sevens coach), Paco Hernandez (Spain sevens coach) and Tim Walsh (Australia women's sevens head coach). The league will also feature 30 Indian players. Bose said the event will be a big boost for rugby in India, and one that has been in the pipeline for some time. He said sevens is one of the most attractive television sports in modern history. "This is a league that's been six years in the making, but we wanted to do everything right," he said. "The first extraordinary development came thanks to World Rugby, who gave us a 15-day window in which no international rugby sevens would be played anywhere in the world." The league will be broadcast live on Star Sports and JioHotstar. Bose said the event will be a major boost for rugby in India. "It's going to transform and create pathways for many more people to enter the rugby ecosystem, and also players, who would normally never get a chance to upskill under the Indian national team environment, will now be picked up," Rahul said. He said viewer numbers could be anything between 10 and 50 million in the first year. "And whatever it is, it's been an impressive number, and sponsors who were earlier never attracted to rugby, because rugby was never seen on television, will now have commercial interest in the sport. "So between the regeneration and the rejuvenation and new talent, both on the field and off the field, happening internally, there will also be money happening externally, and when the two meet, that will result in a massive infusion of energy into the game in the country." Bose said having international players play alongside local players in the six franchise teams is going to be massive for the players and the development of the game, especially sevens, in India. He pointed to performance and culture as two key lessons for the local players. "One is the Indians, the best of India, to understand how much further they have to go to become world class players," Bose said of the flow-on effect he and Rugby India expect from the players' interactions. "So definitely, performance on the field, nutritional conditioning, rehab, habits on and off the field. I think that will be a huge learning experience for any of these boys. Psychological preparation, temperament, readying yourself during a match for the next challenge, readying yourself between matches for the next challenge. "And the second is culture. "What is the unspoken culture that is being cultivated amongst these players that makes them who they are? What are the kind of things they do when nobody's watching? What are the kinds of things they don't do when nobody's telling them not to do something? These are the things that build culture." All the players and the six coaches plus team officials recruited for the franchise events are being paid fees in accordance to World Rugby guidelines. Bose said this is something Rugby India had worked on with the franchise owners and funders, to ensure that finance is a non-issue. "The entire league is privately funded; World Rugby has nothing to do with it," he said. "We have six franchise owners, each of them pay a franchise fee, which goes into the central pool, and the central league engages sponsor that also goes to central pool. "The player's fee is separate. The coach's fee is separate. The transportation and living experience expenses of coaches and players is separate. We have been guided by World Rugby as to what to tell the team owners, what they can spend, what they should be offering the coaches and the players." On the tournament previews, Bose said it is exciting for India. He said the league offers the opportunity for players to play alongside each other rather than against each other, over a new format that focuses on giving players a lot of time to recuperate and recover, so they can be at their best. "And the players are very excited because they are going to be playing alongside players they've never played with, and they've always played against, whether it is an Irish player playing against a Fijian and now playing with a Fijian; whether it is a South African player, playing against an Argentinian player and now playing with the Argentinian player," Bose said. "And everybody's very excited that this new format, of just one game a day per team. "People should expect world-class rugby in a way that they haven't seen before." The event kicks off on 15 June with the Bengaluru Bravehearts taking on the Delhi Redz while the Chennai Bulls face the Mumbai Dreamers. The third game of the day will be between the Hyderabad Heroes and the Kaling Black Tigers.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- India Gazette
"Allows India to dream": Kalinga Black Tigers coach Mike Friday shares his excitement for the inaugural edition of RPL
Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], June 7 (ANI): Kalinga Black Tigers head coach Mike Friday hailed the Rugby Premier League (RPL) as a groundbreaking platform blending international excellence with domestic talent to help India's rugby dream flourish, according to a release from RPL. A former rugby sevens player himself, Mike Friday proceeded to become England Sevens' most successful coach to date, leading them to 10 titles during his tenure, while also securing a Commonwealth Games silver medal in 2006. He has also played a significant role in building legacies across the teams he has coached, including Kenya Sevens' and USA Sevens' teams. Now taking up a new challenge at the RPL, he described the league's unique appeal, stating, 'It's a very innovative format, a perfect balance between international players and domestic players. When you're trying to grow the sport and build capability, it's crucial to include domestic players in that development. It's a fantastic experience for them, not only in game time but more importantly in training time,' as quoted from a release by RPL. He explained how Indian players will benefit from the exposure they'll get throughout the tournament. 'During training, they get exposed to physical, technical, tactical and mental development from the senior international players which they can then take back to their team and to the next generation of Indian players', Friday reckoned. 'I love that cradle-to-grave idea - creating the legacy for Indian players tomorrow. I think that's what the RPL provides, allowing India to dare to dream and achieve their Olympic dream', he added. Asked about coaching in this league format with top players who don't often play together, Friday called the experience, 'Unique, and one that will come with lifetime memories.' 'Players who normally go head-to-head, country against country, come together to represent their region and the Indians of today and tomorrow. It's a special honour. We're here for a reason - not just to win, but to inspire Indian rugby players and help them become the best versions of themselves. That is humbling and very exciting,' he said. On the emerging domestic talent, Friday praised young players' resilience, especially Arjun Mahato. 'It's very hard for Indian players. On occasions, they've been thrown into the deep end, going under the water a lot. But the challenge is to survive in the deep water. They're improving every session. I tell them: you have to get it wrong to get it right - that's what they're doing and learning,' he added. He singled out Arjun for rising to the challenge, saying, 'He's confident, knows what to do, but more importantly he's ready to discuss why. That's half the challenge. Indian players tend to wait to be told what to do, but they need to understand why we do it. Then they can teach rather than just be taught. Arjun is already embracing that.' On the league's organization and facilities, Friday was effusive in praise. 'The league has done fantastically well. It's easy to look from the outside and think it's simple, but there's so much behind-the-scenes business. The RPL has done extremely well. There's been fantastic work getting all the owners on board and bringing in the best players and coaches in the world,' he noted. 'We're excited, inspired, and ready to add to a legacy. Kudos to to India Rugby', Friday concluded. (ANI)
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- Sport
- New Indian Express
Rugby Premier League: Kalinga Black Tigers unveil jersey and mascot
BHUBANESWAR: The Kalinga Black Tigers (KBT), one of the Rugby Premier League (RPL) founding teams, unveiled its jersey and mascot 'Paika' here at Kalinga Stadium on Saturday. The RPL, world's first franchise-based Rugby 7s league, is set to begin on June 15 at the Andheri Sports Complex (Mumbai Football Arena, MFA). Besides Kalinga Black Tigers, the other teams are Bengaluru Bravehearts, Chennai Bulls, Delhi Redz, Hyderabad Heroes and Mumbai Dreamers. Backed by Hunch Ventures, an investment firm deeply rooted in Odisha, KBT embodies a broader vision for the state's development and recognition on the national stage. The team composition will be 13 players including five overseas players in a team and the 7-a-side match will be 16 minutes (22 minutes in total including breaks), which will be played in four quarters. Rugby India president Rahul Bose, who was present during the occasion, said, "This is a league that's been six years in the making, but we wanted to do everything right. Thanks to World Rugby, who gave us a 15-day window in which no international rugby 7s would be played anywhere in the world. We are in the process of introducing Women Rugby Premier League in the future." Talking about Odisha's contribution towards Indian rugby, Rahul added, "the State played a vital role for the development of various sports in our country. The rugby teams of the state always made podium finishes in the national tournament. It gives the RPL Governing council great happiness that the league has a team from the state of Odisha." The team has lofty ambitions ahead of the inaugural season. Head coach Mike Friday felt that this league will be a good platform for the local players to evolve. "We will get two weeks of training season with the overseas players. It will provide ample opportunities for the Indian players to grow and learn the international theme of rugby sports." Odisha Deputy Chief Minister KV Singh Deo graced the occasion as the chief guest. Odisha Rugby Football Association (ORFA) president Priyadarshi Mishra, ORFA secretary Upendra Kumar Mohanty, Founder of Hunch Ventures and KBT Co-owner Karanpal Singh, KBT assistant coach Rajeev Nath and some of the KBT players were also present. RPL Format Teams: 6 Venue: 1 (Andheri Sports Complex, Mumbai) Matchdays: 15 Matches: 34 Match Duration: 22 Weekdays: 2 matches per night Weekends: 3 matches per night Tournament Dates: June 15-29 Live on Star Sports Network
Hans India
3 days ago
- Sport
- Hans India
Rugby Premier League creates chance for India to achieve Olympic dream, says Kalinga Black Tigers coach Mike Friday
Mumbai: Kalinga Black Tigers head coach Mike Friday hailed the Rugby Premier League (RPL) as a groundbreaking platform blending international excellence with domestic talent to help India's rugby dream flourish. A former rugby sevens player himself, Mike Friday proceeded to become England Sevens' most successful coach to date, leading them to 10 titles during his tenure, while also securing a Commonwealth Games silver medal in 2006. He has also played a significant role in building legacies across the teams he has coached, including the Kenya Sevens and the USA Sevens teams. Now taking up a new challenge at the GMR RPL, he described the league's unique appeal, stating, 'It's a very innovative format, a perfect balance between international players and domestic players. When you're trying to grow the sport and build capability, it's crucial to include domestic players in that development. It's a fantastic experience for them, not only in-game time but more importantly in training time.' He explained how Indian players will benefit from the exposure they'll get throughout the tournament. 'During training, they get exposed to physical, technical, tactical and mental development from the senior international players, which they can then take back to their team and the next generation of Indian players," Friday reckoned. 'I love that cradle-to-grave idea - creating the legacy for Indian players tomorrow. I think that's what the RPL provides, allowing India to dare to dream and achieve their Olympic dream," he added. Asked about coaching in this league format with top players who don't often play together, Friday called the experience 'unique, and one that will come with lifetime memories.' 'Players who normally go head-to-head, country against country, come together to represent their region and the Indians of today and tomorrow. It's a special honour. We're here for a reason - not just to win, but to inspire Indian rugby players and help them become the best versions of themselves. That is humbling and very exciting.' On the emerging domestic talent, Friday praised young players' resilience, especially Arjun Mahato. 'It's very hard for Indian players. On occasions, they've been thrown into the deep end, going under the water a lot. But the challenge is to survive in the deep water. They're improving every session. I tell them: you have to get it wrong to get it right - that's what they're doing and learning.' He singled out Arjun for rising to the challenge, saying, 'He's confident, knows what to do, but more importantly, he's ready to discuss why. That's half the challenge. Indian players tend to wait to be told what to do, but they need to understand why we do it. Then they can teach rather than just be taught. Arjun is already embracing that.' On the league's organisation and facilities, Friday was effusive in praise. 'The league has done fantastically well. It's easy to look from the outside and think it's simple, but there's so much behind-the-scenes business. The RPL has done extremely well. There's been fantastic work getting all the owners on board and bringing in the best players and coaches in the world.' 'We're excited, inspired, and ready to add to a legacy. Kudos to RPL, kudos to GMR, kudos to India Rugby," Friday concluded.
